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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 February 2009
In that region of the world where the three continents of Europe, Asia, and Africa meet, there are constantly latent the germs of that typical form of pestilence known as the Egyptian or Levantine Plague. This frightful disease has, on account of its enormous and rapid mortality, struck terror into all minds, and has consequently been recorded by the historians of every nation that has been visited by it. From the records that have been handed down to us, it would appear to have been in existence from the earliest times, and to have been liable, at intervals, to be fanned into a flame, and increase in extent and intensity to an almost unlimited degree.
page 248 note 1 Hecker states that one-fourth of the population of the known world died of the disease in four years, and that in England nine-tenths of the inhabitants were carried off. [Hume (History of England) gives the mortality at one-third of the population of every country attacked, and Wright (History of France) at one-third of the population of Europe. When, therefore, we consider the number of countries that were attacked, this computation is not an extravagant one. Nor is the extraordinary figure nine-tenths entirely without corroborative evidence; for in the Book of Pleas at Norwich it is stated that in many places four-fifths of the inhabitants died, and nine-tenths is also the estimated mortality of certain towns in the south of France, while that of the whole of Provence and Languedoc is fixed by the French historians at two-thirds.] That it was preceded by great atmospheric disturbances all over the known world; earthquakes from China to the Atlantic; meteors and balls of fire in the heavens; swarms of locusts, pestiferous winds; droughts, followed by famines, and these followed by still more fatal floods: mountains washed down by the torrents of rain, thus causing further subsidences: that besides the loss of life from these causes there died of the plague thirteen millions in China, and 23,840,000 in other parts of the East; that large districts were left without inhabitant, and at sea, where it was especially fatal, numbers of ships were seen drifting about with no living soul on board. In the midst of all this destruction a few cities were left perfectly free; no explanation is given of this fact, but it is probable they possessed some natural sanitary advantages which the others did not. London is credited with 100,000 deaths. (Hume gives the mortality roughly at above 50,000.) Several other English towns are mentioned as being great strongholds of the disease. It appears to have been first carried into this country by a ship from Norway. The Scotch considered this a favourable opportunity to carry out a scheme of invasion, and crossed the border for this purpose. They discovered, however, that the application of ‘Nemo me impune lacessit’ was not confined to Scotland, for they carried the plague back with them into their own country, where it committed
page 258 note 1 Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, vol. viii., p. 280Google Scholar.
page 259 note 1 Vide Bibliotheca Therapeutica by DrWaring, , New Sydenham Society, 1878, 1879Google Scholar.