The Osceola times., 1884-10-04
THE BLACK DEATH.
A Plague that scourgsd the World In the
fourteenth Century.
Chicaso Herald.

The alarm excited by the cholera in
Southern France recalls the history Of
past epidemics, some OF which, especial
ly those of the middle ages, were 50 viru-
lent AID destructive that anything we
have had or could have in this century
would be insignificant. The plague, or
black death, as it was commonly called,
of the fourteenth century, was the most
terrible scourge of which any record has
been preserved. To read of it now seems
like some horrible dream, or some
monkish vision of the Internal world.
1t appals the imagination, and shows
what fearful ravages disease could make
before man had become acquainted with
hygienic laws.
The black death, which was an Eastern
plague, and actually desolated the world,
got its name from the black spots caused
by decomposition that appeared on the
body Of the sufferer. No statistics or
health records were kept in the dark
ages; therapeutics was in its infancy; ig-
norance and indifference universally
prevailed. We have very few data OF
plague; we are unacquainted with its
symptoms, its crisis, or the method of its
infection. They must have varied great
ly at different places. The cases were
more malignant and more widely fatal
in Asia than in Europe, owing to the
worse condition of the people and the
lower forms Of civilization.
Everything connected with the pest
was hideous and revolving. These at
tackled by it suffered terribly. They had
burning and unquenchable thirst, rack
ing pains in the head and breast, boils
and swellings all over the body, putrid
Of the lungs; they were
mass Of corruption and agony; they of
ten begged to be killed to relieve them
Of their misery, and when they had suf-
ficent strength, destroyed themselves.
The great majority perished in two or
three days; medicines were powerless;
the appearance of the black spots was
the sign of doom. Mature, cruel as she
is, was never more cruel than at that
frightful period.
While much that has been published
the plague is vague and OBJ
viously fabulous, there is no rational
doubt that it had its rise in China during
The first part of the fourteenth century,
and that it was preceded by swarms of
ocusts, droughts, famines, floods, lorna
does, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
throughout the East, which destroyed
and animal life far end near.
Similar arrangements and commissions
Of nfture were common in Europe. Ali
his upheavsl and disorder, with the at.
tendant decomposition cf matter and an
mal substance, is supposed to have caus-
ed some extraordinary atmospheric
change hostile to human life, which act
ed like poison upon the respiratory or.
the first to be attacked.
Some writers of the time say that the
steady progress of the epidemic from east
10 west could be traced by the vitiated
air, which Iesembled cloud of haze
the cloud of fate, the haze of death.
Scarcity of food and unwholesome living
predisposed people to the sease, which
spread from infection and
1t made its way from China
along the caravan routes westward. From
the north coast of the Black Sea it went
TO Constantinople, thence to the Italian
seaports and throughout Europe, occupy
ing three years in passing, by a mighty
circle. from Constantinople around to
Russia.
The ravages of the plague were fright
ful beyond conception. Death stalked
through the world, moving down his
victims everywhere. Every form of an.
lnal life was assailed. Thousands OF
corpses were cast into huge pits, dug for
the purpose; lakes and rivers were con-
secrated that the dead might be thrown
into them, thus avoiding the dread ana
danger of infection Passengers and
crews were stricken down at sea; often
nobody was left alive ON vessels, which,
loaded with putrefying humanity, were
borne aimiessly by the infected winds,
and finally driven to shore, where they
spread the coctagion over the land. The
moral effects of the scourge were as bad
rs the physical effects. Thousands died
from terror; the ties of humanity ana
kindred were broken; husbands deserted
their wives, brothers their sisters, moth
ers their children; everybody was absorb
ed by wild desire to save himself at all
hazards and at any price; and yet saliva
ton was in most cases impossible, almost
hopeless. 1t seemed az if the whole race
was doomed to destruction; as if the
despair had seized and shattered the hu-
man heart.
The gigantic accumulation of horrors
at once disorganlxed society and diaboliz-
ed humanity. superstition and ignorance
which are twin brothers, were scarcely
less evils than the plague.
Ii IL hard to estimate the loss of life
from the scourge; but it is computed that
100000 perished in China, and else
where in the East about % 600 900 more.
Germany lost nearly 100000; Italy
half its entire population; London alone
an excess of 10000. In Europe fully
must have died, and in all
quarters of the globe not lar from TO-.
0O0, 1000 Of people-a number that shocks
the senses and well nigh destroys ones
faith in nature.
Such conditions or such plague would
not be possible now. No pestilence can
be very pernicious to-day. In this era
of intelligence, reason and science we
know how to deal with epidemics, and
have little cause to dread them.
When they visit us they are resisted
with such energy and skill that they are
soon overcome and extinguished. The
nineteenth century fears little, because