Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1882-03-01
History,.of SMALLPOX.
A Plague. That Has Held Sway for Twelve
Centuries


ofail the plaques Il at have arisel
from time TO time, or infested cite
or countries, none is more dreaded
none is more persistent, none i
more communicable or fatal thar
was small poy II century ago. Blu
whence or how the disease arose i
is not 80 easy to say. Other plague,
have veXcd the cart. for u time
AMI then passed away, leaving II,
vestige OF their ravageS, as did the
great plague ut Athens, during tn,
great PelopOnnesian war, or tn,
plague in England of Charles II E, bu,
smallpox, out content with II ccntu
RIGS OF sway, still holds its own, DIES
pite the discoveries of science. Ii
is unquestionably true that diseases
of such contagious nature generally
arise among filthy and ill.conditon.
ell people, confined in narrow. quar-.
tcrs. This was the case with the
Athenian plague, and it was again
the case In the Jewish quarters of
European cities. Contagious dis
eases were comparatively rare
among the Romans and Greeks OF
the lllustrious periods, owing to
the free public baths and excellent
sanitary and gymnastic habits Of
the times.
Ii was reserved for the middle or
dark ages to furnish the most dread.
fnl .cxamulnS Of .ncstlcnce. Small.
period of medieval times. 1t first
invaded England in the ninth cen.
fury; it was common in Arabia in
the tenth; the Crusadcs carried it
through all Southern Europe il
reached Norway in the fourteenth
century; in ljl7 it was carried to
st. Domingo 10y the Spauiards along
with slavery, the lnquisition, the
rack, and q host of other blessings;
three years later it crossed to
Mexico AMI slew three millions; it
invaded Iceland in 1907, and Green.
land in 1873, Staying Il fourth part
of the residents in the former and n
large proportion of those in the
latter country, and despite all that
medical skill has done and is doing
to cast it from the earth, it bids fair
to retain its hold, in some measure,
IN long as popular ignorance, DIES.
titution, negligence and careless
ness continue to combat the physi.
clans and the dictates of common
sense.
Its history is thus unique: other
contagious diseases have proved as
fatal nndcr similar circumstances
for limited periods; none have con.
tnued their blasting work for 10
centuries in all climates from Mexico
to Greenland. 1t is not unrcason.
able, therefore, that its approach
should he hailed with terror as is
the approach OF almost no other
disease. yellow fever and Aslatic
cholera, even, have caused no such
potent and widespread destruction.
The very air it taintS carries lntec !
ton; garments in contact with |
patients carry their baucfnl power /
for years II shut upin tight closets:
1t can be communicated by mail or /.
by the wind, by rAilrold, hy ocean
voyage, by manifest means which /
cannot be guarded against. 1t is .
not on ~ dangerous, but loathsomc /
III It's progress; 1t drives away ones .
friends, thruSts him into unuttcr.
able fortunes and leaves him often
wreck for life, with ruined health
and dtsHgured countcnance. When
to all tins is added it's persistent
temperance ut almost definite
periods, it is not to he wondered at
that smallpox Scarcs are so com.
mon.