The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-02-21
TEE BLACK DEATH.

TEE BLACK DEATH.
SYMPTOMS OF THE DIsEAsE-How II
IS ENGENDERED AND DISSEMINATED
ITS ORIGIN AND PROGRESS.
From the Cincinnati Commercial]
The disease now ravaging the dis
trict "f Astrakhan is the black
DEATH" which for ages had it's home
in Egypt, Syria, Greece, Turkey and
the adjoining provinces of Russia, to
which countries it is now chiefly linn
tied. The people in the first infected
districts a,e,dying, the reports state.
like flies. So rapidly has the disease
spread that fully ten per cent. in the
newly infected DISTRICTS have perished.
No one dares touch the dead, and
they lie unburied in the streets. In
the commencement. of the disease
there is feeling of WEAKNESS and
fatigne, shivering, nausea and sick
ness, confusion of ideas, giddiness
and pain in the loins. These are quick
ly followed by increased stupor and
delirinm, by pallor and flushing OF
the face, and a feeling of intense
binding Or contraction about the
heart. Darling pains are felt in the
groins, arm pits and. other parts of
the body. The lymphatic glands be-
come enlarged and carhuncles appear.
The tongue becomes dry and brown,
and tho gums, teeth and lips are COW
cred with a dark fur. The will loses
its control over the muscles. About
the second and third day livid spots
and stripes appear upon the skin. In
fatal cases-and most are tatal-the
pulse gradually 81 inks, the surface be-
comes cold and clammy, blood oozes
from the mucous surfaces, and there
is either coma or delirium., The vic
tim usually fingers FIVE or six days,
and may pass. away without a struy-
gle or in convulsions. 1t is said that
infected persons might visit every
country in Europe before the SYMPTOMS
were recognized, and in this way
ENDANGER THE WHOLE WORLD.
The plague. may be spontaneously
engendered by endemic or epidemic
influences; it may originate from
local causes, ard may be propagated
by peculiar contagion. Temperature
seems TO exert a very great influence
over it. In tropical climates it is. not
known, and it does not . long with
stand the cold of northern climates.
It's peculiar harvest time in Europe is
late in the summer and early in the
fall, especially, in September. Like
the germs of yellow fever, it has thus
far evaded the examinations of chem
lists and microscopisfs. AS soon as
obsorbed it alters the composition OF
the blood and the condition of the
tissues. There is no universal cure
for it. In occasional instances fresh
air may be of benefit. Cleanliness
is generally preventive, and it is
due to this and superior ventilation
that foreigners in the Levant are
comparatively exempt. In 1888, so
Chinese historians tell us, there were
great commissions in nature, and
earthquakes, and floods, which were
followed by drouths and famines.
Hills and lakes disappeared, and the
gases rising from the earth, and de-
caying vegetation and animals, rem
dered the air excessively impure. Fol
lowing these conyulsions came the
great plague, and before it entered
Europe 100000 people in China
and 25,OoO,O0O people in Western
Asia and Northern Africa had died.
1t appeared in Russia, near
WHERE IT NOW PREVAILS,
In 1348. Constantinople was attack.
ed, and from there it spread over all
Turkey. The disease was carried to
Italy, and from thence to France.
England. Germany and the Low
Countries. From England it was con,
veyed to Sweden, and passed over
the Baltic Sea into Northern Russia.
| In only three years it covered the
Whole OF Europe. Halt the popula
ton of Italy died of it. Fifteen con.
tinental cities lost 800 900 inhabitants.
London 100000, and in Europe 25,.
100000 people perished. The terri
BILE disease was attributed by the
superstItious to the Jews, who were
accused of poisoning the wells so that
| the water wnuld brood nost;lonoo
Entire colonies of Jews were massa
cred. and thousands were SO terrified
that they took their own, lives. The
disease was extensively spread by
numerous bands of religious. zealots
who visited town after town, ,tortur.
ling their bodies in the vain hope Of
expiating the. sins OF. the people,
These Flagellants, as they were call
ed, comprised both men and wonfea
1 who went abouk k0early naked, ana
leach one wore cross upon The