The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-09-19
THE PLAGUE OF THE SOUTHWEST
Interesting Comment upon Its History and
Peculiar Features.

Barbados, in the year 1647. From that
time to the present it has been investi-
gated and written about by many of the
most eminent physicians both in this
country and Europe. Rush and La
Roche, of Philadelphia; Clark and Flint,
of New York Dickinson and Michel, of
Charleston; Stone and Joseph Jones, of
New Orleans Cochrane and Michel, of
Alabama, have all given to the world
valuable contributions upon this sub
iect, not to mention many other able
men of the profession in America.
1t is q fever that is found in both
hemispheres, bui is confined 10 certain
geographical limits being rarely found
beyond 48 degrees north latitude or S5
degrees south latitude, and between 81
degrees west and 81 degrees east longi-
tude. The altitude to which it is en-
abled to ascend varies with its peculiar
geographical conditions. Thus, in the
West Indies it has been found Mt the
height of five thousand feet, as was the
case in an epidemic at Newcastle, Ja-
macia while in the United States it is
never found higher than six hundred
above the level of the zen. 1t is essen
TALLY fever of hot climates, and de-
mauds diurnal temperature of u de-
grees 10 exist as an epidemic. It's pecu-
liar home appears to be the tropics, for
in them alone is it found to be endemic
throughout the year, as in the islands of
St. Thomas and San Domingo.
The United States has been 30 fire.
quently visited with this fever that it
scarcely becomes necessary to point out
the years. 1t is, however, chiefly con-
fined to the coast and leading water
courses, from the port of Charleston to
the Rio Grande, and, as before observed,
never ascends the streams beyond six
hundred feet above sea level. New Or
leans, Mobile and Galveston have been
more frequently visited than any of the
sea coast towns, while Montgomery
Memphis, Vicksburg, Natchez and
Shreveport have chiefly claimed its at
ten.ion in the interior.
The peculiar element causing this
disease has given rise to much discus
sion in the profession, and has been the
source of developing great contrariety of
opinion. Like the causes that give rise
to the malarious aud contagious diseases,
aud. in fact, to the major portion of
the known diseases of the world, every
thing is involved in mystery and it re-
mains for the future, if ever it will be,
to demonstrate the peculiar features Of
these causes. There are facts, however,
in connection with the production of the
disease that have been ascertained. 1t
dwells where the malarious diseases
exist in their most aggravated forms, and
depends, like them, upon heat, moisture
and decomposition, but must have
putrefactire as we'll as vegetable decom-
position. In addition it requires GER
tain degree of density of population:
1t is, in the temperate zones, toacn and
ciy disease, and never RACES as an epi-
demic in the country. The peculiar
poison, it bas been argued, consists of
cells and cell germs, that are capable of
reproducing themselves to an indetermi-
nate extent. These prevade the atmos-
phere, travel both with and against the
wind are more rapidly propagated
when coming in contact with an excess
of moisture; they penetrate clothing and
enter goods of all kinds; they travel in
ships for thousands of miles, and when
put upon shore, provided they find q
warm, moist and filthy resting place,
commence at once TO develop sufficient
number of kindred germs to doom the
place to an epidemic of fever. Some
writer's speak of this peculiar poison
as belonging to the fungi group; others
as bacteriods. An American writer,
Cochrane, of Alabama, calls them cool
loed bodies, but we have preferred to de-
scribe them in manner that has had
many advocates and which is more tan
gible to the human mind.
Is the disease contagious or infectious,
or is it both, that is, contingent con-
tagion2 This is an open question, but
by far the majority of writers agree that
it is absolutely an infectious disease, and
never contagious. 1t will not spread
from individual to individual among q
small population it is confined to too
narrow limits, where it is epidemic, for
it 10 be q contingent disease. Again,
complete seclusion in an infected dis
trict will not render the person or per-
sons safe from contracting the disease.
Does the disease ever come spontaneous
ly in the United States? This is also an
open question, yet the majority of writer's
believe that it is always an introduced
and never an endemic disease. During
the war every Southern port, where
there was an efectual blockade, was free
from this fever. At New Orleans, where
the blockade was rigidly enforced from
the commencement of the war until its
capture, not one case of fever was known
aud during the occupation by the enemy,
after limited traffic was opened up, the
fever appeared upon some of the gun
boats, but not within the limits of the
city. On the other hand, at Wilmington
in our own State, where vessels were
constantly coming in from the West
Indies, the city was visited with fright.
full scodrge of fever.
Again, in the epidemic of 1878, which
occurred at New Orleans, Mobile, Pensa
cola, Montgomery, Shreveport and Mem
phis, the fever was clearly traced to tht
arrival OF Two luleCIeu TesSelS lIOIu Ia
vana-the bark Valparaiso at New Or
leans on the 18th of June, 1873, and th'
Golden Gate, on the 10th of the sam,
month and year, at Pensacola. From
these points it was conveyed either b.
individuals or steamboats, to the variou
other points where the fever sprang up
This has been clearly demonstrated b.
those who have investigated the subject
The duration of the disease as al
epidemic differs in different localities
In some of the epidemics at New Or
leans it has disappeared prvious 10
killing or "black" frost. This, however
has been extremely rare; but of on
thing we are always assured, that wit
the first killing frost the epidemic is a
an end. The persons who had becom
infected previous to the freeze will, Q
.. course, have the fever, but no one re
turning to or coming into the place afte
such frost will have it. Natives of in
, fected places are less likely to contrac
this disease than strangers, while Afri