, 1875-06-12
TO the Editor OF the s'St. Croix Avis"
Dear Sir.

be as 'lengIny as last time.
1t has of course afforded me great pleasure
to see that my expectations have SO promptly
been fulfilled, when I ventured to pronounce
the hope that those of my colleagues, who
have had ampler opportunity of seeing cases
of the Epidemic than I had at that time had
myself, would come forward with their opinion,
which would certainly be of much more i'm.
portance than mine. The first military sur.
geon of this town, DIR. Knudsen, has in the
last issue of the Avis given US a very nice and
interesting piece about the matter; and here we
have an Authority, who can both from his
age as we'll as from his extensive estate.
practice speak with considerable weight.
/ therefore beg to offer my best thanks both
for his so promptly answering my call as also
for the really new calculations be adds,-neW
anyhow to me-
The military surgeon says, that "tOs g.
the military surgeOn) have often seen this
disease by tracks, but when it comes so fire.
quent that it can be called an epidemic etc."
This is a piece of information Of the greatest
value. But first l must beg to remark, that
l am not quite certain about the meaning of the
words "by tracks" Now I wouldn't trust my.
self in English, and as I did not understand
the words, L first thought it might be a mis-.
print f. i. for By tracts. But even that l didn't
understand properly, consequently l asked
some of our best educated English scholars in
this island, but they could not give me any
information either. But by careful reading
and studying l came to the conclusion that
comparing these words with what follows
next-the meaning must be: ts hare often seen
sporadic cases. Is that not the military sur.
geon's opinion 2 Now, If I am right, 1 beg
to thank him for this highly valuable
elucidaGOn.
The thing is, that as l have stated In my
article, no epidemlcs have been known hitherto
of this disease in the tropics. Further to
prove this |. beg to quote one of the latesE
medical works on this disease II. Russell
Reynolds M. D.:A System of Medicine ed.
1870, -Xol.I Page 51S). He says: ain the
Eastern Hemisphere our knowledge of tho
disease is limited to Western and Central
Europe and Algeria, the northern boundary
of the district not passing beyond lat. 6lo n, the
southern not beyond $50 N. In the Western
hemisphere the records Of the malady are
confined to the ~populous districts of the eastern
division of the U. S. from LAT. 800 N. to lat. 48o
N" Consequently, as far as 1870 the best
authors knew of no epidemics in the Tropics,
but now we learn, that this disease has often
been seen here. Is that not a most valuable
and quite new information, for which the medi-
Cal WOIlu muSN surely 1851 uOSG IUu6U.0u W
the learned surgeon? And that is not all
For he even says for I suppose ho means to
say that those cases have been sporadic.
Now single mot epidemio) cases of this disease
are certainly most uncommon, you may perhaps
say that there is not so uncommon a disease
in existence as sporadic (single) GASES of cere.
bro-spin. mening.-Everybody can clearly see
of what value such contributions must bel
The military surgeon has a duty not to confne
his knowledge to this island alone. but to
inform the whole medical world-but then
of course it must be proved to evidence
By alleging the cases, that it was really the
same disease [ beg the military surgeon not
to forget that.
There is another elucidatiou, quite as new
and as valuable as the above one. IAN
epidemic I suppose the meaning is an
epidemic of Cerebro-spinal mening) will come
at any time" Also this information should
be added to the above. Certainly an epidemic
may come at any time, but in 1870 the above
named author says. "Season acts as an
unquestionable and powerful prediSposing
cause of epidemic eerebro-spinal meningit.,
which is especially a disease of the cold month";"
But now We know that it will come at
any time.
There are of course many other little tempting
items in the military surgeons article, but
l should not like to trespass upon the patience
of the reader, and in once more thanking my
honoured colleague for his valuable and re-
fined article / would beg to call his attention
IN kho feat that ho yo1nohIo aormrr;oof;ona