River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-12-19
Migratlons Of Yellow Fever.

Yellow fever, like the cholera, is one of
the great migrating diseases. Starting
from some point within the tropics, it
travels steadily onward from point TO
point as long as il does not meet freezing
weather; and it travels northward by pref.
erence-com paratively seldom to the
southwark of the zone from which il sets
out. Thus Brazil has suffered compare
lively little from its epidemic visitations,
though, as we shall see. the disease plant
ed it germs long ago in Rio de Janeiro,
on the extreme southern limit of the trop-
les. But its favorite course is toward the
north.
Upon our Atlantic coasts" Says DR.
j. G. Mott, . careful student and observ-
or OF its phenomena, "as on the coast of
the Mediterranean. il comes from time TO
time in one OF those immense waves th&t
knows no bounds and stop at no i'm
pediments The distance to which the
disease extends seems to depend much
upon the strength of the wave 1t first
strikes the Gulf, and generally goes no
farther. Occasionally it viii break over
the peninsula of Florida and reach
Savannah and Charleston. In 1868, after
many years of immunity, it struck Nor
folk with full force. and only few rip
plies, a. in 1888. 1856, 1870, have fol half
a centuary reached the Delaware River
and the Bay of New York And The
same observer, writing eight years ago,
adds some words which have a grave
significance to-day: yellow fever, after
a long absence, never makes It's re ap-
pearance in our Nothern cities without a
warning from the Gulf of Mexico. 1t is
seen not only for months, but often for
years, in vigorous action in its native
habit before ii leaps over its accustomed
bounds; but when once Cn the tramp it
may travel from Buenos Ayres to Quebec,
eaving more graves in its track than
Asiatic cholera. There is reason to fear
that one of these eruptions Is nov mar
sahalliug It's forces"
Let us glance az the course Of one of
these typical opidemics-at the one, 70
instance, which started SIS far away as Rio
de Janeiro, twenty eight years ago, and
travelled in six years ali the way to New
YoTk-s journey Of nearly four Thousand
miles in 9 great circle. 4 great many
years before, SO many that the inhabi-
tsnts Of hio had lost all recollection or
tradition Of the facts the yellow fevel
qsd visited their city but now the cpl
demic broke upon them ike lightning
from clear sky. ''This outbreak, says
DR.. Knott, "commencedn RIO in Jan
nary, 1850, and travelled night and day
for six years, making lis expiring
efforts in New York Bay IN 1856 | had
my eye upon thls epidemic from its com
mencement, watching It's steady course
and ravages along the Atlantic, CariJ-
bean Sea. and Gulf of Mexico Tor several
thousand miles. When it struck New
Orleans 1858 it was clear to my mind
that our own coast was doomed, ana be-
fore it reached Mobile / was 90 certain II
would come that moved my family into
the healthy uiRe hills. seven niles rcm
the town, where the disease had never
been. But in spite Of ali my prudenca.
the disease not only came TO Mobile, bat
followed my family out TO Spring Hill,
where lost four of my children Ia one
week. -UafPers Aaqazine for December.