anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第224部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　respiration　became　the　seats　of　a　putrid　inflammation；　blood　was　expectorated；　and　the　breath　possessed　a　pestiferous　odor。　In　the　West　an　ardent　fever；　accompanied　by　an　evacuation　of　blood；　proved　fatal　in　the　first　three　days。　It　appears　that　buboes　and　inflammatory　boils　did　not　at　first　appear；　but　the　disease　in　the　form　of　carbuncular　affection　of　the　lungs　（anthrax　artigen）　caused　the　fatal　issue　before　the　other　symptoms　developed。　Later　on　in　the　history　of　the　plague　the　inflammatory　boils　and　buboes　in　the　groins　and　axillae　were　recognized　at　once　as　prognosticating　a　fatal　issue。

The　history　of　this　plague　extends　almost　to　prehistoric　times。　There　was　a　pest　in　Athens　in　the　fifth　century　before　Christ。　There　was　another　in　the　second　century；　A。D。；　under　the　reign　of　Marcus　Aurelius；　and　again　in　the　third　century；　under　the　reign　of　the　Gauls；　following　this　was　the　terrible　epidemic　of　the　sixth　century；　which；　after　having　ravaged　the　territory　of　the　Gauls；　extended　westward。　In　542　a　Greek　historian；　Procopius；　born　about　the　year　500；　gives　a　good　description　of　this　plague　in　a　work；　〃Pestilentia　Gravissima；〃　so　called　in　the　Latin　translation。　Dupouy　in　〃Le　Moyen　Age　Medical；〃　says　that　it　commenced　in　the　village　of　Peleuse；　in　Egypt；　and　followed　a　double　course；　one　branch　going　to　Alexandria　and　the　other　to　Palestine。　It　reached　Constantinople　in　the　Spring　of　543；　and　produced　the　greatest　devastation　wherever　it　appeared。　In　the　course　of　the　succeeding　half　century　this　epidemic　became　pandemic　and　spread　over　all　the　inhabited　earth。　The　epidemic　lasted　four　months　in　Constantinople；　from　5000　to　10；000　people　dying　each　day。　In　his　〃History　of　France；〃　from　417　to　591；　Gregorius　speaks　of　a　malady　under　the　name　inguinale　which　depopulated　the　Province　of　Arles。　In　another　passage　this　illustrious　historian　of　Tours　says　that　the　town　of　Narbonne　was　devastated　by　a　maladie　des　aines。　We　have　records　of　epidemics　in　France　from　567　to　590；　in　which　bubonic　symptoms　were　a　prominent　feature。　About　the　middle　of　the　fourteenth　century　the　bubonic　plague　made　another　incursion　from　the　East。　In　1333；　fifteen　years　before　the　plague　appeared　in　Europe；　there　were　terrible　droughts　in　China　followed　by　enormous　floods　in　which　thousands　of　people　perished。　There　are　traditions　of　a　plague　in　Tche　in　1334；　following　a　drought；　which　is　said　to　have　carried　off　about　5；000；000　people。　During　the　fifteen　years　before　the　appearance　of　the　plague　in　Europe　there　were　peculiar　atmospheric　phenomena　all　over　the　world；　besides　numerous　earthquakes。　From　the　description　of　the　stinking　atmosphere　of　Europe　itself　at　this　time　it　is　quite　possible　that　part　of　the　disease　came；　not　from　China；　but　originated　in　Southern　Europe　itself。　From　China　the　route　of　caravans　ran　to　the　north　of　the　Caspian　Sea；　through　Asia；　to　Tauris。　Here　ships　were　ready　to　take　the　produce　of　the　East　to　Constantinople；　the　capital　of　commerce；　and　the　medium　of　communication　between　Europe；　Asia；　and　Africa。　Other　caravans　went　from　Europe　to　Asia　Minor　and　touched　at　the　cities　south　of　the　Caspian　Sea；　and　lastly　there　were　others　from　Bagdad　through　Arabia　to　Egypt；　the　maritime　communication　on　the　Red　Sea　to　Arabia　and　Egypt　was　also　not　inconsiderable。　In　all　these　directions　contagion　found　its　way；　though　doubtless　Constantinople　and　the　harbors　of　Asia　Minor　were　the　chief　foci　of　infection；　whence　it　radiated　to　the　most　distant　seaports　and　islands。　As　early　as　1347　the　Mediterranean　shores　were　visited　by　the　plague；　and　in　January；　1348；　it　appeared　in　the　south　of　France；　the　north　of　Italy；　and　also　in　Spain。　Place　after　place　was　attacked　throughout　the　year；　and　after　ravishing　the　whole　of　France　and　Germany；　the　plague　appeared　in　England；　a　period　of　three　months　elapsing　before　it　reached　London。　The　northern　kingdoms　were　attacked　in　1349；　but　in　Russia　it　did　not　make　its　appearance　before　1351。

As　to　the　mortality　of　this　fearful　epidemic　Dupony　considers　that　in　the　space　of　four　years　more　than　75；000；000　fell　victims；　that　is；　about　half　of　the　population　of　the　countries　visited。　Hecker　estimates　that　from　1347　to　1351；　25；000；000　people　died；　or　one…quarter　of　the　total　population　of　Europe。　It　was　reported　to　Pope　Clement　that　throughout　the　East；　probably　with　the　exception　of　China；　nearly　24；000；000　people　had　fallen　victims　to　the　plague。　Thirteen　millions　are　said　to　have　died　in　China　alone。　Constantinople　lost　two…thirds　of　its　population。　When　the　plague　was　at　its　greatest　violence　Cairo　lost　daily　from　10；000　to　15；000；　as　many　as　modern　plagues　have　carried　off　during　their　whole　course。　India　was　depopulated。　Tartary；　Mesopotamia；　Syria；　Armenia；　and　Arabia　were　covered　with　dead　bodies。　In　this　latter　country　Arabian　historians　mention　that　Maara　el　nooman；　Schisur；　and　Harem　in　some　unaccountable　manner　remained　free。　The　shores　of　the　Mediterranean　were　ravaged　and　ships　were　seen　on　the　high　seas　without　sailors。　In　〃The　Decameron〃　Boccaccio　gives　a　most　graphic　description　of　the　plague　and　states　that　in　Florence；　in　four　months；　100；000　perished；　before　the　calamity　it　was　hardly　supposed　to　contain　so　many　inhabitants。　According　to　Hecker；　Venice　lost　100；000；　London；　100；000；　Paris；　50；000；　Siena；　70；000；　Avignon；　60；000；　Strasburg；　16；000；　Norwich；　51；100。　Dupony　says　that　in　one　month　there　were　56；000　victims　in　Marseilles；　and　at　Montpellier　three…quarters　of　the　population　and　all　the　physicians　were　stricken　with　the　epidemic。

Johanna　of　Burgundy；　wife　of　King　Philip　VI　of　Valois；　Johanna　II；　Queen　of　Navarre；　granddaughter　of　Philippe　le　Bel；　Alphonse　XI　of　Castile；　and　other　notable　persons　perished。　All　the　cities　of　England　suffered　incredible　losses。　Germany　seems　to　have　been　particularly　spared；　according　to　a　probable　calculation；　only　about　1；250；000　dying。　Italy　was　most　severely　visited；　and　was　said　to　have　lost　most　of　its　inhabitants。　In　the　north　of　Europe　two　of　the　brothers　of　Magnus；　King　of　Sweden；　died；　and　in　Westgothland　alone　466　priests　died。　The　plague　showed　no　decrease　in　the　northern　climates　of　Iceland　and　Greenland；　and　caused　great　havoc　in　those　countries。

The　moral　effect　of　such　a　great　pandemic　plague　can　be　readily　surmised。　The　mental　shock　sustained　by　all　nations　during　the　prevalence　of　the　black　plague　is　beyond　parallel　and　description。　An　awful　sense　of　contrition　and　repentance　seized　Christians　of　every　community。　They　resolved　to　forsake　their　vices；　and　to　make　restitution　for　past　offenses；　hence　extreme　religious　fanaticism　held　full　sway　throughout　Europe。　The　zeal　of　the　penitents　stopped　at　nothing。　The　so…called　Brotherhood　of　the　Cross；　otherwise　known　as　the　Order　of　Flagellants；　which　had　arisen　in　the　thirteenth　century；　but　was　suppressed　by　the　mandates　and　strenuous　efforts　of　the　Church；　was　revived　during　the　plague；　and　numbers　of　these　advocates　of　self…chastisement　roamed　through　the　various　countries　on　their　great　pilgrimages。　Their　power　increased　to　such　an　extent　that　the　Church　was　in　considerable　danger；　for　these　religious　enthusiasts　gained　more　credit　among　the　people；　and　operated　more　strongly　on　their　minds　than　the　priests　from　whom　they　so　entirely　withdrew　that　they　even　absolved　each　other。　Their　strength　grew　with　such　rapidity；　and　their　numbers　increased　to　such　an　extent　daily；　that　the　State　and　the　Church　were　forced　to　combine　for　their　suppression。　Degeneracy；　however；　soon　crept　in；　crimes　were　committed；　and　they　went　beyond　their　strength　in　attempting　the　performance　of　miracles。　One　of　the　most　fearful　consequences　of　this　frenzy　was　the　persecution　of　the　Jews。　This　alien　race　was　given　up　to　the　merciless　fury　and　cruelty　of　the　populace。　The　persecution　of　the　Jews　commenced　in　September　and　October；　1348；　at　Chillon　on　Lake　Geneva；　where　criminal　proceedings　were　instituted　against　them　on　the　mythic　charge　of　poisoning　the　public　wells。　These　persecuted　people　were　summoned　before　sanguinary　tribunals；　beheaded　and　burned　in　the　most　fearful　manner。　At　Strasburg　2000　Jews　were　burned　alive　in　their　own　burial…ground；　where　a　large　scaffold　had　been　erected；　their　wealth　being　divided　among　the　people。　In　Mayence　12；000　Jews　were　said　to　have　been　put　to　a　cruel　death。　At　Eslingen　the　whole　Jewish　community　burned　themselves　in　their　synagogue；　and　mothers　were　often　seen　throwing　their　children　on　the　pile；　to　prevent　them　from　being　baptized；　and　then　precipitating　themselves　into　the　flames。　The　cruel　and　avaricious　desires　of　the　monarchs　against　these　thrifty　and　industrious　people　added　fuel　to　the　flames　of　the　popular　passion；　and　even　a　fanatic　zeal　arose　among　the　Jews　to　perish　as　martyrs　to　their　ancient　religion。　When　we　sum　up　the　actual　effects　as　well　as　the　after　effects　of　the　black　death；　we　are　appalled　at　the　magnitude　of　such　a　calamity；　the　like　of　which　the　world　had　never　seen　before。

In　the　fifteenth　and　sixteenth　centuries　the　plague　was　generally　diffused　throughout　Europe；　and　in　the　latter　half　of　the　seventeenth　century　a　final　Occidental　incursion　of　the　plague　took　place。　From　1603　to　1604　over　30；000　people　perished　in　London　from　the　plague；　and　in　1625　the　mortality　in　that　city　amounted　to　35；417　persons。　But　the　great　plague　of　London　did　not　begin　until　1664。　In　this　plague　the　patient　at　first　became　sensible　of　great　weariness　and　fatigue；　had　slight　chills；　nausea；　vomiting；　vertigo；　and　pains　in　the　loins。　The　mental　disturbance　rapidly　increased；　and　stupor　and　delirium　ensued。　The　face　was　alternately　flushed　and　pallid；　and　a　sense　of　constriction　was　experienced　in　the　region　of　the　heart。　Darting　pains　were　felt　all　over　the　body；　soon　followed　by　the　enlargement　of　the　lymphatic　glands；　or　by　the　formation　of　carbuncles　in　various　parts　of　the　body。　About　the　third　day　the　tongue　became　dry　and　brown；　and　the　gums；　tongue；　and　teeth　were　covered　with　a　dark　fur；　and　the　excretions　became　offensive；　paralysis　intervened；　ecchymosed　patches　or　stripes　due　to　extravasation　appeared　on　the　skin；　finally　the　pulse　sank；　the　body　grew　cold　and　clammy；　delirium　or　coma　seized　the　victim；　and　in　five　or　six　days；　sometimes　in　two　or