The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-23

victim The swellings became tumors,
within which hai d, dark substance as large
as bean was formed II ESQ tumors re-
manned hard and dry, blood poisoning fol-
lowed, and on or about the fifth day from
the setting in of the disease the patient
died But if the tumors softened and sup
purated, the venom of the plague seemed
to be discharged and the patient was
saved. Sometimes the fever accompanying
the development OF these tumors brought
profound lethargy on the patient, who sur
fered little, begging only To be let alone
that he might die untortured by medicine,
surgery, or even nursing. More frequently
the fever brought on raging and dellrlum.
In all cases the bodies of those who died OF
the plague were covered with black boils or
carbunces. All hope was given up when
these appeared. Among those who re-
covered, a considerable portion lost sight
and hearing, while others remained ever
afterwards speechless.
THE TRUE PLAGUE.
Strictly speaking, the peculiarities above
described are to be regarded as character
istic OF the true plague-so that the so-called
plague of Athens as we'll as the plague
which afflicted the whole Roman empire i'll
the reign of Aurelius, and that again of the
third century, were not really plaques in the
full sense of the term. IL would almost seem
indeed as though the plague of Athens was
but an exceptionally malignant form Of re-
mittent fever. The true pla rue is defined
as specific contagious fever accompanied
by the formation of tumors, and some
times of carbuncles Dark spots on the
skin are regarded as infallible signs of
death. They are due to the effusion of
blood under the skin, ard precede death by
only few hours. The skin is sometimes so
covered with these spots as to assume
dark livid hue after death-whence the
name Black Death, given to the worst form
of plague.
During Justinian's plague, the idea pre-
vailed that the disease was not contagious,
an idea which, if it saved the afflicted ma
lions from portion of the troubles accom-
panylng the appearance of the pestience,
brought in Others more terrible. Doubtless
the quiet disregard of danger at such sea-
sons is desirable, SO only that it do not
cause the neglect of necessary precautions.
But disregard of danger is a dangerous
quality when it has It's origin merely in
ignorance. 1t so proved in this case.
The friends and relatives of the
deceased were more careful in their
attentions than during most plaques, but
the absence of all restraints on the COM
munication of the disease from house to
house, from city to city and from country
to country, led to results the most dis
astrous. Procopius tells us that the plague
spread from Persia to Gaul, from the sea-
coast to the interior. No island or noun
tain district was so sequestered but that the
plague spread to it, either at its first passage
across region-or later sometimes with
even more terrible effect. in places which
were supposed to have escaped. The sue
cesion OF the seasons seemed to have no in
huence on this long-lasting pestilence. II
have named thirty years, but according to
some historians its effects continued for
more than half century
FLoRENCE's EPIDEMIC.
The plague of Florence in the middle of
the fourteenth century was remarkable, like
that Of Athens, for the limited area which
it affected, or rather in which it wrought
its most deadly effects, and rose to true
plague pitch. If Florence, when the plague
reached her, had given way to despair and
taken no measures to resist the enemy, one
might more readily understand the terrible
intensity of the sufferings of the people.
But all remedies known in those days were
tried. The streets were cleaned; suspected
persons were removed OF prevented from
entering; every measure was adopted
which the wisest and most prudent of the
inhabitants could suggest Yet the plague
ragged i'll Florence as it ragged nowhere else
Tumors such as those which appeared
during Justinian's plague. appeared during
the plague of Florence, and as in the sixth
century, so in the fourteenth purple spots
on the body of the diseased were regarded
as sure tokens of approaching dissolution.
Death came earlier, however, the sufferers
usually dying on the third day. Animals
as we'll as men were infected. Boccaccio
tells us that he saw two hogs roofing among
the clothes of a man who had died of the
plague-''in less than an hour" he adds,
they turned round and died on the spot"
AS in former plaques, the restraints of re-
lgion seemed to lose their influence. Every
one, says one writer, did as he pleased.
This doubtless is an exaggeratlon; since we
have evidence that the monks and fyiArs
stood bravely to the work of religious con-
ISOLATION and physical help. The idea con-
veyed in the Introductory matter of Boo
caccio's ''Decameron," that the occasion
seemed one when men and women seemed to
turn naturally from the gloom around to
festivity and dissipation. even to debauchery
and riot, is undoubtedly correct. What
could 1t mattera All save few devotees
seemed TO think, "If we are to die by the
plague, we may as well enjoy what little Of
life remains TO us; if we are to survive, we
need not trouble ourselves with unnecessary
anxietieS."
When the plague was at its highest,
toward its close, it became the custom for
the dead to be put out of doors at night,
that the officers appointed for the purpose
might remove them in the morning. It is
computed that between 10000 and 100000
died of the plague in Tuscany alone, be-
tween March and August, 1S48 "Such,"
says Boccaccio, "was the severity of
heaven"
THE PLAGUE IN ENGLAND.
The plague in England, described by
Defoe as an eye witness, though he was not
an infant in 1665-66 when it ragged,
though terrible, was not to be compared
for severity with the plague of 1916. AS
many died, indeed, perhaps more; but in a
much larger population. 1t began in the
autumn of 1865; but the cold winter of
1665-66 greatly checked its ravages, and
many hoped that it would altogether disap-
pear. But with the early spring of 1866
deaths from the pestllence began TO be an
nounced, until presently it began to be
recognized that the real attack had COM
menced The symptoms were akin to those
observed during the plague OF Florence,
but sometimes death came even more
rapidly. In July 1000 died weekly, but by
September the weekly number of deaths
from the plague had risen to 5000. The
dead were buried together in certain folds,
then suburban, now within London proper.
There is one triangular space (not built ON,
between BromptOn and Kensington, where
large numbers were buried. Many of the
dead were buried In the fields at present
occupied by the houses in Golden Square
and It was noticed that during the vista
ton OF cholera in 1S49 the disease seemed