Page:A Physical and Topographical Sketch of the Mississippi Territory, Lower Louisiana, and a Part of West Florida.djvu/37

 which occasionally appear at this time. Thus it is a rare occurrence for a cynanche to become dangerous; or for a pneumonia to terminate in either vomica pulmonum, phthisis, or death. Original typhus I believe, has seldom or never appeared among us; and the few cases of typhus which I have seen have always succeeded neglected or ill treated yellow remittent fever, pneumonia. Podagra and rheumatisms are almost unknown among us. Even the soldiers of the first, second, third, and fourth regiments, who had served under generals St. Clair, Harmer, and the immortal Wayne, in their several campaigns carried on against the savages in the inhospitable climate of the lakes and North-western Territory, have since their arrival in this country become quite free from any rheumatick affection. Notwithstanding that, many of them when they first landed at the Natchez were so ill with it, they were unable to perform the ordinary duties of camp.

To the diseases that have been mentioned as being peculiar to this country, we may add a few others which observe no particular seasons of approach, viz. diabetes, tetanus, frambœsia, lepra, and trismus nascentium. This last complaint is very common in the low country from Baton Rouge to the sea, insomuch that it is a very difficult thing for the planters to raise young negroes: and notwithstanding that they take the precaution of always giving them some mild cathartick shortly after birth, at least five eighths of all that are born die of this complaint within the first