Are epidemics contagious? / by John Parkin.

  • Parkin John, 1801-1886.
Date:
1887
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Are epidemics contagious? / by John Parkin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    populace. Worse scenes occui’red in Italy in 1867. In a letter, dated Florence, Sept. 15, the writer remarks : “ Popular tumults, attended by the most atrocious acts of bloodshed, continue to take place in those parts of the southern provinces visited by cholei’a. The populace, in every case, appear to have been excited by their belief, that the cholera was propagated amongst them by the authorities or other persons, who either poisoned their wells, or had some means of infecting the air with the deadly epidemic. Particulars have just reached the city of a terrible scene that occurred within the past week at Ardore, a town in Calabria. Upon the first appearance of cholera at that place, the populace assembled in arms before the druggist’s shop, loudly declaring their inten- tion of burning it to the ground. There were no military at ArdorOj except a few men belonging to a company stationed at Gerace. The officer in charge, Signor Garzoni, on hearing the tumult, immediately hastened to the spot, and endeavoured to dissuade the rioters from their purpose; but the populace had lost all respect for the authorities, who besides had no means of enforcing the law. The earnest appeals of Garzoni only served, in fact, to increase the fury of the mob, who finally rushed forward, crushing the unhappy officer to death under their feet. The druggist’s shop was imme- diately afterwards set on fire, and the whole family within ruthlessly butchered. But the thirst for blood was not yet appeased, for twenty other persons also fell victims to the ferocity of the populace. The body of the officer Garzoni,” adds the narrator of the scene, “ was thrown to the pigs.” ® The same melancholy results ^ Correspondent of the Daily News.
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