Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-10-17
The Green Sickness.
From the New York Times !

The yellow fever il terrible infliction.
but its ravages are merciIully confined 20
certain localities and limited 10 the hot
season OF the year. The country Is al pres =
cnf suffering from another malady. which.
j. much less discriminating and consider
ate. IL has no respect for parallels Of lati-
tude or isothermal lines, aud while I: as
,umes II more malignant type In some re-
gions IN tn Ia others, 1t has appeared with
more or less severity in every State aud al
most every county. 1t may be called the
green sickness, from the strange effect It
produces on its victims, leading them to at
tribute TO green slips of paper the most
marvellous properties. This queer delu-
sion is the leading characteristic of the dis -.
ease, but associated with it are a variety OF
other interesting symptoms which will re-
pay study. The best scientific opinion is
that this malady. like yellow fever Is cpl
demic but not contagious. IL appears az
times to be communicated from one victim
10 another by some subtle Infection. and II
has been known TO spread In crowded
places with alarming rapidty, and yet ii il,
well known that persons with a moderate
degree OF common sense may be exposed
to il with perfect impunity. There is clear
iy no emauatlOn from the person OF the
patient that IL likely TO communicate the
but those of weak constitution have been
known To give way before the breath OF a
victim who ''has Il very bad" II is a pc
culiar symptom In malignant cases that the
sufferer utters vast deal OF breath with
uncommon violence and energy, and, 10 all
appearances, the injection IS sometimes
caught by coming within the range OF his
lungs. But this result is only apparent
Like most epidemicS, the green sickness is
mysterious In its movements. IL will some
times ravage whole counties, and yet the
adjoining districts will scarcely be affected
at all Some constitutions seem TO be pc
cularly susceptible 10 It's attacks, while
others resist 1t with wonderful ease.
This strange epidemic does not appear to
be more destructive in large cities than in
small towrs. aud u has spread to u re-
markable extent in some OF the healthiest
OF rural districts. Though In cities it dis
plays the greatest viruleuce in the crowded
and dirty quarters, the sanitary authorities
are OF opinion that it has no direct connec-
ton with iilthy streets, bad drainage. and
imperfect ventilation, and that il il not
within their power to do anything Tor lis
mitigation. This opinion Is supported by
observation among the farming population.
which has suffered quite as severely from
1t a. the tenemeLt-house dcniZeus OF New
York. Quarantine regulations seem also
10 Le quite useless. aud tumigatiur.
which has been tried in close ward rooms
and town halls, appears rather to agsra-
vate than 10 check the Infection. IL does
not appear In all cases 10 be carried from
one place to another, but breiks out spou-
taueUusly, without any predi, posing cause
that can be discovered. Fortunately, it
does not attack children, aud the intelligent
and better educated classes are couparat-
lively free from its assaults. Probably q
careful mental aud moral training in ea'ly
life would be found a complete preventive.
An extraordinary circumstance connected
with this plague is that the species OF man
Kind known as Democrats are generally
easy victims Whenever it spreads with
peculiar violence, il is found that they fall
under the >courge in great numbers. IT ere
are some Indications that the green-sck-
ness has its run" gradually increasin. in
severity until il reaches its height, and
then sub>idng, aud so far as is known no
: person or locality Is liable to second at
tack.
The symptoms aud effects of the Dis
ease are most remarkable. They are al
together mental and moral, aud the physi-
cal health is never seriously impaired
For this reason there are no fatal cases,
and ultimate recovery Is always possible.
which leads our people TO regard the afiiic-
| ton with comparatlyr cheeriulness. not
| withstanding its really dangerous and de-
| structive character. cudaugers partic-
| ularly the moral character and the mater
| ial prosperity OF the country, and not the
| lives OF It's citizens. One Of the earliest
| symptoms OF the green-sckness is a notion
that the authority OF the government may
| put any value il pleases into piece OF pa
| per, provided it is green on the back
| VIII e 1t is known that government author
| ity i, powerless to create cotton cloth OF
stean-engines. or any other valuable thing
| OF that nind the poor victiDa imagines he
| can create money which shall be the equiv
alent OF any or all OF these by merely
stamping greenbacked paper. Any person
of credit can give his note and have il pass
for what it promises, SO long as he keeps
| alive a perfect confidence that he will pay
il whenever it is brought to him for the pur-
pose; but these wretched sufferers from
green sickness think the government.
notes can always pass in this way, though
they are never to be paid. and even with
out a promise of payment. They get SO
bad in some cases to fancy that one ol
these bits of paper may serve as measure
and a standard OF value, without having
value in 1t or being exchangeable for an,
specif" value. as King Lear, in his doting
mauness, took a wretched wisp of straw
for his sceptre. Another curious effect o
the disease Is to cause men who mean 1,
be honest. and think they are honest. t,
propose the most rascally and villainOu,
proceedings. Having imprudently got int,
debt and incurred obligations which the,
have now to pay, they persuade themselvei
it viii! be right to make pay Insnt lighter b,
debasing the value OF money. or course, il
no other way can they expect to get nomi
nally tuore money for the same considera
ton. or get it easier. Some Of them proies
to be excellent patriots, and yet they hsv
conceived the reasonable notion that tn
country may somehow be justified in pa,
ing less than is promised to those who al
vanced 1t money 10 time of its need.