On Malaria. 305 



in that year in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, many parts of New 

 England, Long Island, and the western counties of New York. On 

 the low plashy grounds near the Mohawk, on Schoharie Creek, and 

 in some tracts on the Erie canal, the complaint, though of frequent 

 occurrence, did not generally run into the high bilious remittents, 

 but it was very severe in some of the western counties. Perhaps a 

 brief statement of the disease on Long Island may serve as a tolera- 

 ble transcript of the epidemic so extensively prevalent in that season. 



Early in the spring, sporadic cases of fever and ague appeared, 

 increasing in frequency through the summer, becoming intermittents 

 and remittents as the season advanced. In the latter part of August, 

 these complaints became alarming epidemics, accompanied in many 

 places with great mortality, and without abatement, until the acces- 

 sion of frost. In a single village, containing fifty or sixty families, 

 there were twenty deaths, all of adult persons, with but one or two 

 exceptions. In many places the noxious influence appeared to reach 

 even the brute creation, for in a tract comprehending six sniiall towns 

 in the little county of Kings, on the south west end of Long Island, 

 a distemper prevailed among horses, of which more than two hun- 

 dred died in the course of a few weeks.* It is a curious and inter- 

 esting fact, that the poisonous influence which occasions marsh fever, 

 sometimes affects domestic as well as various agricultural animals, in 

 a manner analogous to its attacks upon the human species. f Dr. 

 McCuUoch notices the case of a dog, which experienced a regular 

 and well marked tertian, and adds, that " severe seasons of fever 

 among the people in France and Italy, are similarly seasons of epi- 

 demic among black cattle and sheep." 



The term malaria is so associated with Italy, as to indicate to our 

 imaginations something peculiar to that country ; but on examining the 

 subject, it appears to operate with equal certainty, though with dif- 

 ferent degrees of malignancy, in Greece, Spain, Portugal and 



*Tliey sometimes appeared mad, at others in a stupor, but death always occurred 

 in a few hours. Estimated at upwards of ten thousand dollars loss in that county. 



t The opinion that cattle are affected by pestilential vapors, is as ancient as E o- 

 mer. The same is remarked by Livy. Throughout the Roman history, cattle have 

 been said to share in epidemic pestilence. 



I have just received accounts from New Orleans, (Oct. 7th, 1829) which state, 

 that " in addition to the prevailing fever, there is a general mortality among horses 

 and cattle at this time. They mostly die within two or three days after the distem- 

 per attacks them." 



Vol. XVII.— No. 2. 12 



