The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-11-21
FACTS ABOUT YELLOW FEVER.
MIGRAr1oNs OF THE DISEASE.

of the great migrating diseases. Start
ing from some point within The tropics, il
Travels steadily onward from point to
point MS long as it does not meet freezing
weather; and it travels northward by
preference-compa seldom TO the
southwaTd of the zone from which j. sets
out. Thus Brazil hes suffered compare
lively little from it's epidemic yisitatons,
though, as we shall see, the disease
planted its germs long ago in Rio de
Janeiro, on the extreme southern limit
OF the tropics. But its favorite coiifse Is
toward the north. "tpch our Atlantic
COASTS" says DIR. J. G. Mott, careful
student and observer of its phenomena,
las 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 distance
to which the disease ehtchds stcms To
depend much upon the strength of the
wave; it first strikes the Gulf, and gene
rally goes no farther. Occasionally it
VIII break over the peninsula of Florida
and reach Savannah and Charleston. In
1919, after many years of immunity, it
struck Norfolk with full force, and only
a few ripples, as in 1853, 1856, 1870, have
Tor 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
Significance to-day: "Yelow fever, after
pearance in our Northern cities without
II warning from the Gulf of Mexico. It
is seen not only for months, but often for
yenrs, in vigorous action in its native
habitat before it leaps over its accus-
toned bounds; but when once on the
tramp, it may travel from Bucnos Ayres
to Quebec, leaving more graves in it's
track than Asiatic cholera. There is
reason to fear that one Of these eruptions
is now marshalling its forces"
| Let us glance at the course of one of
these typical epidemics-at the one, for
instance, which started rs far away ms
klo de Janeiro, twenty eight years ago,
and travelled in six years all the way to
New York-a journey OF nearly four
thousand miles-in great circle. A
| great many years before, so many that
the inhabitants of Rio had lost all re-
collection 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 i'm
Kio in January, 1850, and travelled night
and day for six years, making its expi-
ring effort in New York Bay in 1856. 1
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 it struck
New Orleans 1853 it was clear to my
mind that our own coast was doomed,
and before it reached Mobile was SO
certain it would come that l moved nv
family into the healthy pine hills, seven
miles from the town, where the disease
had never been: But, in spite of al! my
prudence, the dis nse not only came to
Mobile, but followed my family OUT to
Spring Hill, where 1 lost four of NV
children in one week"
DISSEMINATION OF YELLOW FEVER.
How is the disease disseminated? In
two ways: in given town or city, by a
sic" and regular progression from house
to house; between distant places, by fol-
lowing the lines of travel and commerce.
is carried with especial frequency by
sailing ships, and generally makes its
hrst appearance in previously healthy
place near the docks and wharyes.
whether the part of the town nearest the
water happeu to be q clean or a dirty
quarter, rich or poor one, makes no
difference. Clean streets do not check
the disease, nor does founess favor its
spreading. In 1857 the yellow fever pre-
vailed in that part Of New Orleans which
was, by official report, sin the best posi-.
hle sanitary condition." and in no otner.
though the rest Of the city was and had
! been for years aln,ost indescribsily
filthy. The germs OF the disease arc
portable, like bulk in freight, and they
will take root in s:y soil. They lurk in
baggage-cars, in boxes, and in clothing,
in any se-textured substance that is
closely shut up, as even in cargoes of
sugar. In porous materials like these
Jomitcs, rs physicians call them-the poi
son will hide and ripen for some two
months time, and develop its fullest
strength of infection. A parcel sent
from New Orleans may start an epidemic
of yellow fever in Boston or Quebec.
The disease is one of hot climates, and
of low alluvial ground by preference.
though any kind of soil will do for it,
and any elevation above sea-level that is
| not too great for the degree Of heat re-
qulred. That degree is a daily average,
continued for some weeks together, OF
trom'77' to 8Oo F.-a temperature which
is reached for month or more together,
and exceeded, during our more than tor
rid summers, in almost any of our towns
and cities from Florida to Maine. Vel
low fever has prevailed as far north even
as Quebec, and may extend rs far again
in the future.
OF the mysterious way in which the
disease travels from house to house, q
living messenger of death, we know lit.
tie. Science has not yet been able to
seize upon the secret of its cause, which
in all cases is probably the same, though
some observers think that there are two
distinct forms of the disease. Is it in n
microscopic plant or insect, too small,
however, for detection by the highest
magnifying power yet at our command,
that its exciting cause consists =? That is
probable. 1t is supposed that these
germs enter the blood and destroy it by
process comparable to that which is set
up in yeast by fermentation. 1t has been
suggested, very plausibly, that this living
germ can enter the human body only at
particular stage of its own growth, and
that when it has completed its career by
multiplying there, it has no power to
leave that body and invade the sanctuary
or another lille. This theory would ac-
count for the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of the
disease DIR. T. NJ. CoAN, in HarDcr's
Magazine for December.
= In thirteen Western pork packing
States, it is estimated that the number Of
hogs raised this year will be $4,000. 900
as against 19,500,0O0 last year. The
/ L Il