The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-12-05
Mlgrations Of Yellow Fever.

FELLOW FEVER, ike the cnOl0ra, Is
one of the great migrating diseases.
Starting from some point within the
tropics, it travels steadily onward from
point to point as long as it does not
meet freezing weather; and it travels
northward by preference-compara-
lively seldom to the southwark of the
zone from which it sets out. Thus Bra
iii has suffered comparatively little
from its epidemic visitations, though, as
we shall see, the disease planted its
germs long ago in Rio de Janeiro, on
the extreme southern limits of the trop-
les. But its favorite course is toward
the north. "Upon our Atlantic Coast"
says DIR. j. c. Mott, careful student
and observer of its phenomena, "as
on the coast of the Mediterranean, it
comes from time to time in one of those
immense waves that know no bounds
and stop at no impediments. The dis
lance to which the disease extends
seems to depend much upon the strength
of the wave; it first strikes the Gulf,
and generally goes no farther. Oc-
casionally it will break over the PENN
sula of Florida and reach Savannah
and Charleston. In 1855, after many
years of immunity, it struck Norfolk
with full force, and only few ripples,
as in 1853, 1856, 1870, have for half a
century reached the Delaware River
and the Bay of New York" And the
same observer, writing eight years ago,
adds some words which have a grave
significance to-day: yellow fever,
after long absence. never makes its
temperance in our Northern cities
without warning from the Gulf OF
Mexico. It is seen not only for months,
action in its native habitat before it
leaps over its accustomed bounds; but
when once on the tramp, it may travel
from Buenos Ayres to Quebec, leaving
more graves in it's track than Asiatic
cholera. There is reason to fear that
one of these eruptions isnow MARSHALL
ing its forces.'
Let us glance at the course of one Of
these typical epidemics-at the one, for
instance, which started as fer away as
Rio de Janeiro, twenty-eight years ago,
and travelled in six years all the way to
New York-a journey of nearly 1000
mucs-AH d SIcat CAICAc' "A Siooe AoAy
years before, SO many that the inhab-
itants of Rio had lost all recollection
or tradition of the fact, the yellow
fever had visited their city; but now
the epidemic broke upon them like
lightning from clear sky. "This out
break" says DIR. Mott, commenced
in Rio in January, 1850. and travelled
night and day for six years, making its
expiring effort in Now York Bay in
1856. I had my eye upon this epidem-
ic from its commencement, watching
its steady course and ravages along the
Atlantic, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of
Mexico for several thousand miles.
When it struck New Orleans (S53) it
was clear to my mind that our own
coast was doomed, and before it reached
Mobile was so certain it would come
that 1 moved my family into the healthy
pine hills, seven miles from the town,
where the disease had never been. But,
in spite of all my prudence. the disease
not only came to Mobile, but followed
my family out to Spring Hill. where
lost four of my children in one week. "
DR.. r. N. Coan, in Harper's Maga-
zine for December.