HEALTH. 59 



Let us glance for a moment at the ratio of deaths from 

 remittent fever in the various divisions of the United 

 States, and note how they stand the test of official sta- 

 tistics. 



In the Middle States there is one death to thirty-six 

 cases, in the Northern States one to fifty-two, and in the 

 Southern one death to fifty-four cases, the Western States 

 not being given. 



So much for these three great divisions. The South has 

 the best of it, you see, although such is not the general 

 impression. 



And now here are three representative States : In Texas 

 the death-rate in remittent fever is one to seventy-eight 

 cases, in California one to one hundred and twenty-two, 

 and in Florida only one to two hundred and eighty-seven. 



Then taking all diseases together : In New York State 

 the ratio is one death out of every two hundred and fifty 

 of the population, while in Florida it is only one in four- 

 teen hundred. What a contrast ! Yet no one calls New 

 York an unhealthy State, neither ' ' low, and generally 

 damp and malarial." Why not? If Florida is, then 

 New York must be nearly six hundred per cent worse, 

 according to the official statistics, and certainly ought to 

 be forever quarantined and suppressed. 



It is the usual impression among those not ' ' to the manor 

 born " that one or two years of that half-sickness, which is 

 harder to bear than a severe illness, is the least that one 

 must expect in becoming acclimated to the Southern States. 

 Undoubtedly it is true in some localities, but we do not 

 believe it is generally so. It is human justice, because one 

 member sins to call the whole family sinners. 



At all events we know of our own experience that it is 

 not so of Florida. Here it is perfectly safe to come at all 

 times of the year. One portion of the writer's family ar- 



