the South.

An epidemic means a disease that affects a large number of people at the
same time and is widely spread.

The disease was first noticed in a little summer watering-place not far
from New Orleans. It was not recognized as yellow fever, the doctors
thinking it a harmless little summer fever, of which the symptoms are
very similar.

Little by little the disease gained headway, until by the time its true
character was understood it had taken a hold on the people and had
become difficult to stamp out.

The strictest quarantine regulations were enforced as soon as the
sickness was proved to be true yellow fever, even the passengers on the
trains being inspected and closely watched before they were allowed to
pass from infected districts to those which were free from the dreaded
disease. With all the care it continued to increase, and has not yet
been controlled.

On such occasions the scientists are always very busy. While some of the
doctors are trying to cure the disease, others are busy preventing the
sick persons from carrying the contagion to other places, and others
again are occupied in trying to find the cause of the epidemic, and how
to prevent it in future.

One of the scientists who have been working to prevent the disease has
discovered the microbe which causes yellow fever, and claims that an
epidemic can in future be prevented by inoculating people with it in the