Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-09-19

YELLOW FEvER.-Dr. Mott of Mobile, in letter
published in the National hteZgencer thus treats of
the yellow fever
LIST. It's Standardization this epidemic was real
ly imported from Africa not, is point which can
not be settled from any data yet made public, and
shall not offer you any speculatons it. One fact,
however, is certain that this disease has travelled
steadily on, since its first appearance in Rio Janero
five years ago, along the Caribbean Gulf and the At
lantc coasts until it has at length reached Norfolk.
No mortal Of our day is endowed with the spirit of
prophecy but still we can often from the lights of
history and observation, predict with tolerable
certainty coming events; and it was on such data
that venturcd to foretell that yellow fever would
go far Nc: folk, which is about the boundary
of the yellow fever latitude and also suggested the
strong probability that it would visit Northern
cities, where it does at long intervals Now,
the grounds upon which | made these predictions
follows:
Yellow fever has at long intervals not only in the
Mediterranean, along the Spanish and French coasts,
but in the United States (about fifty years ago. ia
ken on this trGoeting character. About the time al
luded to the yellow fever extended from Southern
ports to Norfolk, and thence to Winchester, in the
interior: to Philadelphia, to New York, and thence
to Catski the North river, and to Hartford and
Middetown. The epidemic in question had Steadi-
ly progressed for three years. from Rio to Mobile and
on to Key West and with all these facts before me,
did not hazard much in predicting that its progress
onward in the direction it had been travelling.
Iype Of the DiSedSe.-Few men in the United
States have seen more of yellow fever than have,
and have hesitation in saying that this is sub
stantially the disease the yellow fever which
occurred in Philadelphia in 1898, and which has ap
peared from time to time since. 1t is the fact with
typhoid fever cholera, plague, scarlet fever, small
pox, and all epidemic diseases, that they appear in
different grades of violence at different times, and
occasionally have greater tendency to travel over
a large extent of country. This has been the
with the yellow fever in question but its mode of
attack, its course of symptoms, including yellow
skin and black vomt, its average duration, &c,
the other yellow fevers. and though it may
have been somewhat more virulent, it is still the
disease.
Comtagiousness,- is knotty point, and I
have not space to do more than express my con-
illusions. Under the term contagion compound
ed two distinct questions viz proper,
the communication directly of yellow fever from
one human subject to another; and secondly, the
of the germ by vessels from
port to another Although my mind leans at present
towards belief in the contagiousness of this disease
in certain instances, | still doubt and my judgment
is in suspense; but with regard to its portability
by vessels from place to place and by railroads, I |
do not see how any human being familiar with its |
history doubt and should advise our Northern |
friends to quarantine rigdly against it. The disease
has gone to every point within certain distance of
the Gulf, which was frequented by steamboats, and |
railroad cars, and believe would have entered New |
York in 1858 had it not been stopped at the Quaran
tine.