The Red Death, a plague, was characterized by blood (which is where the "Red" part of the name came from). People who were infected with this disease died in half an hour. In the first paragraph of The Masque of the Red Death, Poe gives a list of all of the symptoms associated with the disease. The unfortunate person who was infected suffered from severe pain and dizziness. The final symptom was blood seeping from all of the pores on the victim's body; this bleeding stained the victim's skin, leaving red splotches behind (Poe says "especially upon the face of the victim"), which stopped them from being able to hide that they were infected. In the end, it was always fatal. All in all, it was a very gruesome disease (thank goodness it was fictional!).
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