November 1748. 



are great parts of the country where this feve? 

 rages, and others where fcarce a lingle perfon has 

 been taken ill. It likewife is worth notice, that 

 there are places where the people cannot remem- 

 ber that it formerly prevailed in their country, 

 though at prefent it begins to grow more com- 

 mon : yet there was no other vifible difference 

 between the feveral places. All the old Swedes, 

 Englfomen, Germans, &c. unanimoufly afferted, 

 that the fever had never been fo violent, and of 

 fuch continuance, when they were boys, as it is 

 at prefent. They were likewife generally of 

 opinion, that about the year 1680, there were 

 not fo many people affli&ed with it, as about this 

 time. However, others equally old were of 

 opinion, that" the fever was proportionably as 

 common formerly as it is at prefent ; but that it 

 could not at that time be fo fenfibly perceived, 

 on account of the fcarcity of inhabitants, and the 

 great diftance of their fettlements from each 

 other ; it is therefore probable that the effeds of 

 the fever have at all times been equal. 



IT would be difficult to determine the true 

 caufes of this difeafe 5 they feem to be numerous, 

 and not always alike : fometimes, and, I believe, 

 commonly, feveral of them unite. I have taken 

 all poflible care to found the opinions of the phy- 

 licians here on that head, and I here offer them 

 to the reader. 



SOME of them think that the peculiar quali- 

 ties of the air of this country caufe this fever ; 

 but moft of them affert, that it is generated by 

 the {landing and putrid water, which it feems 

 is confirmed by experience. For it has been 



obferved, 



