Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-06-04

MIGRATIoNs OF YELLOW FEvER.-
Yellow fever, like the cholera, is one o
the great migratory diseases. Starting
from some point within the tropics, il
travels steadily onward from point tc
point as long as it does not meet freezing
| weather; and it travels northward by
preference-comparatively seldom to the
southwark of the zone from which it sets
out. Thus Brazil has suffered compare.
lively little from its epidemic visitations
though, as we shall see, the disease plant
ed its germs long ago in Rio de Janeiro
on the extreme southern limit of the
tropics. But its favorite course is towards
the north. Upon our Atlantic coasts"
says DR.. j. G. Mott, Il careful student and
observer of its phenomena, "as on 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 extends
seems to depend much upon the strength
of the wave; it first strikes the gulf, and
generally goes no farther. Occasionally
it will break over the peninsula of Florida
and reach Savannah and Charleston. In
1855, after many years of immunity, it
struck Norfolk with full force, and only n
few ripples, as in 1858, 1856, 1870, have
for half Il century reached the Delaware
river and the bay of New York" And the
same observer, writing eight years ago,
added some words which have a grave
significance to-day yellow fever, after
I long absence never makes its re-appear.
ancc 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 in its
native habitation before it leaps over its
accustomed bounds; but when once on the
tramp, it may travel from Buenos Ayres
TO Quebec, leaving more graves in its
track than Asiatic cholera. There is
reason to fear that one of these eruptions
is now marshalling its forces"
Let US glance ut one of these typical
epldemcs-at the one, for instance, which
started as far away lis Rio de Janero
twenty-eight years ago, and travelled in
six years all the way to New York-a
journey of nearly four thousand miles-in
IL great circle. A great many years before,
so many that Rio had lost all recollection
or tradition of the fact, the yellow fever
had visited their city; but now the cpl
demic broke upon them like lightning
from clear sky. his outbreak ;" saws
DR.. Mott, commenced in Rio in January
1850, and travelled day and night for
six years, making its expiring effort in
New York bay in 1856. I had nv eve
upon this epidemic from its commence
ment. watching its steady course and
ravages along the Atlantic, Caribbean sea
and gulf of Mexico for several thousand
miles. When it struck New Orleans
1881 it was clear to my mind that our
own coast was doomed, and before it
reached Mobile | was so certain that it
would come that l 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 came to Mobile, but
followed my family out to Spring Hill,
where lost four of my children in one
week."-Df' T. N. Coan, in Harpcr's
Mtgazinc.