Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-09-05
FELLOW FEVER.
Views of q Washington Physician.

Editor Stdr:-This terrible disease is most
formidable in a tropical climate, and makes
until The temperature of the atmosphere falls
to fifty degrees of the thermometer. Its most
active in climate the mean range of which
Is continued for days and weeks between
seventy five and eighty degrees, and princi-
paly confined its habitatiOn to places situated
for degrees north and twenty degrees south.
The cause Is admitted to be malaria or bad
alr, generated by the fermentatiOn which en-:
sues from compound of heat, moisture and
septic agents. These agents must be dead
vegetable matter. This process OF fermen; a.
dred. or falls to fifty degrees; but while in
operation Yields the noxiOus product known
H. H., medical language by the name of -Mttdrto.
1innil 1nS maialia al R"is9ns the atmosphere in the
Inhaled by al individual who is susceptible to
II. produces 9 characteristic symptoms uf
tlls terrible malady. The Poison is gaseous, ,an
IKE O'her pol>Ons Of the atmosphere known
70 produce disease, is not to be detected by
either the senses or chemistry. About one ia
three OF those affected by the poison dies, and
hours to three weeks. Some die in ten hours
nom the beginning of an attack, and others
live until the eighth day. The average dura-
tiOn of fatal cases is about three days ami A.
half. Each case forms its own variety, but
for the sake of classification all cases may be
divided into three varieties, viz: Mild, intlam m
natoIy. and malignant. The mild form pro-
lhe lnf1ammatory varies from six days to
three weeks, and an individual suffering
from this form Is exceedingly liable to
relapse after apparent amendment, and to die
when least expected. The malignant form
shows itself without premOnitory symptoms,
and Kills in ten or twenty-eight hours. Tne
yelOWneSs of the skin does not always appear,
Dor Is the black vOmit always present. Alb nut
one person III eight RECEIVERS after having the
black vOnit. Its occurrence Is always alarm
Ing, and denotes most intense Inflammation of
the stomach. Yellow fever is, probably,
nothing more than an intense or malign ant
form OF our common bilious fever, and mild
ard intlammatory cases begin just as an ordi-
nary bilious fever begins. therefore ir is
IT asOnaple to conclude that biiiou, fever of
our climate is yellow fever in the tropical
r. g1ons. Ii Is not contagious, and an indl.
Y ual having passed through an attack rare Y
las second one, and is said to enjoy an In-
munity flOm the disease the balance of his
life. All ages, sexes and cOlOrS, are liza bic to
the Influence of the poison, and IT'S effects are
but measures OF individual susceptibility to
lis powers. As heat and moisture, combined
with septic agents, favor that character of
fermentation which evolves the deadly gas
that cOrruptS the atmosphere to such an eX-
tent that when taken into the lungs pOiSOnS
the blood so much that death is the result in
the space OF day or two, it should be an OBJ
Ject OF the first Importance in all well regu-
rate q sanitary measures to seek out those pOr-
lions of city liable to a visitation of yellow
caused by combination of heat, moisture
and NTH: 1t Is characteristic of the disease
that 1t likes localities, and always confines ITS
most deadly work 10 certain Dol tiOnS of town
or city Such pc ii ms are usually those OF
city i'll which there II, in virtue of locality ami
q aGe, the creates, disposition to the accumula-
ton vi filth. j. b. JOHNSON, NJ. d.