Mosquitoes and Yellow Fever 



197 



There have been many noted outbreaks in the United States. 

 Boston suffered from it in 1691 and again in 1693; New York in 

 1668 and as late as 1856; Baltimore in 1819. In 1793 occurred the 

 great epidemic in Philadelphia, with a death rate of one in ten of the 

 population. In the past century it was present almost every year in 

 some locality of our Southern States, New Orleans being the greatest 

 sufferer. In the latter city there were 7848 deaths from the disease 

 in 1853, 4854 in 1858, and 4046 in 1878. The last notable outbreak 



130. Anopheles quadrimaculatus, male and female, 



. After Howard. 



was in 1905. Reed and Carroll (1901) estimated that during the 

 period from 1793 to 1900 there had not been less than 500,000 cases 

 in the United States. 



As in the case of the plague, the most stringent methods of con- 

 trol proved ineffective and helplessness, almost hopelessness marked 

 the great epidemics. A vivid picture of conditions is that given by 

 Mathew Gary, 1793 (quoted by Kelly, 1906) in "A Short Account of 

 the Malignant Fever Lately Prevalent in Philadelphia." 



"The consternation of the people of Philadelphia at this period 

 was carried beyond all bounds. Dismay and affright were visible 



