West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1878-12-07
Migrations OF Yellow Fever.
pr. T. NJ. Coan, in IIorpcrs Magazine.

pr. 7. N. Coan, in uorpcrs Magazine.
Yellow fever, like the cholera, is one
of the great migrating diseases. Start
ing from some point within the tropics.
IL travels steadily onward from point To
point as long as it does not meet freezing
weather; and IL travels northward bv
prefcrence-Comparatively seldom 20 the
southwark of the zone from which il
sets out. Thus Brazil has suffered com.
parauyely little from Its epidemic visi-
tatiOns, though, as we shall see, the dis
ease planted its germs long ago i'm Rio
de JaneirO, ON the extreme southern
limit of the tropics. But it's favoritc
course Is toward the north. Upon our
Atlantic coasts says Or j. G. Mott n
careful student aud observer of its phe.
nomCna, as on the coast of the Mediter-
ranCan, IL comes from time to time i'm
one of those immense waves that know
no bounds and stop at no impediments.
The distance TO which the disease CX-
tends seems 10 depend much upon the
strength of the wave; IL first strikes the
Gulf, and generally goes no further.
Occasionally il will break over the pen
insula of Florida and reach Savannah
and Charleston. In 1850 after many
years of immunity, il struck Norfolk
with full force, and only a few ripples,
as in 1888, 1856, 1870, have for half
century reached the Delaware River and
the Bay Of New York" And the same
observer, writing eight years ago, adds
some words which have grave slgnifi-
cancc to day Yellow fever, after
long absence, never makes its rc-appear-
ance in our Northern cities without "A
warning from the Gulf of Mexico 1t is
seen not only for months, but often for
several years, in vigorous action i'm its
native habitat before IL leaps over its
accustomed bounds but when once on
the tramp, it may travel from Bucnos
Ayres 10 Quebec, leaving more graves
in its track than Asiatic cholera. There
is reason TO fear that one of these erup-
tions is now marshaling its forces"
Let us glance at the course Of one Of
these typical epidemcs--at the one, for
instance, which started as far away IA
Rio de Janeiro, twenty-cight years ago,
and travelled i'm ak years all the way TO
New GOrk-a journey of nearly four
thousand miles-in great circle. 4
great many years before, so many that
the inhabitants of Rio had lost all rec
objection 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 DR. Mott, " commenced in
Rio in January, 1850, and travelled night
and day for six years, making it's expir-
ing effort in New York Bay in 1856.
had my eye upon this epidemic from its
commencement, watching its steady
course and ravages along the Atlantic,
Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico for
several thousand miles. When ii struck
New Orleans 1853 it was clear TO my
mind that our own coast was doomed,
and before il reached Mobile ! was so
certain it would come that | 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 camo TO
Mobile, but followed my family out to
Spring Hill, where ] lost four of my
children in one week"