The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-01-23
Gts GtteIIigsttter.
HISTORY or SMALLPOX.
A Plague That Has Held sway for
twelve Canturi0a.

a Plague That Has Held Sway for
Twelve Centuries.
OF all the plagSes which HAYES arisen from
time to time, and infested cities or coun-
tries, pone is more persistent, none Is more
easily communicable or fatal than was
smallpox century ago. But whence or
how the disease arose II Is not so easy 10
say. Other plaques have vexed the Garth
for time and then passed away, leaving
no vestige Of their ravages, as did thegreat
plague at Athens, during the PCloponnesi-
an war, or the plague In the England Of
Charles II; but smallpox, not content with
twelve centuries Of sway, holds It's own de-
spite the discoveriesoi science. Its unQues-
tionably true that diseases Of such conta.
gious natures generally arise among filthy
and Unconditional people, confined in mar
row quarters. This was the case with the
Athenian plague, and II was again the
case in the Jewish quarters OF European
cities. Contagious diseases were compare
lively rare among the Romans and
Greeks Of the illustrious periods, owing TO
the free public baths and excellent sani-
tary and gymnastic habits Of the times.
1t was reserved for the middle or dark
ages TO furnish the most dreadful examples
Of pestilenCe. Smallpox arose in the dark.
est period Of medieval times. 1t first in
vadcd England in the ninth century; It
was common In Arabia in the tenth; the
crusaders carried It through all Southern
Europe; it reached Norway in the four
teenth century; in l5l7 II was carried to
st. Domingo by the Spaniards along with
slavery, the lnQuisition, the rack and a
host Of other blessings; three years
later it crossed to Mexico and slew
three millions; 1t invaded Iceland in 1907
and Greenland in 1888, Staying fourth |
part OF the residents in the former and a
large proportion OF those in the latter coun-
try, and despite all that medical skill has
done aid is doing TO cast 1t from the earth,
1t bids fair TO retain its hold in some meas
ure US long as popular ignorance, destitu-
ton, negligence and carelessness continue
to combat the physicians and the dictates
Of common sense.
Its history is thus unique; other con-
iagiOus diseases have proved Us fatal under
similar circumstances for limited periods;
none have continued their blasting work
'or ten centuriesin all climates from Mexico
% Greenland. 1t is not unreasonable,
therefore,, that its approach should be hail.
I'd with terror us is the approach Of almost
10 other disease. Yellow fever and Asiatic
'hOlera even, have caused no such potent
md widespread destruction. The very
lir it taints carries infection; gar
nents in contact with patients
larry their baneiul power for years,
i shut up in tight closets; it can be
by mail or by the wind, by
by ocean voyage, by manifold
means which cannot be guarded against.
It is not only dangerous but loathsome in
its progress; it drives away ones friends,
thrusts him into unutterable tortures and
leaves him often wreck for life with
ruined health and disflgured countenance.
When to all this is added its persistent re-
appearance at almost definite periods, it is
not to be wondered at that small pox
sC0res are SO common.