part13-第6部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



&　my　friends　generally　will　approve　of　my　views：　and　should　I　at　the

end　of　a　2d　term　carry　into　retirement　all　the　favor　which　the　1st

has　acquired；　I　shall　feel　the　consolation　of　having　done　all　the

goodin　my　power；　and　expect　with　more　than　composure　thetermination

of　a　life　no　longer　valuable　to　others　or　of　im…portance　to　myself。

Accept　my　affectionate　salutations　&　assurances　of　great　esteem　&

respect。







　　　　　　　　CLIMATE；　FEVERS；　AND　THE　POLYGRAPH




　　　　　　　　_To　C。　F。　de　C。　Volney_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　February　8；　1805_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　Your　letter　of　November　the　26th　came　to　hand　May

the　14th；　the　books　some　time　after；　which　were　all　distributed

according　to　direction。　　The　copy　for　the　East　Indies　went

immediately　by　a　safe　conveyance。　　The　letter　of　April　the　28th；　and

the　copy　of　your　work　accompanying　that；　did　not　come　to　hand　till

August。　　That　copy　was　deposited　in　the　Congressional　library。　　It

was　not　till　my　return　here　from　my　autumnal　visit　to　Monticello；

that　I　had　an　opportunity　of　reading　your　work。　　I　have　read　it；　and

with　great　satisfaction。　　Of　the　first　part　I　am　less　a　judge　than

most　people；　having　never　travelled　westward　of　Staunton；　so　as　to

know　any　thing　of　the　face　of　the　country；　nor　much　indulged　myself

in　geological　inquiries；　from　a　belief　that　the　skin…deep　scratches

which　we　can　make　or　find　on　the　surface　of　the　earth；　do　not　repay

our　time　with　as　certain　and　useful　deductions；　as　our　pursuits　in

some　other　branches。　　The　subject　of　our　winds　is　more　familiar　to

me。　　On　that；　the　views　you　have　taken　are　always　great；　supported　in

their　outlines　by　your　facts；　and　though　more　extensive　observations；

and　longer　continued；　may　produce　some　anomalies；　yet　they　will

probably　take　their　place　in　this　first　great　canvass　which　you　have

sketched。　　In　no　case；　perhaps；　does　habit　attach　our　choice　or

judgment　more　than　in　climate。　　The　Canadian　glows　with　delight　in

his　sleigh　and　snow；　the　very　idea　of　which　gives　me　the　shivers。

The　comparison　of　climate　between　Europe　and　North　America；　taking

together　its　corresponding　parts；　hangs　chiefly　on　three　great

points。　　1。　The　changes　between　heat　and　cold　in　America；　are　greater

and　more　frequent；　and　the　extremes　comprehend　a　greater　scale　on　the

thermometer　in　America　than　in　Europe。　　Habit；　however；　prevents

these　from　affecting　us　more　than　the　smaller　changes　of　Europe

affect　the　European。　　But　he　is　greatly　affected　by　ours。　　2。　Our　sky

is　always　clear；　that　of　Europe　always　cloudy。　　Hence　a　greater

accumulation　of　heat　here　than　there；　in　the　same　parallel。　　3。　The

changes　between　wet　and　dry　are　much　more　frequent　and　sudden　in

Europe　than　in　America。　　Though　we　have　double　the　rain；　it　falls　in

half　the　time。　　Taking　all　these　together；　I　prefer　much　the　climate

of　the　United　States　to　that　of　Europe。　　I　think　it　a　more　cheerful

one。　　It　is　our　cloudless　sky　which　has　eradicated　from　our

constitutions　all　disposition　to　hang　ourselves；　which　we　might

otherwise　have　inherited　from　our　English　ancestors。　　During　a

residence　of　between　six　and　seven　years　in　Paris；　I　never；　but　once；

saw　the　sun　shine　through　a　whole　day；　without　being　obscured　by　a

cloud　in　any　part　of　it：　and　I　never　saw　the　moment；　in　which；

viewing　the　sky　through　its　whole　hemisphere；　I　could　say　there　was

not　the　smallest　speck　of　a　cloud　in　it。　　I　arrived　at　Monticello；　on

my　return　from　France；　in　January；　and　during　only　two　months'　stay

there；　I　observed　to　my　daughters；　who　had　been　with　me　to　France；

that　twenty　odd　times　within　that　term；　there　was　not　a　speck　of　a

cloud　in　the　whole　hemisphere。　　Still　I　do　not　wonder　that　an

European　should　prefer　his　grey　to　our　azure　sky。　　Habit　decides　our

taste　in　this；　as　in　most　other　cases。




　　　　　　　　The　account　you　give　of　the　yellow　fever；　is　entirely　agreeable

to　what　we　then　knew　of　it。　　Further　experience　has　developed　more

and　more　its　peculiar　character。　　Facts　appear　to　have　established

that　it　is　originated　here　by　a　local　atmosphere；　which　is　never

generated　but　in　the　lower；　closer；　and　dirtier　parts　of　our　large

cities；　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　water；　and　that；　to　catch　the

disease；　you　must　enter　the　local　atmosphere。　　Persons　having　taken

the　disease　in　the　infected　quarter；　and　going　into　the　country；　are

nursed　and　buried　by　their　friends；　without　an　example　of

communicating　it。　　A　vessel　going　from　the　infected　quarter；　and

carrying　its　atmosphere　in　its　hold　into　another　State；　has　given　the

disease　to　every　person　who　there　entered　her。　　These　have　died　in

the　arms　of　their　families　without　a　single　communication　of　the

disease。　　It　is　certainly；　therefore；　an　epidemic；　not　a　contagious

disease；　and　calls　on　the　chemists　for　some　mode　of　purifying　the

vessel　by　a　decomposition　of　its　atmosphere；　if　ventilation　be　found

insufficient。　　In　the　long　scale　of　bilious　fevers；　graduated　by　many

shades；　this　is　probably　the　last　and　most　mortal　term。　　It　seizes

the　native　of　the　place　equally　with　strangers。　　It　has　not　been　long

known　in　any　part　of　the　United　States。　　The　shade　next　above　it；

called　the　stranger's　fever；　has　been　coeval　with　the　settlement　of

the　larger　cities　in　the　southern　parts；　to　wit；　Norfolk；　Charleston；

New　Orleans。　　Strangers　going　to　these　places　in　the　months　of　July；

August　or　September；　find　this　fever　as　mortal　as　the　genuine　yellow

fever。　　But　it　rarely　attacks　those　who　have　resided　in　them　some

time。　　Since　we　have　known　that　kind　of　yellow　fever　which　is　no

respecter　of　persons；　its　name　has　been　extended　to　the　stranger's

fever；　and　every　species　of　bilious　fever　which　produces　a　black

vomit；　that　is　to　say；　a　discharge　of　very　dark　bile。　　Hence　we　hear

of　yellow　fever　on　the　Alleganey　mountains；　in　Kentucky；　&c。　　This　is

a　matter　of　definition　only：　but　it　leads　into　error　those　who　do　not

know　how　loosely　and　how　interestedly　some　physicians　think　and

speak。　　So　far　as　we　have　yet　seen；　I　think　we　are　correct　insaying；

that　the　yellow　fever　which　seizes　on　all　indiscriminately；　is　an

ultimate　degree　of　bilious　fever　never　known　in　the　United　States

till　lately；　nor　farther　south；　as　yet；　than　Alexandria；　and　that

what　they　have　recently　called　the　yellow　fever　in　New　Orleans；

Charleston　and　Norfolk；　is　what　has　always　been　known　in　those　places

as　confined　chiefly　to　strangers；　and　nearly　as　mortal　_to　them_；　as

the　other　is　to　_all_　its　subjects。　　But　both　grades　are　local：　the

stranger's　fever　less　so；　as　it　sometimes　extends　a　little　into　the

neighborhood；　but　the　yellow　fever　rigorously　so；　confined　within

narrow　and　well　defined　limits；　and　not　communicable　out　of　those

limits。　　Such　a　constitution　of　atmosphere　being　requisite　to

originate　this　disease　as　is　generated　only　in　low；　close；　and

ill…cleansed　parts　of　a　town；　I　have　supposed　it　practicable　to

prevent　its　generation　by　building　our　cities　on　a　more　open　plan。

Take；　for　instance；　the　chequer　board　for　a　plan。　　Let　the　black

squares　only　be　building　squares；　and　the　white　ones　be　left　open；　in

turf　and　trees。　　Every　square　of　houses　will　be　surrounded　by　four

open　squares；　and　every　house　will　front　an　open　square。　　The

atmosphere　of　such　a　town　would　be　like　that　of　the　country；

insusceptible　of　the　miasmata　which　produce　yellow　fever。　　I　have

accordingly　proposed　that　the　enlargements　of　the　city　of　New

Orleans；　which　must　immediately　take　place；　shall　be　on　this　plan。

But　it　is　only　in　case　of　enlargements　to　be　made；　or　of　cities　to　be

built；　that　this　means　of　prevention　can　be　employed。




　　　　　　　　The　_genus　irritabile　vatum_　could　not　let　the　author　of　the

Ruins　publish　a　new　work；　without　seeking　in　it　the　means　of

discrediting　that　puzzling　composition。　　Some　one　of　those　holy

calumniators　has　selected　from　your　new　work　every　scrap　of　a

sentence；　which；　detached　from　its　context；　could　displease　an

American　reader。　　A　cento　has　been　made　of　these；　which　has　run

through　a　particular　description　of　newspapers；　and　excited　a

disapprobation　even　in　friendly　minds；　which　nothing　but　the　reading

of　the　book　will　cure。　　But　time　and　truth　will　at　length　correct

error。




　　　　　　　　Our　countrymen　are　so　much　occupied　in　the　busy　scenes　of　life；

that　they　have　little　time　to　write　or　invent。　　A　good　invention

here；　therefore；　is　such　a　rarity　as　it　is　lawful　to　offer　to　the

acceptance　of　a　friend。　　A　Mr。　Hawkins　of　Frankford；　near

Philadelphia；　has　invented　a　machine　which　he　calls　a　polygraph；　and

which　carries　two；　three；　or　four　pens。　　That　of　two　pens；　with　which

I　am　now　writing；　is　best；　and　is　so　perfect　that　I　have　laid　aside

the　copying…press；　for　a　twelve　month　past；　and　write　always　with　the

polygraph。　　I　have　directed　one　to　be　made；　of　which　I　ask　your

acceptance。　　By　what　conveyance　I　shall　send　it　while　Havre　is

blockaded；　I　do　not　yet　know。　　I　think　you　will　be　pleased　with　it；

and　will　use　it　habitually　as　I　do；　because　it　requires　only　that

degree　of　mechanical　attention　which　I　know　you　to　possess。　　I　am

glad　to　hear　that　M。　Cabanis　is　engaged　in　writing　on　the　reformation

of　medicine。　　It　needs　the　hand　of　a　reformer；　and　cannot　be　in

better　hands　than　his。　　Will　you　permit　my　rekspects　to　him　and　the

Abbe　de　la　Roche　to　find　a　place　here。




　　　　　　　　A　word　now　on　our　political　state。　　The　two　parties　which

prevailed　with　so　much　violence　when　you　were　here；　are　almost　wholly

melted　into　one。　　At　the　late　Presidential　election　I　have　received

one　hundred　and　sixty…two　votes　against　fourteen　only。　　Connecticut

is　still　federal　by　a　small　majority；　and　Delaware　on　a　poise；　as　she

has　been　since　1775；　and　will　be　till　Anglomany　with　her　yields　to

Americanism。　　Connecticut　will　be　with　us　in　a　short　time。　　Though

the　people　in　mass　have　joined　us；　their　leaders　had　committed

themselves　too　far　to　retract。　　Pride　keeps　th