1 6 Sketch of the 



IV. Sketch of the Medical Topography of Onondaga, in 

 the State of Neiv-Tork. In a letter from Dr. Gor- 

 don Needham to Dr. David Ho sack, and by 

 him communicated to the Editor, through the hands 

 of Dr. William Currie. 



IN answer to your letter of the 16th of Sep- 

 tember, I make the following observations. 



As to the situation of this country (viz. the western 

 part of the State of New- York), it is, generally, level, 

 and almost all the large Lakes have, on some part of 

 them, extensive marshes. The smaller ponds have 

 their shores surrounded with swamps and woods. 

 This town of Onondaga has been thought to be one 

 of the most unhealthy in all the western country. It 

 contains the celebrated Saline-Springs, which are situ- 

 ated on the shore of the Onondaga-Lake, surrounded 

 bv a marsh, that extends for several miles. The in- 

 habitants are numerous about this lake, and are very 

 subject to a Bilious Remitting or mixed Fever. 



They are liable to this fever at any season of the 

 year, but it prevails most in the spring and the au- 

 tumn. In the latter season, it is most prevalent from 

 the first of August to the first of October. At this 

 time, these marshes are dry in some places, while 

 others are covered with Mater, filled with rotten moss 

 and dead shell-fish. These putrid animal and vege- 

 table substances fill the whole atmosphere with per- 

 nicious effluvia, to which we ascribe the fevers. 



