Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-10-04
From the New York Times.
The Green Sick

The yellow lever is terrible infection, but its
ravages are Incredibly confined TO certain local..
ties aud limited 10 the not season OF the year
The country il at present suffering from another
mssdy, which Is much less discriminating and
confederate. 1t has no respect for parallels Of
latitude or isotherma lines, aud while It assumes
3 more malignant type in some regions than IN
Others, 1t has appeared with more or less severity
in every State and almost every county. 1t may
be called the green sickness. from the strange Ell
feet it produces its victims, leading them to At
tribute to green slips OF paper the most marvellous
properties. This queer deusion is the leading
Characteristic of the disease, but associated with
II are . variety Of other Interesting symptoms
which will repay study. The best scientific opin
ion is that this mslsdy like yellow fever, is epiem-
&c but not contagious 1t appears at times to be
communicated from one victim to another BY
some subtle infection, and it has been known to
spread 10 crowded places with alarming rapidly,
and yet it is well known that persons with y mod
crate degree OF common sense may be exposed to
1t with perfect impuoity. There is c.early no
emanation from the person oil the patient that is
likely to communicate the disease to any one who is
perfectly healthy, but those OF weak constitution
have been known to give way before the breath oil
victim who has it very bad" 1t is peculiar
symptom 10 malignant cases that the sufferer Ut
tiers vast deal OF breath with uncommon vio-
lence and energy, and, to all appearance, the in-
lection - sometimes caught by coming within the
range of his lungs. But this result i. only appsr.
cot. Like most epide mics, the green sickness Is
mysterious in its movements. 1t will sometimes
rasage whole counties, and yet the adjoining DIS
tricts will scarcely be affected at all. SJme con
sttunons seem TO be peculiarly suscept to it,
attacks, while others resist 1t with wonderful ease
ms strange epidemic does not appear to be
more destructive 10 large cities than in small
towns, and II has spread TO remarkable extent 10
some oil the healthiest OF rural dist icts. though
IN cues displays the greatest virulepce In the
crowded ana dirty quarters, the sanitary author.
at ~ haa
ZION with nithy streets, bad drainage and inner
iect ventiiatiop, aud that II Is not within their
power to do anything for its mitigation. I'm.
opinion is supported by observation among me
farming popuisnon, which has suffered quite a,
severely from II IS the tene 10 Mt house drniz.us
OF New York. Quarantine reg ulalions seem ~
SO TO be quite useless. and ium gauvn, which hss
been tried IN close ward rooms aud town h,II
spPesrs rather to agsrsvate than to check the TO-
lection. IL does not appsar 10 all cases 10 be car
ried from one place to another, but break, out
spontaneously, without any pIedlsposilg cause
That eau be dlscos red. Fortunately, 1t does not
a'tack chAofen, ana tue integenl and better ecu
Gated classes are comparatively free irom its ss-
sauiue' Probably careful mental and moral
Training 10 early lie would be found a ComDlele
preventive, An extraordinary circum.tapce con.
necteo WIN THIS plague Is that the species of man
Anu hnohn ne democrats ale genei atly easy VIC
tims. whenever II sp.esi. with peculiar VIC
renee, " Is found That they fall under the seourve
10 great numbers. There are some iudic.,,nos
that the green sickness has lie run" praduaIIv
increasing IN severity until IL reaches il, h-iyhI
sod then sabsiding, aud 80 far "a. is kno.n no
person or local. Is liable to a second stack
Inc symptoms and Effects OF the disease ARE
most remarkable. They are altogether men,a
and moral. and the physical health is never ,er
oosly impaired. For this reason there are ma
fatal cases, scd ultimate reco, cry is alway. no.si
Die, which leads our people TO regard tue st, &c.
hon with comparative eheessa!nsss, notwithst.nd-