Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1918-11-02
EPIDEMlCS
Population BY No Means Imbued
With Fatalism Towards
Visitations.
Isolation, Fumigation
Practiced in Catholic
Countries.
Public BuriaIs and Marriages Were
Forbidden During For
mer Plaques.
MEASURES RIGDLy ENFORCED.

Common usage has it that when
ever an epidemic like the present
one visits a city, a district or a
country. and when a Board OF
Health or a similar arm OF the
Government issues measures for the
prevention and combating OF the
particular disease some newspaper
scribe OF public official will issue a
statement something like TINS;
with the wonderful accomplish
ments of modern science, and with
a public vastly superior intel
|lectually to the people OF former
ages we are convinced of our
ability to gain control of the dis
ease within a comparatively short
time We recommend the proh1Dl-
ton of gatherings of all kinds, be-
cause of the danger. of communities
tion of the disease, which is great
est where crowds are present. We
are confident that the public Will
observe the necessary rulings, will
avoid gathering in crowds, Will
apply the best known metnods OF
nreyention and cure and will stay
at home as far as possible; we are
far beyond the standards OF those
days when the people. startled Dy
the havoc of an unknown disease,
neglected the rudimentary demands
of hygiene and focked to the
churches or paraded the streets,
flogging themselves, burning can
dies and crying: From the pestl-
lence, deliver us, Q Lord!
We are not quoting from the
document of any health official, but
similar statements have been made
in writing and on the platform, and
the Catholic people and Cathollc
cities and countries of former times
are the target of the insinuation or
ignorance and alleged improper be-
havior during the frightful vista
ton of an epidemic. And yet these
allegations are far from being cor
rect. A noted Austrian diplomat,
who travelled from Italy to Spain
in 1919, relates that on this journey
some of the travellers desired to
land at the island of Majorca.
Having come from Naples, which
was suspected of being infected
with cholera, they were estopped
from entering the harbor town.
They were, however, permitted 70
land at the end of the quay, and
there to move about up to a line
marked off by stout rope. Here
they could point from afar with
sticks to the goods of the mer-
chants and peddlars located there.
and thus designate the objects they
desired to purchase. Under the
rope barrier stood vessel contain
ing vinegar, into which the coins
spent in payment were to be
placed. Thereupon the goods pur-
chased were pushed across the bar
rier by the merchants. who took the |
coins from the sterilizing |
pot.
Isolation of cases. disinfection OF
persons, articles of clothing and |
of import were always |
employed in former times to pre- |
vent or minimize contagion. When |
the plague invaded Milan in 1875 |
serious efforts were made to Isolate /
hose affected with the disease. Be |
fore each of the six gates a sep |
irate village was built. consisting |
)f hundreds OF small wooden |
houses, and here the sick, the sus-
poets and the convalescents were
Jared for. Moreover these three
groups were carefully separated,
Ind strict separation OF the sexes
was observed also. In the midst OF
zach village stood a crucifix and
IN altar at which mass was cele-
,rated daily. Each of these towns
lad its own administration. which
Executed the regulations with just
igor. 1t seems also that as early
IS the thirteenth century efforts
we're made in Italian cities to COM
TAT contagious diseases by isolation,
nasmuch as we read that the
tricken were cared for in the mar
LET places, where they were nursed
specially by the Franciscans. The
OF obligatory notifica-
ion OF cases OF contagion and
oercion in isolating all cases in i