Pernicious and Congestive Fever?

In an earlier blog entry today, I wrote about Commodore Bell reporting to Secretary of Navy Welles from New Orleans that there had been a yellow fever breakout and, at the same time, one of pernicious and congestive fever.

I was not sure exactly what pernicious and congestive fevers were so had to look them up.

Both terms refer to malaria.

I often have problems with Civil War diseases as different names were used back then in many cases. While looking for these two fevers, I came across an excellent site which might be of use for others in connection to this. It is The Yesterday of..... Hamilton County, Illinois: Old Diseases Defined.

--Old B-Runner