The Penn's Grove record., 1882-02-18
Small Pox.

As small pox 10 now spreading in
our cities and even In our rural dis
tricts and may assume the form Of an
epidemic, our readers may be glad to
know something about its origin and
growth. About its birth and early
growth, we can really be SURF Of very
little. It's history extends back to the
early days of the human family, when
words had not that exact meaning,
they now possers. The word "pock"
means a sack and was applied to this
disease, because its chief features are
vesisles and pustules, the former con-
tanning water and the latter, matter
or pue.
This diseaee may have originated
In China and Hindoostan. At any
rate 1t appeared in those countries in
1l2O. Several epidemics of this dis
ease that occurred at about this period
of time are described by different
writers. But the descriptions are SO
vague and indefinite that we do not
know OF how much confidence they
are worthy. The probability, how.
ever, is that small pox existed In
early Chinese history.
A Latin author, also, describes this
disgusting and destructive malady as
1t appeared in Egypt, Syria and the
adjacent countries. The Arabians
have given US the first scientific ac-
count of this malady. Latin authors
have quoted freely from these Ara
bian writers, as If they considered
them worthy of credit.
At the time o! the crusades, this
scourge assumed alarming dimensions,
and small pox houses were erected to
seclude the disease from the healthy.
Near the end of the fifteenth century
this disease entered Germany and
spread to England in 124l. From Eu-
| rope IL came to America soon after the
discovery of this continent. 1t ragged
In Mexico in 1927 and destroyed Its
victims by millions and ultimately
| spread over the whole continent OF
America. Severe epidemies occurred
after the importations Of negroes from
Africa. Then az now, negroes were
more susceptible to this disease than
the whites.- 1t is probable that the
way of living in ancient times, poor
food, poor houses, poor nursing and
ignorance of the care and medical
treatment the disease required did
much towards spreading 1t and In
creasing its destructive power. A
large amount Of uncertainty as to its
origin and extent must be attributed
to the fact that it was not always dis
tinguishsble from the plague anC
other pspulous and pustular eruptions
Indeed, until n recent date it wa!
classed with measles. ~Sydenham wa
the nrst physician who infinitely de
scribed the difference between thes'
affections. This TACT compels us Il
feel, that an uncertainty exists will
regard to all accounts of small pox
that have been handed down 10 u
from China and Arabia. No doub
this disease existed, but to what ex
tent other serious and destructiy
mAladies were included in the sam
general name we do not know. w
may be certain, ut any rate, hat II
not q native of America.
We know slso, that in Europe an
In other countries OF the eastern cor
tinsnt II vas n of the creates
scourges of the human family. 1t
said by medical historians that NJ
ten years elapsed without decimalip
the people of q large extent Of countr,
no that II WAS more dreaded than til
, plague. The physicians of the tim'
lsborsd sssiduously to find q course
treatment that would check Its extel
sion aud it's mortality.
The Arabians considered 1t q poiso
: that had entered the system and
prescribed sweating and other meal
10 drive 1t out. This practice was col
tinusd until the middle OF the seveI
a tenth century, aud was not entire.
s~vsrthrsws until ths treatment