The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-01-09
Migrations of Yellow Fever.

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Migrations of Yellow Fever.
Yellow fever, like the cholera, is one
of the great migrating diseases. Start
ing from some point within the tropics,
it travels steadily onward from point to-
point as long as it does not meet freez--
ing weather; and it travels northward
by ypreference-comparatively seldomto
the southwark of the zone from which
it sets out. Thus Brazil has suffered
comparatively little from its epidemic
visitations, though, as we shall see, the
disease planted its germs long ago in
Rio de Jeneiro, on the extreme south
ern limit of the tropics. But its favor
ite course is towards the north. "Upon
our Atlantic coasts,'' says DIR. j. c..
Mott, a careful student and observer OF
its phenomena, +" as 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 i'm
pediments. 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 Sa-
vannah and Charleston. In 1856, after
many years of immunity, it struck Nor
folk with full force, and only a few rip
pies, as in 1858, 1856, 1870,l have for
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 a
grave significance to day: !" Yellow
fever, after long absence, never makes
its temperance in our Northern cities
without warning from the Gulf of
Mexico. It is seen not only for months,
but often for several years, in vigorous
action in its native habitat 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 marshall
ing its forces" MOE zai.l sets ..t-.. .il.
Let us glance at the course Of one OF
| these typical epidemics-at the one, for
instance, which started as far away as
Rio de Janeiro, % years ago, and trav-
eled in six years all the way to New
York-a journey of nearly 1900 miles
in great circle. A great many years
before, so many that the inhabitants OF
Rio had lost ali recollection or tradition
of the fact, the yellow fever had visited
their city; but now the epidemic broke
upon them like lightning from a clear
sky. "This outbreak, says DIR. Mott,
commenced in Rio in January, 1850,
and travelled night and day for six years,
making its expiring effort in New York
Bay in 1885, I had my eye upon this
epidemic from its commencement,
watching its steady course and rayages
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 oul
own coast was doomed, and before Il
reached Mobile was so certain it would
come, that 1 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, tn
r disease not only came to Mobile, bu
followed my family out to Spring Hill
: where lost four Of my children in on
e week.n-Dr. T. M. Coan, IN Harper
e Magazine for December.