Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-02-26

"a sun quickly dries the marshes and small
ponds, leaving the bottom covered with
Shiny matter; and thus the circum-
stances necessary for the production of
miasma are all eyclFea.
This vast reservoir of filth, which con-
tains not only every thing which is natu-
raj to it, but every thing which has been
deposited in it by numerous tributary
drains and streams, now opens upon the
world, like Pandora's box, its store OF
plaques. All the filthy washings of the
high grounds which hive been washed
into it, all the gummy and extractive
matter which was held ihsolution blythe
water, and all other kibds of mater,
vegetable and animal, which have been
deposited through the writer and spring,
and which the folly of mel has contrived
to retain instead Of allowing them to pass
off by the channel which nature has pro-
yided for them, are now j high state
Of putrefaction. All the kinds of gas
enumerated above are nov produced
| The poisonous rniasma isFapidly evolved
and carried away by es ~ breeze. Be
ling. for some time inhaled into the hui
man system, fevers are Produced, vary
ing in type and malignily according to
the circumstance of the quantity Of the
miasma in a gioen space; perhaps lis
combination with some Of the above
mentioned case, the sensibility OF the
| system, &c.
That distractions in our streams pro-
4 duce fevers, our shorteN perienCe has al
ready taught US. They have been OBJ
served materially 10 affect the health Of
the adjacent inhabitants, they being much
more subject to intern ittent and remit
tent teVers than when the water Of the
streams was allowed 10 discharge itself
| by the natural channel. / have been
told by the French inhabitants who live
near the Cahokia creek, where it is OBJ
/ structed in this way, that they formerly
enjoyed good health, but that ievers have
been much more frequent among them
sincesthe mill dams have been erected.
And near the upper mill, on the bottom,
ION the same creek, hardly a person has
ever been known 10 spend the summer
and autumn without an attack OF fever.
! OF the Intermittent or remittent kind
And the same thing may be said Of most
OF the water mills with which am &C.
quainted in the state. The town of
Bellevi.le has been materially affected by
the mill dams erected in the adjacent
stream. It is remarkable that they have
observed the sickness in the town to in
crease ID proportion to the increase Of
these distractions. The subject has
tsmstl5 esciged considerable alarm among
| the enlightened citizens OF Belleville,
and they have wisely commenced re-
moving the mill da'4s. One OF them has
been presented 10 The conN by the grand
Jury of the county, and ordered TO be re-
/ moved.
| Experience in all parts Of the world
has proved that grounds which have been
lrecently covered with water, being ex-
posed 10 the heat Of the sun, more par
tlcular if they contain much animal or
vegetable matter, are fruitful cause OF
fever. But we need no proof from TO-
reign countries to convince us Of this
truth. Our own experience though
short, is sufficient TO prove it without
iany exotic aid And if we have already
seen SO much evil arising from the few
mill dams now erected, what spectacle
will our state exhibit when our streams
shall become filled with them, and the
i country become thick'y inhabited, if its
unheaithiness does not hinder this event
irrorn cyerta,-inp ,lace
\ Happily for the people of illinois, this
subject is beginning to ensross public at
tenlion, and is getting to be better under
stood. Our short experience has alrea-
dy taught US the evil OF obstructing wa
ter courses already too languid. We
are beginning to learn that instead OF
filing them with distractions, and there
by forming reservoirs Of filth, we should,
by clearing out their channels, facilitate,
as much as possible, the discharge Of
their contents. Instead OF causing waters
TO set back into ponds and marshes, we
should drain then, Of what they already
contain. The example set by the citi-
gems of Vandalia should be followed BY
every part of the state.
\ There is perhaps no subject which
merits public attention more than that
of public health and it is for the honor
of the Agricultural Society that they
have so early instituted an inquiry on
this branch of it. And it would be well
if we could get the attention of the legls-
lature directed to the same object. We
!, might then perhaps prevent the health
of whole neighborhoods and GOWNS from
being sacrificed to the interests OF few
j. .a.<S, :. ll;,3ptr rnc