Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1825-04-26
For TIE SPECTATOR.
70 .1f0RRKs DLRKBECK, ESQ.

your uUremning executions 10 promote
The general spcriiy Of Illinois, are too
@eli known 10 render II necessary Tor me
70 say, that therefore present to you the
following communication ON the erciting
tQu8e OF our endemic diseases.
The subject is one in which every in
d,vidHa OF the State is deeply Interested );
but there exists peculiar prcpriety in
submitting this compilation 10 your in
speclioD. Your settlement, afords prac-
Lea! illustration of the quantum OF health
which uiay exist in our beautiful prairie
coanry but as the exemption OF It's in
iabilaWs from our auumna) sickness rs.
suits from its iadicious. location and i'm
prov the intelligence which! d.
rectcd both, can hes, determine The va
lue Of production which wishes to ex-
cite the public attention towards obtain
ing more genera! immunity from dis
case.
The repu alton ofIllinois has corside-
rably suffered on account of the impro-
yidence OF its settlers; and the climate
has been charged with the faults oil lis in
habitaDis. The same imprudence which
frequently occasions sickness here, might
occasion any where; bu' the country
" blamed because it gives 10 that Sick
ness specific character: and hence the
ignorant and the malicious have carried 10
the older sections of the United States and
70 Europe, extremely exaggerated i'm
presslons OF the unheaithiness Of Illinois.
let reference however be made to those
settlements which are judiciousy locat-
ed aud improved; where the Inhabitants
are furnished with similar comforts, and
use the same care 10 which they were
accustomed in the places of their naivi.
,y--in such places the looks of the peo-
pie will at once testify the health and
happiness they enjoy.
1t is no adequate cause OF objection
to our prairie country, That numerous
sickIy districts may be found, for the
same objection can be raised against eve
~ extensive territory on the globe; and
indeed il is unreasonable to suppose that
every section Of the surface in even the
most healthy climates, shall ENJOY an
entire uniformity Of health. England is
noted for its general exemption from en-
demic disease; yet England has its
marshes and corresponding feycrs. Tho
name OF Italy is generally associated with
the idea OF delightful and healthy eli.
mate; yet the country for many miles
round the celebrated Rome is annually
attic ed with malignant diseases Of local
origin. The southern states Of cur con-
,sderacy are generally divided into sickiy
and healthy districts; and while ma]o-
rity of their inhabitants enjoy the most
vigorous and uninterrupted health, the
remainder are annually visited by de-
s,rnctive or facilitating disease. The
State OF Illinois has as large an extent OF
surface as either England or Italy +; and
!, is extremely unjust that in our state
alone, The sickness Of fart should be
uade the means 10 destroy the repula-
tfin of the 7uhoie.
But admit the worst view Of the sub
iecl--that sickness is more widely dif-
fused during the hot season here, than it
is in the eastern states yet we have coun-
terbaiancing circumstances to cher. Our
ievers are mild 10 their nature, of short
duration, and easy to control. Though
the number Of our cases may be greater,
their malignancy is les; aud if the wes-
tern people are more frequently attacked,
The eastern inhabitants less frequently
recover. Convalescence here is rapid
there, of long duration. The uniformity
OF our diseases is preferable to their great
variety; and II our summers have more
sickness, our winters have more health.
Generally The bills Of mortality will un-
cqaivocally prove that death is not as
common visiler in lIiipois, as in those
countries usually dcnominaied healthy.
It must not however be denied. that
many serious inconyeniences are pecu
liariy felt by the inhabitants of Illinois,
on account of the season in which our
indigenous feyers prevail. When our
population should be busily employed in
the labors of the field, the want Of health
is particularly affecting to the sufferers,
and unfortunate for their attendants
aimee the whole labor OF the spring may
be lost from the want Of few days at
ten,ion in the summer or in autumn. IL
then this state Of things can be amended,
not only feelings of humanity, but consi-
derations of policy require that the
strongest efforts should be made for that
purpose; and it therefore is general
duty 10 become acquainted with every
circumstance which may tend to make
our endeavors more effective. Obser-
,vations on this subject have been made