, 1879-02-19
TIE PLAGUE.


THE PLAGUE.
Danger of tho IntrodnctIon Of tic Dj4easo
Into tho United statcs-lsavnges in tho
Pnat.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 14.-The following
letter was received to-day by tic Chairman Of
the Senate aud House Committees on Epidemic
Diseases, md will he hid before tho COMMITTEES
al joint meeting on Monday next:
OFFICE or Tilt SuHnEoN-ERnEnAI or TIN
UNlTEp STATES MARINE HosrlrAL SERVICE,
WASHINGTON, D. G., Fob. IL, 187D.-7o shs Lon.
h,tana @. H1rris, Chairman % tae ss,.als Cam
Young, Chairman Of Me L{onss Committee on Et-
fdtnlc Observation-Disclosures: lam constrained
70 Invite your Intention to Whit conceive to
bc matter Of sufficient Importance to c1aitn Tho
intention OF the Committees Of Congress On Et-
idemlc Diseases. From The imperfect accounts
which como to this country Of !fe prevailing cp-
ldemie In tlic Province Of Assrakhan, there
ease which has broken out there With such dcnd-
y elect Is The plague, q singu'arIy fatal In
lccttois dlseasc, accompanied hr swelling aud
sometimes EanGrctots condition OF the glanos
o. &c body, anu n many respects resembling
The accouut OF the outbreak, which is gen.
orally cEcdlted In Euronc md In this country, is
u tue effect TINT Russian soldier returning
from the war brought shawl with him md
gave It to = girl, who sIckencd md died two
days after from this supposed INFECTION. The
tiiseaso spread With great fatality. About three
weeks ehpscd before the Russian Government
was, officially notified Of the iacts, md another
week Ensscd before my measures were ndopted
to check it's spread. The Russian Government,
rs well as tho people, arc now thoroughly
lcen established, md cordons of soldiers have
been placed arullnd tic infected villages. Et-
rope l,as become alarmed. md commerce with
M.s,n ns bcsn 'nts.e.e ;. except under atrct
Of iuutlcy md the strong military arm OF the
t3ovcrunlcnt the measures Of prevention appear
TO hnyc been to- long delayed, nnd the plngae Is
shoIlld the plague appear III tic countries of
Europe Will, which The United States has COM
mercial lnlereoursc, thero would be- Ercnt
danger Of .hc disease reaching o,.r shores. In
from tho Caspian and black scas. Tic lutcst
nrriral ut New York fr6m tsie Black Sen was ID
December last.
Considerable. danger may be- apurehcndcd
this country, brought by Iluss!nn cmigraMts, es-
pccially tic Afennonitca from Southern Russia.
large numbers Of whom slip at Liverpool.
imous in opiniou tat Un;tcd states 't1 ,neuIeal %
officers Of hraitll should bo stationed at Liver
pool aud at somn point Ia tho Mediterranean.
md lint they should be subject to orders 10
disease, 60 that definite reliable, mud prot1lot In
formation NAV be rtyc,i to the health a,lthvrt-
ties OF our sea,)urts, Twelve thousand dollars
per year would maintain two sl1c medical OIL
GERS abroad mid nay their travelling cxpcnscg.
u,ni In INV opinion It would bu mi Inresruient
worthy Of great conlnlercial nation,
Thu peup|c OF this rcncro11on have considered
tlie plague scolrge belonging only to the past,
anil few words in reference TO its former
ravaEes nay be Of interest. The great cpl
dcsnIcs of this disease have followed as u
sequence to wars IN nt1saiitasy countries or to
great religious pilgritnagcs. The plague pre-
vailed IN earlest historic times. Tie ilrat cpl
dcmtc Of which W hare a',y definite record Uc-
Cured nearly 1900 years ago, In the time OF
David. Next Is the great plague which conf
tnGtlccd 1G7 years hclore Chrlst. which Is said
TO have spread over tho whole world. Tile cpl
demie which commenced ~ tho time OF Justin-
ian, 5fl or Jf9 ycars btf0ro Christ, IL sai
% nave hlEiost Gnnststnua 1nankinu.' It
enn'@neneea n II Eeyot anu Bpread TO
~. ~ palt6 o.. w then KNOWN Woflu'
III n1ahaaT ~ "ssttuc"i .,., ~ Only pusincasl
n,ia sl'afa,s nI'!.sv isnns', eatc 10. Top OF
.'.un..m "ne'S n,a''h!s1 intla9cu m MneA ING
pesa!!ese WY " M " lth hiEht ~ CnnstahtMope rs
!!tMF as nou psllHue" II Hay, 70 that tlle
ttsa' .'s' aas Mltnoat n"Is!3. F1ocnplus compares
Nv .ne i1nuer MILO peiisNca 20 tae eailas o. l!le
sc1l. MlsoshcF EcHela! 81 GnHGn'e OF tne p'aeno
p.Gfa.ea pi ~ u.e yeas aao u. v, anu Was espe'
eially sewers IN athens. Dlr1ne t!c C4rlstlau
.in It'll wv paHVc Has frequently 'lsnea Farope