Year: 1879

THE GREAT PLAGUE OF LONDON.


How a Hundred Thou.and Liven were


Swept Away in 1865, and Dc Foes Ac'


count Of 1t.


The news of the breaking out of the
plague in Russia recalls the terrible out
burst of this scourge in London during
the year 1865, of which the celebrated
De Foe, the author of Robinson
Crusoe," is reputed to have left the fol-
lowing account:


"Tbe face of London was strangely
altered-I mean the whole mass OF
buildings, city, liberties, suburbs, West
minister, Southwark and altogether. For,
as to the particular spot called the city,
or within the walls, that was not yet
much infested; but in the whole, the
face of things was much altered. Sorrow
and sadness set upon every face, and
though some parts we're not yet over
whelmed, yet all looked deeply con-
cerned, and as we saw it apparently
coming on, so every one looked on him
sci and his family as being in the utmost
danger. London might well be
said to be all in tears. The mourners did
not 20 about the streets, indeed, for no.
body put on black or made formal dress
of mourning for the nearest friends. But
the voice of mourning was truly heard in
the streets the shrieks of women and
children at the windows and doors OF
their houses when their nearest relations
were perhaps dying or just dead were so
frequent to be heard as we passed the
streets that it was enough to pierce the
stoutest heart in the world to hear them.
Tears and lamentations were seen almost
in every house, especially in the first
part of the visitation for toward the
latter end mems hearts we're hardened,
and death was so always before their
eyes that they did not 80 much concern
themselves for the loss of their friends,
expecting that themselves should be
summoned the next hour.


"The necessity OF going out of our
houses to buy provisions, continues DE
Foe, "was, in a great measure, the ruin
of the whole city, for the people catched
the distemper on these occasions one of
another, and even the provisions them
selves were often tainted-at least have
great reason to believe so and, there
fore, I cannot say with satisfaction what
I know is repeated with great assur-
ance, that the market people and such
as brought provisions to town were never
infected. am certain the butchers of
Whitechapel, where the greatest part OF
the flesh meat was killed, were dread
fully visited, and that at least to such a
degree that few of their shops were kept
open, and those that ramained of them
killed their meat at the Mile.End and
that way, and brought it to the market
upon horses. It is true people used all
possible precautions. When any one
bought joint of meat in the market
they would not take it out of the BUTCH
er's hand, but took it off the hooks
themselves. On the other hand, the
butcher would not touch the money, but
have it put into a pot full of vinegar,
which he kept for that purpose. The
buyers always carried small money to
make up any odd sum that they might
take no change. They carried bottles
for scents and perfumes in their hands,
and all the means that could be used
were employed. But then the poor
could not do even these things, and they
went at all hazards. Innumerable dis
NAL stories We heard every day on this
very account. Sometimes man or
woman dropped down dead in the very
market, for many people that had the
plague upon them knew nothing of it
until the inward gangrene had affected
their vitals and they died in few mo.
ments. This caused that many died in
that manner in the streets suddenly
without any warning. Others, perhaps,
had time to go to the next hulk or stall,
or to any door or porch, and just sit
down and die, as I have said before.
These objects were so frequent in the
streets that when the plague came to be
very raging, on one side there was scarce
any passing by the streets but that
several dead bodies would be lying here
and there upon the ground; on the
other hand, it is observable that, though
at first the people would stop as they
went along and call to the neighbors to
come out on such an occasion, yet after
ward no notice was taken of them, But,
if at any time We found corpse lying,
20 across the way and not come near it
or, if in narrow lane or passage, go
back again and seek some other way to
90 on the business we were upon, and
in those cases the corpse WAS always left
until the officers had notice to como and
take it away; or till night, when the
bearers attending the dead-cart would
take them up and carry them away.
Nor did those undaunted creatures who
performed these Offices fail to search
their pockets, and sometimes to strip off
their clothes if they are well.dressed, as
sometimes they were, and carry off what
they could get. 1t is scarcely
credible what dreadful cases happened
in particular families every day people
IN the rage of the distemper, or in the
torment of their rackings, which was,
indeed, intolerable, running out of their
own government, ravlng and distracted,
oftentimes laying violent hands upon
themselves, throwing themselves out of
their windows, shooting themselves, etc.
Mothers numbering their own children
in their lunacy some dying of grief, as
e passion some of mere fright and sur
prise, without any infection at all, others
frightened into idiotism and foolish dis
fractions, some into despair and lunacy;
others into melancholy madness. X X =
In some the swelings were made so hard
that no instrument could cut them, and
then they burned them with caustic, 30
that many died raving mad with the tor
ment and some in the very operation.
In these distresses, for want of help to
hold them down in their beds or to look
to them, some laid hands upon them
selves, as above; some broke out into
the streets, perhaps naked, and would
run directly down to the river and
plunge themselves into the water, when.
ever they found it. It often pierced my
soul to hear the groans and cries Of those
who were thus tormented. This run
ming of distempered people about the
streets was very dismal, and the magis-
trates did their utmost to prevent it
but as it was always in the night, and
generally sudden, when such attempts
were made, the officers could not be at
hand to prevent it and even when they
got out in the day, the officers appointed
did not care to meddle with them, be-
cause they were all grievously infected,
to be sure, when they came to that