The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1819-09-29
NEWPORT, 2oih Sept. 1919.

NEWPORT, 2oth Sept. lsls.
DEAR SiR-ln your note OF the lSih inst.
You ask vine, is my opinion Of the prevail
ing distcmpcr And, the cspss Of the NOR.
talny which. prevails ut present, In this tow0
In answer to yoor queries, would observe,
with regard TO The distemper prevailing, 1
am decidedly Of The opinion, that il Is the
kAUsss OF HiPpocraes, and CaIen the Fa.
tris' .dSGsns OF the Romans aud the yenesv
fsSer, Of modern times, aggravated by cii-
tas,e, SC. The circumstances Of climate, Of
CONSTITUTION, or ,smperament, and mode Of
HE, may -ftsct lis opers,iCns in some consid.
erablo degree. WEh regard 10 The cause Of
mortality, this may depend on two causes,
principally; viz.-rhe maiignan, nature Of
The disease or, the mode Of treatment which
may have been adopted or, both united. The
disease, under consideration, has been distn-
gnished by two different names one Of which
Is, The ycHow fever, the other the black vomis
he disease has, also, been called the " ma.
lignsni bilious fever" All OF these terms,
si,, are misleading, in as much as they con.
vey 10 the mind, no adequate idea of the ori.
GIN, aud cause OF the disease. The term
"yei!ozr," expresses only a symptom, which
does not at oil times scce mpany the tho dis
case and, cannot be considei ed as pathog.
Domonic symptom of the dis,emper. The
s,me ansy be said Of the black, or dark col.
ored matter, elected from the stomach with
this difference, however, that this appearance,
Indicates more msligni,y in the exciting
canse. The term Sidsns,---by this is to be
understood, that there 10 nn increased secreS
HeH OF the tHe; more, that takes place 10
time OF health. This increased quso,iIy of
bile, is but an eSses, Of the exciting cause, of
the disease or, Il may be considered, sslu-
tafy effort OF nature, to relieve herself The
bile, Is The grand snlidote, and perhaps the
only one, which the animal system, is by ma
ture, capable of furnishing, to,covntersct, or
overcome the n0issncEs ceuse, which produ.
ces The disease in question.
Yet, sir, this friend of the copstitutioc, this
health preserving aaid, has been, snd still IS
considered, by those who are ignorans of its
properties, the carse of the Animal system.
Is this disease esnfag;sIs a answer. no.
he facts and reasonings, in conhrma ailor OF
thfs opinion, are numefous, aud stubborn
o2e 'ae limits Of ibis letter, joI bid further
o os.erss'ions on ihis point. 1, is irfresfens.
q aarnsn being, wL-,se system is pTcdispos
ed, may receive the disease, on being expos
cd 10 the poisonous cfaavis, dissDgsged from
pu,rsfying animal and vegetable subs,snces.
The azotic gas, disengseed, from pu,retyng
animal and vegetable substances, 0inglc.
with the Atmosphere; ssnd,s when received
into the lungs, comes in contact win the
6lood, aud produces disturba in The san.
snyersns system. II also, rningles with the
sadpa, and passes into the stomach, there IL
produces nausea, and venting, jnhs rnmstiop,
fever, disor ganization, black vnmit, B. death.
But, sis, this mode of receivfng the disease,
will not accoun, for the origin of many cases,
which occur, whero infecnoa Is out of the
question. The cause then must be sought
for from other sources---The disease unde,
consider alton, has its origin, svifyiin eur own
system, independent Of imported, or domestic
injection. This distcmper, for the most part.
prevails in the months Of August, September
and October. In the present case, the scs.
son has been commonly warm and sultry |;
the ambient atmosphere extremely hot end
dry, through tho day * the evening breezcs
loaded with humid exhsia,ions. Excessive
heat is debili,sting; the same may be said OF
moisture. These powers operating on the
human system, cause debility and relaxation.
The stomach, in special manner, becomes
OSOiheeaSus w "SehSbSo euut NS'StSU va
able to perform its principal function, diges.
fion. The food at this season, consists gen.
| orally Of jresh meat, fresh fish, and various
fruits. The meat and FISH frequently in al
incipient state of putrefsction, before !, comes
to the hands Of the cook; it ,beo undergoes,
what is sometimes called fashionable cooking
that is, IL 10 half roasted, or boiled, &c. &c.
10 this half pu'rid condition, IL 10 received
into the debIlitated stomach. Under these
circumstances, sir, heaifhy dig,sfion, Is not
performed; fermentation, and pottefsction
| takes place in the mass, contained in the uom
sch, the septic acid gas, is dissngsget, snd .
poisonous auid is generated; the whole mass
now becomes poison, destructive OF life.
II this poison, happens to exist in esncen
rated state, io the stomach and duodcoeum,
IL will excite nausea, and vomiting, inhanms.
too, fever, black vomit, modification, and
death. But, IL tho poison exists in more
diluted state, It will kiDdle up fever, OF var.
ious degrees, from the mid fvfhus, 10 the
malignant Yeiiov Fevery and, this In pro-
portion, TO the srgree Of the poisoning cause
You will perceive, sir, that ] consider a
human being, undsr the operation Of this 'et
ribie disomper, IS poisoned. And, sir,