The Bemidji pioneer., 1900-09-06
1.-THE BLACK DEATH. :
FAMOUS PLAGUE OF HISTORY
IN LONDON.
Has Brought Death to Millions Awful
Ravages Of Disease which It Is
Feared May Spread TO America Through
the Persons or Travel.

}R shu EcESGhS ok IfayeEs
The awful bubonic plague, which has
been ravaging India, where its victims
have been numbered by scores OF thou
sands, has invaded London, according
to report made to the Marine Hospi-
tai service at Washington by our rep
resentatives in England, and fears are
felt that it may be transmitted to AM
erica through the persons OF travellers
or shipment of merchandise. Already
four cases have been discovered IN
London. and two deaths have re-
suited. #
The bubonie plague is the same dis
ease that has been known in history
as the Leyantine plague, the Oriental
plague, the Black plague and the
Black Death. 1t has ragged repeatedly
in Asia, Africa and Europe In the last
is centuries. Manettio, an Egyptian
historian, who lived at the beginning
Of the third century, B. c., described
Ipestilences, supposed to have been the
bnbonic plague, as having occurred in.
the reign Of the most ancient Egyp-
tian kings. 3
The plague prevailed In Athens 1872
429 B. @. Thucydides had described it
and had the disease. Hippocrates. too,
noted 1t. Athens is said to have lost
more than one-third OF its population
in one epidemic. It appears to have
been known in Syria, Egypt, and Lii
bya during Trojan's reign early in the
Christian era.
The first well authenticated invasion
Of Europe occurred about 543-546. the
pestilence appearing at Constantinople
and spreading to Italy and Gaul The
next great inroad began about 1346.
and proceeded from Tartary to the Cri-
mea and Sicily, whence it reached
pretty we'll over the continent Of Etl-
rope and across into England. At ir-
regular intervals. for more than three
centuries, 1t swept this city and that
with appalling havoc, reappearing
again and again at the same spot.
Among the most impressive death
records Of that period are the follow.
ling: 3-.
1427-Dantzic sc, 600
1466-Paris y. 10000
l1570-M Moscow !. !. !. /. !. !. ]. I. !. 200, 900
I1572--Lyons Observation-Disclosures. $4,000
1576-Venice 70, 600
l656-NapIes SOC, 600
| 1854 65-London 68;596
The last item In the table gives the
figures in the London plague SO prom
inent in English history. It is known
that this number Of deaths was out Of
I a population OF AGO, 600, and that nearly
one-third Of the denizens OF the Eng
/ lish capital fed from the city In fear OF
! death.
In the eighteenth century the plague
| prevailed extensively In Europe, the
most notable epidemic being In Mar
.seilles in 1920, when from 40, coo to-
6O, 900 persons were carried of.
IN 1721 1t appeared In Toulon and
Ispread over Provence Out Of a pop
ulation OF 250,00o, 81 ,65s are said to
have died. Sicily was visited in 1743.s
| at Mesgina, whore the mortality was
between 10000 and $4,000. In It'll 1t
1 broke out in Moscow, and more than
| 50, 000 persons--nearly one-quarter Of
4 the populationw were carried of.
/ During the sixteenth century China
was nearly depopulated" with the
| plague, it Is said, while in the single
year 1903 no less than 100000 lives
were lost In Egypt:
| An isolated epidemic appeared in
Greece in 1928. It appeared in Egypt
between 1888 and 1916, the last plague
epidemic observed in that country and
| marking its great eastward recession.
| There Vas al epidemic Of extreme Sc
verify in Cairo in 1885, during which
there died number Of the Inhabitants
equal to the whole adult male popula-
ton.
In 1910 Delmatia, in 1S41 Contanti-
nople, and in 1912 and 1874 the eastern
part Of Egypt were its western boun-
daries.
Since 1850 the western limit Of the
plague has been the Canary islands,
while it's eastern limit has been the
island of Formosa. off the coast of
China. where it now prevails. Since
1850 the disease has oscil1ated, now
east and now west. between the Red
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