Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-20
Stuns by a Mexican Wasp.

If you have never been stung by an old
fashioned Mexican wasp it Is an expert
ence you want to avoid carefully, content
ing Yourself with such information about
the little beauty as you can gather from
third parties and documents. Il is, when
mature and healthy, nearly two inches
long, with q sting that looks like the point
of fine cambria needle. 1t is brownish
red in color. and it's disposition is always
hostile. When it stinss you there is for
o moment or two o sensation of numbness
about the part. which rapidly gives place
to pain that can only be described as
agony. If you could imagine how it
would feel to have wire drawn through
the most sensitive part of your body and
then raised slowly to a white heat you
could perhaps form theoretical idea of
what the feeling is like. The sting is
never fatal. and the pain passes away
after an hour or two, but it IS simply an
guish while il lasts
During the Mexican war one Of the
companies of Doniphan's command cauped
il an old building where there was col
ouy of these wasps. They managed to
disturb the insects IN some way, and the
company was completely routed and de-
moralized-sorle OF the mon ran miles
away from the place before they were
found and gathered in again. Dr.. Gun
ming, of Beshoar, Colo, has rnade quite a
study Of these articulates, which, he
says, represent an unclassified member Of
the wasp family. There are, l believe, no
living creatures outside Of snakes, scor
pious snd centipedes which are able to
inaict SO much suffering on their enemies.
Aas Thirty Years Plague.
Very striking is the contrast between
the plague az Athens, affecting chiefly
single city and lasting but short time,
and the plague which extended with vary
ing degrees Of intensity from Persia to
Gaul in the reign of Justinian. lasting no
less than thirty years, and destroying
according to an estimate which the his
torian Gibbon did not consider extrava-
CAN'T no fewer than hundred millions of
human beings number not much less
than the entire population of Great Britain
and the United States.
Ii this long lasting and most terrible
plague, the features of the disease were
quite unlike what had been noticed during
the plague of Athens. Procopius studied
it both IS historian and physician In
most cases the mind was first attacked,
anxious fears and ssddening visions seem
ing 70 overpower the reasoning faculties.
But usually q mild fever was the first
sign of mischief, nothing In its earlier
progress Suggesting any serious danger.
Before long. however, the glands be-
Meath the ears, under the arm pits
and in the groin sweiled alarmingiy,
especially as these swcllings were soon
recognized IS signs tina: the dreaded
plague fever had indeed seized It's victim
The sweiliags became tumors, within
which hard dark substance as large SIS q
bean Was formed II these tEmors re-
NAMED hard and dry blood poisoning fol
lowed, and en- or about the fifth DAY from
the setting in of the disease the patient
died But If the trmors softened and
s1ppurated the venom Of the plague
seemed 70 be discharged sod the patient
was sa<ei Sometimes the fever accom-
pairing tie derelopnent Of these turaors
brought . profound Ieshargy &C the Pc
tient. who suffered little. begging OILY
to be ls. alone that he might die untor-
tured BY medicine. surgery OF evea lIrs-
ing More frequently tee fever brought
on rssfug and oelin1n. L. al cases tbs
bodies Of those Who died Of the plagus
were eovered With black boils or car.
bundles Al hope was given up when
these sppesr1.-RichArd A. Pcoctsx.