The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1882-03-01
THE BLACK DEATH.
Cause Of the Annual Outbreait OF tho
Plague.


It is generally supposed, says the
Chicago Tribune, that the inundation Of
the low lands of the Euphrates river is
the only cause of the outbreak Of the
plague, or black death. They are a con.
tributing, but not the only cause. The
real cause Of the pestilence has been
known for years to the Persian and
Turkish Governments, but they have
done nothing toward it, prevention. The
black death il not an uncommon disease
in that part of Mesopotamia lying south
west from Bagdad, between tho right
shore of the Euphrates and the Syrian
desert II has made its regular appear
auce there over since the year 1872, be-
tween the months Of December and
June. In Nedjeff, or Medsched Ali, is
the grave of Ali, the son-in-law of the
Prophet Mahomet. From there leads n
desert road, marked ont by the bleached
bones of camels and human beings, TO
the so-called Lake Euphrates, which IT,
ceives its water through the uintieh
canal. To the northwest of this lake is
situated the city of Kerbela, where is TO
be found the golden mosque aud the
grave of Husscin, the son of Caliph Ali
and the daughter of the Prophet. These
two cities are the real breeding-placcs If
the dreadful disease. 10 Nedictr aad
Kerbela the Shiitcs, or religious follow
ers OF Ali and Hussein, chiefly rersians,
send the dead bodies of their friends and
relatives, because they believe that to
be buried near -Hussein's or Ais grave
will assure their souls certain admission
to paradise. Caravan after caravan,
each camel loaded with two felt-coyera1
collins on each side, arrive there daily
and deposit their CHASTITY freight for liz
terment, which, during months of travel
from the Persian highlands, has been
decomposing and is filling the air with
its pes,ilential odor. Tho collins are
placed in shallow trenches and covered
with about an inch or two Of earth. But
this is not all. The whole country
around Nedjeff has becop,e one vast
graveyard, and, in consequence OF
the frequent floods occurring in the Eli
pirates, all the lands on both sides Of
the river are inundated, the light cover
ing Of earth is swept from the collins,
which, being made OF light material, fan
to pieces, and thousands upon thousands
of corpses are left rotting under the rays
of m Oriental sun. The waters finally
recede, or are gradually absorbed hy the
soil, poisoning all the wells in that couu-
try. From II, 600 to 10000 cOrpses are
sent there annually for intcrmcnt by the
Shiites. The Jews send annually SOW
eral thousands of their dead to he buried
near the grave OF their prophet Ezekiel,
which is also near kcrhcln. Beside these
caravans there arrive ilotiilas Of pilgrim
boats loaded with corpses on the Eu-
pirates by way OF the Scmawat branch
and the Bar-i-Nedieif. Not only are
they filled with this pestilerous freight,
but the collins are even hung outside Of
the boats, loading them down to the wa
ter's edge. The constant arrival of
these caravans and iiotillas with their
freight OF decaying human corpscs, and
added to this the careless burial, must
be regarded us the cause OF the outbreak
OF the plague, and the fatalistlc ucgIi.
gence of the Persian and Turkish Gov
crnments, which do not interfere until
the disease has become epidemic, eX-
plains why it has not been suppressed
during the last ten years. For long
time special treaty has been in exist
ence between these two Governments
relative to the transportation of these
corpses, but SO far it has been a treaty
on paper only. The peopls Of Ame.,ts.
are i'll as much danger as the rest OF the
world. 1t is about time that the civil
lied nations of tho earth should make
this question of the transportation OF
corpses under IN Oriental sun an inter-
national question, and force the two
Governments directly interested to exc.
cute the provisions of their treaty il
good faith.