Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-24

warning figures In the sky. and TO have
heard voices foretc1ling disaster. These
reports were widely circulated and gene
rally believed by certain classes of the
pcople When. therefore. the disease
actually appeared the populace was
panic.strickcn. Many OF the better
classes left the city q. soon as II be-
came evident that an epidemic was immi-
nent. while by the end of June only suoh
as were unable TO leave, or who had
tho strongest motives for remaining
were ;eft behind.
In June the plague broke forth In all
it's fury. During that month there were
reported 6.lT deaths from the disease
ORDERS OF THE LORD MAYOR.
Az this time rigorous orders concerning
tho handling OF the epidemic were pup
lished by the Lord Mayor. and went INTO
force on the LIST day OF July. SO interest
ing are some parts OF this document III
showing how nearly the same measures
were followed as at the present day. anu
vet how deficient were they IN certain
,snr ortant particulars. that II Will not DC
amiss to quote a few sections
Notice 10 be Given Of Sickness
The master OF every house. as soon as
any one In his house complaineth' el"V'
~ notch. or purple. or swelling IN any
dangerously sick without apparent cause
NJ come other disease. shall give notice
.heraof To the Examiner Of Health. withlh
80 hours after the said sign sh"h
appear" .o,.rro,
the examiners of health" here referred
"a were appointed in each parish py t"e
aldermen and common council, ana II any
one so appointed refused to serve ne WaS
imprisoned until he agreed TO accept ,ns
duties imposed upon him. When u nau
been decided that a suspected case ""S
really the plague. the house Win an ~
inmates was at once closed 10 All 00i'
munication with the outer world
Other sections OF the LORD Mayor :
orders Of special interest are the foi-
Lowing: ,,a.,-oa
EVERY Visited House TO be Ma'he"
nh, avecv house visited q. g.. pN Tue
nIagre, be marked with red cross ui,o
fcot ,o,n I'm the middle OF the door. CYL
dart TO be seen, and with these usual
nrinted words-that Is 10 say. Ioro nave
mercy on u.s. to lie set close over the
same cross , rho.
Every House to be Watched ln ll
the constabes see every house
shut M and TO be attended with watch-
rncn The shutting up TO be for
a snace Of four weeks after all be whole
That precise order be taken mat the
searchers. Outrageous, keepers ana
hurlers are not to pass the streets WIN
ont holding n red rod or wand OF three
feet in length in their hands, open ana
evident to be seen. ,.roo,
"Watchmen.-That 10 every Infect
Cd house there be appointed Two
watchmen. one for every day. ana
the other for the night, ana
that these watchmen have speclal care
that no person go in or out OF such III
fected houses whereof they nave tle
charge. upon pain of severe punishment !,
And tbe said watchmen TO do such
fnrtber offices as the sick house shall
need and require; and If the Waterman
be sent upon any business. TO lock up
tho house and take the key with HIM.
other sections dealt with the burlal
of the dead and general sanitary mea-
sures. All funerals took place between
sunset and sunrise, and II was not per-
mitted for any friends or relatives oil
the deceased TO attend the funeral.
PICTURES OF WRETCHEDNESS.
When the epidemic had become wei
established. the condition of the city peg
cars description. Business was at a
stapdstin, with the exception OF the
bakeries. butcher-shops. and provision
stores Every one who did not leave the
CITY remained indoors as much as posi-
bic. going out only for the necessities
of life. When on the streets the SIDE
walks were avoided and pedestrians
walked in the middle OF the street
avoiding contact with every one else. and
returning home with all possible haste
Terrible az was this life for all, yet
when a case of plague actually developed
! in a household. the misery can scarcely
be pictured. When we recall that from
/ the moment Of discovery OF single case
/ in a household the house, with every
/ one of the jewellers therein, was at once
/ shut up and put under the surVe'iianc'
! Of a Waterman. who day and night
/ prevented all ingress and egress; ina
! the endemic was especially severe amonl
/ the poorer classes, who necessarily lacked
] many of those things which might MAKE
. such isolation tolerable TO certain De
! gree: that the unaffected members ol
! the family knew almost TO a certainty
/ that soon they, too, would be strlcKeI
/ by the dread disease, we begin TO have
faint conception of the horrors OF I'M
! situation.
Even worse was the state of affairs
when those who were first affected anC
died were the heads of a family, leaving
behind them their helpless little ones
unattended, uncared for, their only hop'
being in their own speedy infection anC
death.
BIRDS OF PREY.
Another sad aspect of the case was The
appearance Of throng of quacks anC
fakirs. each claiming to possess the secre
/ Of some sure preventive or cure. While
many of those sold actual drugs Of SOM
sort. the stock in trade of others con
sisted Of reputed charms and amulet
with which they deceived numbers o
the more ignorant people. receiving OFT
times in return for their worthless de
ceptions. the last boarded pennies o
their deuded victims.
| Did space permit. many more interest
ing features could be given of the grea
plague in London. Those readers VIII
wish a fuller account are recommends
TO read De Foes journal Of the Plaeu
I'm London" While not strictly reliable
from an historical and scientific stand
point. vet it accurately presents the con
dition of affairs as viewed by the people
and the narrative, told in De Foe
clever manner. is intensely interesting I
| al who would gain vivid insight int
that terrible period.
MORTALITY OF GREAT PLAGUE.
Statistics show that during the year o
this epidemic there were reported 6S&
deaths from the plague, of which ass
occurred during the two months of Jul
and August. 1t is generally believe
that a number of cases are not include
in the. reports This would make tn
figures even higher AS the population
OF London at that time is estimated a
100000. out of which number at ieas
two thirds had fed from the city, w
find the mortality among those remainin
in London to have been over "A per cent
We have by TO means exhausted IN
history of the plague when we take leaV
of the London epidemic of 1865. Sine
that time there have been numerou