On Malaria. 305 
in that year in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, many parts of New 
England, Long Island, and the western counties of New York. On 
the low plashy grounds near the Mohawk, on Schoharie Creek, and 
in some tracts on the Erie canal, the complaint, though of frequent 
occurrence, did not generally run into the high bilious remittents, 
but it was very severe in some of the western counties. Perhaps a 
brief statement of the disease on Long Island may serve as a tolera- 
ble transcript of the epidemic so extensively prevalent in that season. 
Early in the spring, sporadic cases of fever and ague appeared, 
increasing in frequency through the summer, becoming intermittents 
and remittents as the season advanced. In the latter part of August, 
these complaints became alarming epidemics, accompanied in many 
places with great mortality, and without abatement, until the acces- 
sion of frost. Ina single village, containing fifty or sixty families, 
there were twenty deaths, all of adult persons, with but one or two 
exceptions. In many places the noxious influence appeared to reach 
even the brute creation, for ina tract comprehending six small towns 
in the little county of Kings, on the south west end of Long Island, 
a distemper prevailed among horses, of which more than two hun- 
dred died in the course of a few weeks.* It is a curious and inter- 
esting fact, that the poisonous influence which occasions marsh fever, 
sometimes affects domestic as well as various agricultural animals, in 
a manner analogous to its attacks upon the human species. Dr. 
Culloch notices the case of a dog, which experienced a a 
and well marked tertian, and adds, that ‘ severe seasons — re 
among the people in France and Italy, are similarly seasons of epi 
demic among black cattle and sheep.” 
The term malaria is so associated with Italy, as to indioame to our 
imaginations something peculiar to that country 5 but on examining th 
subject, it appears to operate with equal certainty, —_ with dit 
ferent degrees of malignancy, in Greece, Spain, Portugal and 
ah 4 mad, at others LEE 
ina few. hours. Estimat ted at upwards of ten thousand dollars loss in that county, 
The opinion that cased as affected by pestilential vapors, is as ancient as Ho- 
mer. The same is rem by Livy. Throughout the Roman history, eattle have 
been said to share in pce pestilence. : 
Thave just received accounts from New Orleans, (Oct. 7th, 1829) which state, 
that ‘in addition to the prevailing fever, there is a general mortality among horses 
and cattle at this time. They mostly die within two or three days after the distem- 
Vor. XVIL—No. 2. 12 
