The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1879-09-10
THE ORIGIN OF YELLOW FEVER.

N. 1.Timee.
LII Is noticeable fact that there is yery
little difference of opinion among physic-
lans who have practiced medicine in vel
low fever districts, and have had the ad-
vantage Of long and careful observation, as
to the malarial origin Of that terrible
scourge. The elder DIR. Stone, of New Or
leans, than whom no man had larger ex-
peiience, always maintained that yellow
fever was one Of the malaral group OF dis
eases, and differed from intermittent and
remittent only in the violence OF the attack.
DIR. Blair holds the same opinion in his I'D
mirable treatise. Watson in his "Institutes,n
and Condie in his "Notes on Watsons In
stitutes," make no question on the subject
But one OF the most suggestive illustrations
OF this view occurs in DIR. Ferguson's celc-
DRAFTED work on malarial diseases. Ii is q
general observation that in malarious dis
tricts ague and remittent fevers are more
common in hot and dry than in cold and
humid seasons. Temperature appears tobe
the factor which mainly determines the diff
fcrences observed in the malarial group OF
diseases at different elevations and in diff
ferent seasons Of the year. In the more
elevated districts of the West Indies inter
| mittents are common; lower down with an
increase in the mean temperature, remittents
are the rule, and in the lowest and hottest
districts the fever is continued. In 1916,
says Ferguson, the British garrison of En-
glish Harbor Antigua, was dis
posed in three separate barracks,
situated on fortified hills surrounding the
dockyard. One of these barracks occupied
Monks Hill, an eminence GOO feet above
the level OF the marshes. The other two
were situated upon the ridge at the respec-
tive elevations of 500 and 800 feet. So
dangerous were the marshes below that it
often happened to acclimatcd soldier,
coming down from Monks Hill, and
mounting high-guard in perfect health, to
be taken with furious delirium while stand
ing sentry, and to die within thirty hours
after being carried to the barracks. The
yellow skin and black vomit were almost
invariably among the prominent
symptoms in these cases. Among
the officers, women, and drummers on
Monks Hill, who never descended to the
marshes, there was not single case of te-
yer during the whole summer. Seventeen
men were quartered in the lower ridge bar
racks, 500 feet above the marshes, but were
not required to perform night duty at the
dock-yard. Every one of these men had re-
mittent fever, but no case of black vomit
occurred among them. Thus, in the same
place, at the same time, the malaria
in the level plain caused con
tinued fever, identical in rapidity and
symptoms with yellow; at all elevations of
300 feet the type was remitlent and at 500
feet there were either light agues or no dis
ease at all. 1t is upon facts like these, OBJ
served by men in constant association with
the topography Of malarious districts, that
the decided opinion of such men as Stone,
Blair, Watson, Condie and Ferguson are
founded; AID their views ought certainly to
take precedence of those of mere germ the
orists in investigating the atiology of yell
low fever epidemics