Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-01-16
THE BLACK DEATH.

1HE BLACK DEATH.
TnE appalling intelligence reaches
Us from Europe that "Black Death''
has appeared once more In eastern
Russia. In the ilth century this terri.
bic scourge desolated the world. II was
given THO nnDo Of blaca because Of
the spots OF that color which appeared
on the skin In one Of the stages Of
the disease. These spots indicated
that decomposition had already set In
even before death.
In Europe the period Of the most
terrible ravages made by this pcsti.
lcnce was between i3is and l35i.
London alone lost over 100000 persons.
Fifteen Of the other European cities
lost In tho aggregate 100000 souls.
Germany lost nearly 10000, while
Italy lost one half Of i,- entire popula.
ton. tits estimated that In Europe
alone2' 100000 human beings were
carried or by this fearful malady.
In the Oriental countries II IA calcu
lated that upwards OF 5000, 900 PEG.
pie were swept away 10y black death.
The symptoms Of the disease were
boils ON the thighs, arms and face; In
many cases black spots all over tho
body. In some other cases affection Of
tho bead, stupor, aud palsy Of the
tongue, which became black; burning
and Unsuitable Thirst; pu,rld inllamma.
uon Of the lungs, attended by pains IN
the chest, expeetoration Of blood and n
feiid breath. After two or three day,
The victim perished. Many when
Affected with spots and boil- did moi
walt for death, but killed themselves.
Tbs history OF this malaiy Is In.
volvcd In otscurlty. However, 1t 1,
generally accepted that China was II,
birthplace, but the date Of Its first ap,
pcaranoc there II unknown. In l8ss
A. ID. China was wrecked from centr,
10 circumference by earthquakes,
dfoughts, famin-, foods aud Other
calanitics, and then followed this terri
bic scourgc.
About this time Europe also expert
enced climatic phenomena. Tho order
OF the seasons seemed Inverted. IL
lais mild form Of the disease appear.
ed but created no alarm. in I8is I
broke out In la most ylrulent form
The course Of the plague was tracked
directly from China by means Of III,
caravan routes. II appeared first on
the northern coast OF the Black Sen.
next la Constantinoplc, then 10 Italy
whence II spread 10 Germany, Franc,
aud Scandinavia, aud finally to Ia,
British Islands.
One writer says
The mortality caused by tho nlnguc
was, however, only one OF tho OWLS "a
which II gave rise. it, monl effect.
ON tho survivors and tho frame " society
were no less momentous. MANY died of
foar' which among the living dissolved
the tics of klndredj mothers forsook their
plagno's,ricken children; tho worldly be
came quickcncd to a maddcnlng .onse of
-ini tho religious fixed their oye. more
steadily on niiuriiyi all rushed to saorl.
Zee their means Ia the Church, while the
priests drew back from the gold show.
erred ovor their walls as boing tainted
with death. Superstition finally banded
inultlmde~ together Ivy comm on moan.
To work out tho common safety.
In Hungary, and afterwards In Der.
many, rose the brotherhood Of Flagellants.
who undertook to cxplato the Sins OF tho
people, and avert The poslilonca BY self.
Imposed offerings. Originally of the lower
CLASSES, thoy gathered to their order as II
extended crowds of tho hlg hest, both
mon aud women, aud marched iro M city
TO jail, robod In -ombrc garments, with
rcd crosses on tho breast, ba ok, aud can,
aud their heads covered as Ear as IN.
eyes thoy went chanting In solemn pro.
cessiou- with banners, with dowu-turnOd
h1cos, and bearing triple scourgos with
points OF iron, with which, at stated
times, they laceratod their bodies.
In place Of helping to avert tie
plague these peculiar fanatics only
helped to spread 1t. They created
panic aud confusion wherever they
went. In addition to this, a rumor
was started that the Jews poisoned the
wells, and this gaining hold Of the
popular mind, the most terrible
feature OF the scourge was inaugura,ed.
The people rose up to oxteminale the
Hebrew race, 1900 jews In Alayence
alone were murdered. An through
Europe, wherever a jew was found
murder immediate and horrible was
his doom.
THESE were dreadful days. A rcpe.
ton Of them In our time would be
awful, God grant that such may not
be the case.
-----
CoLoNtI CLowHY, goneul ,uberlnton.
III III UNN NHa