Greetings to my incabinate friends. The pandemic continues to grow, though there is tantalizing evidence that our social separations may be working together to slow the rate of infection. Good job. Don't get cocky, the war is only begun.
The history of epidemics is replete with examples where doctors stumbled around in the dark as to which of the many fevers that plagued mankind was in play. New Orleans was a febrile magnet, having plague, typhus, yellow fever, measles, and malaria (often concurrently).
Below is an 1878 clipping from the August 25, 1878 Times-Picayune (a New Orleans newspaper) which presents a doctor's speculations as to the nature of the fever that was taking away children. The focus is upon yellow fever and/or malaria being the culprits. The article suggests that it may be possible that some of the victims may have both diseases. reply to the suggestion that Quinine might be effective in treating Yellow Fever. Yellow fever is a viral disease spread by the bite of infected mosquitos (a fact which was unknown until 1881). Malaria is a parasitic disease spread by infected mosquitos. The article in question shows what the doctors were up against in the 1870s. it was difficult to discern the differences between the two conditions especially in children. Quinine was effective against Malaria but there is no treatment effective against Yellow Fever. However, the doctor recommended using Quinine against Yellow Fever cases (a situation which may be similar to the current attempts to use Chloroquine on Covid-19. Since the doctors were stymied as to whether the children had Yellow Fever or Malaria (or both) the use of Quinine would show improvement for the mis-identified Malarial fevers. Yellow Fever cannot be cured but an effective vaccine was developed in the mid-twentieth century.
If you don't like the medical stuff. Go down to the bottom and read the article about a man having to explain why he kept his wife's skull.
Be safe everyone. Keep you social separation but be nice to one another.
The history of epidemics is replete with examples where doctors stumbled around in the dark as to which of the many fevers that plagued mankind was in play. New Orleans was a febrile magnet, having plague, typhus, yellow fever, measles, and malaria (often concurrently).
Below is an 1878 clipping from the August 25, 1878 Times-Picayune (a New Orleans newspaper) which presents a doctor's speculations as to the nature of the fever that was taking away children. The focus is upon yellow fever and/or malaria being the culprits. The article suggests that it may be possible that some of the victims may have both diseases. reply to the suggestion that Quinine might be effective in treating Yellow Fever. Yellow fever is a viral disease spread by the bite of infected mosquitos (a fact which was unknown until 1881). Malaria is a parasitic disease spread by infected mosquitos. The article in question shows what the doctors were up against in the 1870s. it was difficult to discern the differences between the two conditions especially in children. Quinine was effective against Malaria but there is no treatment effective against Yellow Fever. However, the doctor recommended using Quinine against Yellow Fever cases (a situation which may be similar to the current attempts to use Chloroquine on Covid-19. Since the doctors were stymied as to whether the children had Yellow Fever or Malaria (or both) the use of Quinine would show improvement for the mis-identified Malarial fevers. Yellow Fever cannot be cured but an effective vaccine was developed in the mid-twentieth century.
If you don't like the medical stuff. Go down to the bottom and read the article about a man having to explain why he kept his wife's skull.
Be safe everyone. Keep you social separation but be nice to one another.
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