History and description of an epidemic fever, commonly called spotted fever, which prevailed at Gardiner, Maine, in the spring of 1814 / by E. Hale, jr.

Date:
1818
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: History and description of an epidemic fever, commonly called spotted fever, which prevailed at Gardiner, Maine, in the spring of 1814 / by E. Hale, jr. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    the very immensity of space. Even the smoke, which rises from the villages does not intermix with the surrounding air, but, as if fearful of con- taminating its purity, it stands congealed by the cold, in a column surmounting the chimneys from which it issues. There is scarcely a motion in the air to disturb the universal stillness. The whole scene leaves an impression of purity and grandeur, unequalled by any thing else, that I have ever witnessed. The atmosphere retains much of its purity and serenity through the sum- mer months, though with less constancy and bril- liancy. There was a remarkable exception to its usual transparency, in the summer of 1816, during a drought, which was said to be the most severe, ever known in the District of Maine. For several days the whole atmosphere was so obscur- ed by smoke and fog, that the sun was hardly visible, or, if at any time it appeared in sight for a few minutes, its deep red appearance only serv- ed to render the darkness more gloomy. This darkness was generally attributed to the smoke from the forests, which had taken fire, by various accidents, in consequence of the drought; but with how much correctness, I do not pretend to determine. The preceding observations apply to a great part of the District of Maine, as well as to the town of Gardiner. This town is situated on the