220 



CIVIL HISTORY OF VERMONT. 



Part. II 



DISEAS?:S OF VERMONT. 



CANKER-RASH, DYSENTERY AND FEVERS. 



In 1838, Mutual Insurance companies 

 were incorporated in each of tlie five 

 counties of Bennington, Windham, Rut- 

 land, Windsor iV Orange, which accounts 

 for the slight diminution of the business 

 of the state insurance company since that 

 period. 



Section VIII. 

 Diseases of Vermont. 



Although Vermont is blessed with an 

 atmosphere, and with water as pure and 

 wholesome as any other country in the 

 world can boast, still diseases of several 

 kinds have prevailed, more or less, from 

 the very commencement of the settle- 

 ment. A particular account of these, and 

 especially of such as have been epidemic, 

 with the accompanying circumstances of 

 temperature and state of the atmosphere 

 — oriffin and progress, — symptoms and 

 treatment, would constitute an interesting 

 and valuable part of our domestic history. 

 The limits, however, of this work will 

 admit onlv of a brief abstract. 



The diseases, which have been most 

 common in Vermont, are fevers, dysente- 

 ry, consumption and other inflammatory 

 complaints arising from colds, induced by 

 the sudden changes of temperature to 

 which our climate is subject. The two 

 former have frequently been epidemic and 

 at some times very fatal. Cases of con- 

 sumption have occurred in every year 

 from the first settlement of the Slate, but 

 it is believed that their increase has been 

 in a much greater ratio, than tJiat of the 

 population. Intermittent fevers were com- 

 mon in many places in the neighborhood 

 of lake Champlain, when tlie country was 

 new, but siuce the lands have become 

 generally cleared cases of that complaint 

 are of rare occurrence. 



Previous to the American Revolution 

 the population of Vermont was very in- 

 considerable, and little is known respect- 

 ing the diseases up to that event. Be- 

 tween the years 1773 andl777,a malignant 

 sore throat is known to jiave prevailed at 

 several times and to have been fatal to 

 many children. In the summer of J776 

 and, also, of 1777, the dysentery vvas 

 universally prevalent in this Stale and 

 throughout New England ; and produced 

 great suffering and mortality in tlie Amer- 

 ican army, in the neighborhood of lake 

 Champlain. The same disease prevailed 

 extensively in this State between 1763 

 and 1790." In 1781 catarrhal fevers were 



common, but not very mortal. About 

 the year 1784, canine madness prevailed, 

 not only among dogs, but cats, foxes and 

 wolves were affected. On the 17th of 

 March of this year, a Mr. Stewart, of 

 Barnard, was bitten in the face by a mad 

 wolf. In 27 days froui that time symp- 

 toms of hydrophobia appeared, and three 

 days after he died of that horrid disease. 

 His son, bitten in tlie arm by the same 

 animal, had symptoms of the disease in 

 30 days, but recovered. 



The canker rash was epidemic in the 

 western part of the State in the winter of 

 1787-8. In the summer and fall of 1788, 

 the dysentery prevailed, and proved very 

 mortal ; and was followed by the measles. 

 In the fall of 1789, the influenza was 

 universally epidemic; scarcely an indi- 

 vidual escaped, and in some cases it prov- 

 ed mortal. This year was noted for a 

 general scarcity of provisions ; but the 

 statement of I\Ir. Webster was news to 

 the inhabitants, that, " In Vermont peo- 

 ple were reduced to the necessity of feed- 

 ing on tadpoles, and pea straw boiled with 

 potatoes." 



From 1790 to 1795, there were cases of 

 the ordinary diseases of the climate, but 

 no serious epidemic. In the winter, at 

 the beginning of the year 179.5, the pleu- 

 risy was epidemic, and in some places 

 considerably mortal. In the fall of this 

 year, the ulcerous sore throat, or canker 

 rash began to prevail, and during the fol- 

 lov/ing winter it was very mortal. It 

 was computed that there were from 20 

 to 30 deaths to each 1000 inhabitants, 

 throughout the State. In the spring of 

 1796, the measles were common, and in 

 the Slimmer and autumn, fevers and dys- 

 entery produced considerable mortality. 

 The latter disease was very fatal to young 

 children, particularly in the neighborhood 

 of Rutland. 



In 1797, fevers, which had been called 

 inflammatory, bilious, or remittent, as- 

 sumed a more formidable character, and 

 were then called typhus or putrid fever. 

 The canker rash, or scarlet fever continu- 

 ed this year, and canine madness was 

 common. The prevailing diseases in 1798, 

 were typhus fever and dysentery. They 

 were both severe in some neighborhoods, 

 while others were comparatively exempt. 

 The dysentery was particularly mortal in 

 Pomfret, Norwich and Sandgate. From 

 1799 to 1806, the dysentery prevailed 

 more or less, during the sumjner and 

 autumn of each year. In 1802, it pro- 

 duced considerable mortality in many 

 places. The year 1800, was distinguish- 

 ed for the prevalence of the typlius fever 

 in the neighborhood of Woodstock, and 



