the black death and the dancing mania-第2章

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fected。

Boccacio；　who　was　an　eye…witness　of　its　incredible　fatality　in　Florence；　the　seat　of　the　revival　of　science；　gives　a　more　lively　description　of　the　attack　of　the　disease　than　his　non…medical　contemporaries。

It　commenced　here；　not　as　in　the　East；　with　bleeding　at　the　nose；　a　sure　sign　of　inevitable　death；　but　there　took　place　at　the　beginning；　both　in　men　and　women；　tumours　in　the　groin　and　in　the　axilla；　varying　in　circumference　up　to　the　size　of　an　apple　or　an　egg；　and　called　by　the　people；　pest…boils　（gavoccioli）。　　Then　there　appeared　similar　tumours　indiscriminately　over　all　parts　of　the　body；　and　black　or　blue　spots　came　out　on　the　arms　or　thighs；　or　on　other　parts；　either　single　and　large；　or　small　and　thickly　studded。　　These　spots　proved　equally　fatal　with　the　pest…boils；　which　had　been　from　the　first　regarded　as　a　sure　sign　of　death。　No　power　of　medicine　brought　reliefalmost　all　died　within　the　first　three　days；　some　sooner；　some　later；　after　the　appearance　of　these　signs；　and　for　the　most　part　entirely　without　fever　or　other　symptoms。　　The　plague　spread　itself　with　the　greater　fury；　as　it　communicated　from　the　sick　to　the　healthy；　like　fire　among　dry　and　oily　fuel；　and　even　contact　with　the　clothes　and　other　articles　which　had　been　used　by　the　infected；　seemed　to　induce　the　disease。　As　it　advanced；　not　only　men；　but　animals　fell　sick　and　shortly　expired；　if　they　had　touched　things　belonging　to　the　diseased　or　dead。　　Thus　Boccacio　himself　saw　two　hogs　on　the　rags　of　a　person　who　had　died　of　plague；　after　staggering　about　for　a　short　time；　fall　down　dead　as　if　they　had　taken　poison。　　In　other　places　multitudes　of　dogs；　cats；　fowls；　and　other　animals；　fell　victims　to　the　contagion；　and　it　is　to　be　presumed　that　other　epizootes　among　animals　likewise　took　place；　although　the　ignorant　writers　of　the　fourteenth　century　are　silent　on　this　point。

In　Germany　there　was　a　repetition　in　every　respect　of　the　same　phenomena。　　The　infallible　signs　of　the　oriental　bubo…plague　with　its　inevitable　contagion　were　found　there　as　everywhere　else；　but　the　mortality　was　not　nearly　so　great　as　in　the　other　parts　of　Europe。　　The　accounts　do　not　all　make　mention　of　the　spitting　of　blood；　the　diagnostic　symptom　of　this　fatal　pestilence；　we　are　not；　however；　thence　to　conclude　that　there　was　any　considerable　mitigation　or　modification　of　the　disease；　for　we　must　not　only　take　into　account　the　defectiveness　of　the　chronicles；　but　that　isolated　testimonies　are　often　contradicted　by　many　others。　　Thus　the　chronicles　of　Strasburg；　which　only　take　notice　of　boils　and　glandular　swellings　in　the　axillae　and　groins；　are　opposed　by　another　account；　according　to　which　the　mortal　spitting　of　blood　was　met　with　in　Germany；　but　this　again　is　rendered　suspicious；　as　the　narrator　postpones　the　death　of　those　who　were　thus　affected；　to　the　sixth；　and　（even　the）　eighth　day；　whereas；　no　other　author　sanctions　so　long　a　course　of　the　disease；　and　even　in　Strasburg；　where　a　mitigation　of　the　plague　may；　with　most　probability；　be　assumed　since　the　year　1349；　only　16；000　people　were　carried　off；　the　generality　expired　by　the　third　or　fourth　day。　　In　Austria；　and　especially　in　Vienna；　the　plague　was　fully　as　malignant　as　anywhere；　so　that　the　patients　who　had　red　spots　and　black　boils；　as　well　as　those　afflicted　with　tumid　glands；　died　about　the　third　day；　and　lastly；　very　frequent　sudden　deaths　occurred　on　the　coasts　of　the　North　Sea　and　in　Westphalia；　without　any　further　development　of　the　malady。

To　France；　this　plague　came　in　a　northern　direction　from　Avignon；　and　was　there　more　destructive　than　in　Germany；　so　that　in　many　places　not　more　than　two　in　twenty　of　the　inhabitants　survived。　Many　were　struck；　as　if　by　lightning；　and　died　on　the　spot；　and　this　more　frequently　among　the　young　and　strong　than　the　old；　patients　with　enlarged　glands　in　the　axillae　and　groins　scarcely　survive　two　or　three　days；　and　no　sooner　did　these　fatal　signs　appear；　than　they　bid　adieu　to　the　world；　and　sought　consolation　only　in　the　absolution　which　Pope　Clement　VI。　promised　them　in　the　hour　of　death。

In　England　the　malady　appeared；　as　at　Avignon；　with　spitting　of　blood；　and　with　the　same　fatality；　so　that　the　sick　who　were　afflicted　either　with　this　symptom　or　with　vomiting　of　blood；　died　in　some　cases　immediately；　in　others　within　twelve　hours；　or　at　the　latest　two　days。　　The　inflammatory　boils　and　buboes　in　the　groins　and　axillae　were　recognised　at　once　as　prognosticating　a　fatal　issue；　and　those　were　past　all　hope　of　recovery　in　whom　they　arose　in　numbers　all　over　the　body。　　It　was　not　till　towards　the　close　of　the　plague　that　they　ventured　to　open；　by　incision；　these　hard　and　dry　boils；　when　matter　flowed　from　them　in　small　quantity；　and　thus；　by　compelling　nature　to　a　critical　suppuration；　many　patients　were　saved。　　Every　spot　which　the　sick　had　touched；　their　breath；　their　clothes；　spread　the　contagion；　and；　as　in　all　other　places；　the　attendants　and　friends　who　were　either　blind　to　their　danger；　or　heroically　despised　it；　fell　a　sacrifice　to　their　sympathy。　　Even　the　eyes　of　the　patient　were　considered　a　sources　of　contagion；　which　had　the　power　of　acting　at　a　distance；　whether　on　account　of　their　unwonted　lustre；　or　the　distortion　which　they　always　suffer　in　plague；　or　whether　in　conformity　with　an　ancient　notion；　according　to　which　the　sight　was　considered　as　the　bearer　of　a　demoniacal　enchantment。　　Flight　from　infected　cities　seldom　availed　the　fearful；　for　the　germ　of　the　disease　adhered　to　them；　and　they　fell　sick；　remote　from　assistance；　in　the　solitude　of　their　country　houses。

Thus　did　the　plague　spread　over　England　with　unexampled　rapidity；　after　it　had　first　broken　out　in　the　county　of　Dorset；　whence　it　advanced　through　the　counties　of　Devon　and　Somerset；　to　Bristol；　and　thence　reached　Gloucester；　Oxford　and　London。　　Probably　few　places　escaped；　perhaps　not　any；　for　the　annuals　of　contemporaries　report　that　throughout　the　land　only　a　tenth　part　of　the　inhabitants　remained　alive。

From　England　the　contagion　was　carried　by　a　ship　to　Bergen；　the　capital　of　Norway；　where　the　plague　then　broke　out　in　its　most　frightful　form；　with　vomiting　of　blood；　and　throughout　the　whole　country；　spared　not　more　than　a　third　of　the　inhabitants。　　The　sailors　found　no　refuge　in　their　ships；　and　vessels　were　often　seen　driving　about　on　the　ocean　and　drifting　on　shore；　whose　crews　had　perished　to　the　last　man。

In　Poland　the　affected　were　attacked　with　spitting　blood；　and　died　in　a　few　days　in　such　vast　numbers；　that；　as　it　has　been　affirmed；　scarcely　a　fourth　of　the　inhabitants　were　left。

Finally；　in　Russia　the　plague　appeared　two　years　later　than　in　Southern　Europe；　yet　here　again；　with　the　same　symptoms　as　elsewhere。　　Russian　contemporaries　have　recorded　that　it　began　with　rigor；　heat；　and　darting　pain　in　the　shoulders　and　back；　that　it　was　accompanied　by　spitting　of　blood；　and　terminated　fatally　in　two；　or　at　most　three　days。　　It　is　not　till　the　year　1360　that　we　find　buboes　mentioned　as　occurring　in　the　neck；　in　the　axillae；　and　in　the　groins；　which　are　stated　to　have　broken　out　when　the　spitting　of　blood　had　continued　some　time。　　According　to　the　experience　of　Western　Europe；　however；　it　cannot　be　assumed　that　these　symptoms　did　not　appear　at　an　earlier　period。

Thus　much；　from　authentic　sources；　on　the　nature　of　the　Black　Death。　　The　descriptions　which　have　been　communicated　contain；　with　a　few　unimportant　exceptions；　all　the　symptoms　of　the　oriental　plague　which　have　been　observed　in　more　modern　times。　　No　doubt　can　obtain　on　this　point。　　The　facts　are　placed　clearly　before　our　eyes。　　We　must；　however；　bear　in　mind　that　this　violent　disease　does　not　always　appear　in　the　same　form；　and　that　while　the　essence　of　the　poison　which　it　produces；　and　which　is　separated　so　abundantly　from　the　body　of　the　patient；　remains　unchanged；　it　is　proteiform　in　its　varieties；　from　the　almost　imperceptible　vesicle；　unaccompanied　by　fever；　which　exists　for　some　time　before　it　extends　its　poison　inwardly；　and　then　excites　fever　and　buboes；　to　the　fatal　form　in　which　carbuncular　inflammations　fall　upon　the　most　important　viscera。

Such　was　the　form　which　the　plague　assumed　in　the　fourteenth　century；　for　the　accompanying　chest　affection　which　appeared　in　all　the　countries　whereof　we　have　received　any　account；　cannot；　on　a　comparison　with　similar　and　familiar　symptoms；　be　considered　as　any　other　than　the　inflammation　of　the　lungs　of　modern　medicine；　a　disease　which　at　present　only　appears　sporadically；　and；　owing　to　a　putrid　decomposition　of　the　fluids；　is　probably　combined　with　hemorrhages　from　the　vessels　of　the　lungs。　　Now；　as　every　carbuncle；　whether　it　be　cutaneous　or　internal；　generates　in　abundance　the　matter　of　contagion　which　has　given　rise　to　it；　so；　therefore；　must　the　breath　of　the　affected　have　been　poisonous　in　this　plague；　and　on　this　account　its　power　of　contagion　wonderfully　increased；　wherefore　the　opinion　appears　incontrovertible；　that　owing　to　the　accumulated　numbers　of　the　diseased；　not　only　individual　chambers　and　houses；　but　whole　cities　were　infected；　which；　moreover；　in　the　Middle　Ages；　were；　with　few　exceptions；　narrowly　built；　kept　in　a　filthy　state；　and　surrounded　with　stagnant　ditches。　　Flight　was；　in　consequence；　of　no　avail　to　the　timid；　for　even　though　they　had　sedulously　avoided　all　communication　with　the　diseased　and　the　suspected；　yet　their　clothes　were　saturated　with　the　pestiferous　atmosphere；　and　every　inspiration　imparted　to　them　the　seeds　of　the　destructive　malady；　which；　in　the　greater　number　of　cases；　germinated　with　but　too　much　fertility。　　Add　to　which；　the　usual　propagation　of　the　plague　through　clothes；　beds；　and　a　thousand　other　things　to　which　the　pestilential　poison　adheresa　propagation　which；　from　want　of　caution；　must　have　been　infinitely　multiplied；　and　since　articles　of　this　kind；　removed　from　the　access　of　air；　not　only　retain　the　matter　of　contagion　for　an　indefinite　period；　but　also　increase　its　activity　and　engender　it　like　a　living　being；　frightful　ill…　consequences　followed　for　many　years　after　the　first　fury　of　the　pestilence　was　past。

The　affection　of　the　stomach；　often　mentioned　in　vague　terms；　and　occasionally　as　a　vomiting　of　blood；　was　doubtless　only　a　subordinate　symptom；　even　if　it　be　admitted　that　actual　hematemesis　did　occur。　　For　the　difficulty　of　distinguishing　a　flow　of　blood　from　the　stomach；　from　a　pulmonic　expectoration　of　that　fluid；　is；　to　non…medical　men；　even　in　common　cases；　not　inconsiderable。　　How　much　greater　then　must　it　have　been　in　so　terrible　a　disease；　where　assistants　could　not　venture　to　approach　the　sick　without　exposing　themselves　to　certain　death？　　Only　two　medical　descriptions　of　the　malady　have　reached　us；　the　one　by　the　brave　Guy　de　Chauliac；　the　other　by　Raymond　Chalin　de　Vinario；　a　very　experienced　scholar；　who　was　well　versed　in　the　learning　of　the　time。　　The　former　takes　notice　only　of　fatal　coughing　of　blood；　the　latter；　besides　this；　notices　epistaxis；　hematuria；　and　fluxes　of　blood　from　the　bowels；　as　symptoms　of　such　decided　and　speedy　mortality；　that　those　patients　in　whom　they　were　observed　usually　died　on　the　same　or　the　following　day。

That　a　vomiting　of　blood　may　not；　here　and　ther