Semi-weekly interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1881-1905, 1882-02-24
a Pen pictvc. on smaIloOI.

PeH PicfUre OF SmdHpOL
Tho disease il one Of the most ago
nizing. and one Of the most fatal, that
flesh is heir 10. In its violent form,
the whole body. from the crown Of
the head 10 the soles Of the feet, is
covered with oOzing sores, each one Of
which Is source Of lancinating pain;
sometimes the sores become continent,
aud then the whole body becomes one
huge sore-one shocking mass Of rot
tenness and horror. The inner surface
Of the body, no less than the outer,
is covered with these ulcers so that
10 swallow at all is like swallowing
scalding water; and perpetual swal-
lowing follows the expectoration which
isneeded 10 prevent sutiocation from &c
emulation OF excreta; frequently blood
exHles from the mucous membranes Of
the mouth, nose, ears, eyes and bow
els. The odor Of the bowels is often.
sive beyond expression, and the filth
from the discharging sores is horrible.
The eyes are closed, the head is fright
fully swelled, and 80, indeed, is the
whole body, and during part Of the
time, fever, with all its concomitant
distress, RACES. Delirium sets in, and
the snaerer fingers until death ends
the scene. True, every case is not
marked by SYMPTOMS so unutterly
dreadful as those which we have at.
tempted to describe; many die before
the disease has reached these superla-
tive stages; some die speedily from
complication OF other diseases; and
many having the disease in a mIlder
form recover; but every one who is
wholly unprotected by vaccination,
and who has the disease, is liable to
all that we have tried to set forth, and
ifposibleto more; for it is impossible
for language TO exaggerate the an
guish, the loathsomeness and the ter
ror of this fearful scourge. If any one
thinks that we have Overstated the
case, he can easily correct his misap'
prehension by reading the standard
medical books. We have only spoken
Of the worst cases; in its less malig-
nant types the disease fails tar short of
what has been said, but in its most
benignant form. if wholly unchecked,
il Is sill ono Of the most distressing
maladies known 10 mankind.
Ii is one OF the most communica-
lie of all diseases, being both oontag-
ious and infectious, that is, il may be
communicated by touching person
who has il, or by touching garment
that he has worn, or an article that he
has handled, or it may be carried in
the air, and thus communicated to.a
person who never saw nor came very
near 10 one afflicted with it. II may
come from handling paper money; it
may be brought by mail in newspa-
psr Or letter, or in package by ex-
press; Il may be caught from a fellow
traveller on the railroad, or from a
passer.by in the street, or from the
casual visit OF friend. The germs OF
il viii remain in bed clothing, carpets
and the like Tor months, and perhaps
for years. 1t respects no season of the
year aud no spot on the earth. II
Visits the tropics; it has slain its mil
lions In Mexico; it nearly depopulated
Greenland; it reaches the mountain
tops, and il breaks out in mid ocean;
il has no favorite localities; the whole
earth is its home. It's most frightful
slaughter was in the seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries. But ia
those days there were no railroads and
no steam, and but little commerce
no express companies, and but littl'
mail matter, aud very little travel in
any way. In these days Of ceaseles
intercourse and perpetual running 4
and fro, if the disease were unchecked
as il was then, its ravages would prob
ably soon depOpulate the whole civil
lied world; and perhaps this PROPOSE
ton would remain true if the word
civilized were stricken out, for It is
well established iact that the dark
skinned races are much more suscep
tible than the whites, and are ais
more likely to die from its effects.
"If l thought was going to be