Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-08-22


pectable author of the subjoined communication,
who lives in neishboring county in Maryland,
to give place to the following:
TO the X" City Councils Of The District Of Co.
Lln,bia. 1.-The writer of the following remarks
has read with some degree OF surprize resoiu-
tion of the :. Board of HEALTH in Washington
Civ. recommending the prohibition, tor sixty
DAVIS. of the sale of Water.melons, &c. 1t can
scarcely be believed, that such recommends.
ton will be sanctioned by you. unless satisneu
that IS Water. melons are not only unheaithy'
but that they will produce the cholera. 1t Is an
attempt upon the part of the Board. under the
name of science, to regulate not only Porti"h
of the agricultural products Of the country, out
to direct what articles shall constitute trade
with your city Such power they do not pos
sess: nor do you The product OF Water'me,
Ions is considerable 1t is no small interest, ana
such procedure on your part, would, seriously
and ruinously involve many agrlculturlsts IN your
vicinity 1t would be but right tor you to assume
the power to exclude this article OF trade, u II
were certain even If good reasons existed TO IN
duce belief, created by facts, that the water
melons produced cholera. None such do, or can,
or ever will exist. exceptin the specializing, un'
certain, and contradictory theories OF Physicians
or what is not proper to be eaten during the pre-
valence of the cholera, they must first know the
disease and its cause. This they are perfectly 80
norant of; and every opinion expressed by them'
is speculation and conjecture. Who can tell the
cause? 1t is not known whether the disease Is
in the atmosphere, or rises from the bowels OF
the earth. or is waited by the winds or floats on
the waters. The science OF the world Is divtd-
ed as to its contagion and non.contaglon. IL Is
not vet asceraned whether it be fever and inter-
, nal heat or a general prostration OF the entire
system produced by an opposite cause to that OF
a fever. Each of these theories has its advo.
Gates amongst the scientific; the one contendns
that stimulants of any kind will prove fatal; the
other that stimulants alone can relieve. Again:
the learned are divided as to its treatment in
other respects; some contending that emetics are
proper, and others that they will prove fatal in
almost every case; and that purgatives alone can
remove the disease; and many too are of the
opinion that neither ought to be taken, the only
remedy being sudorifics. There is but one thing
in which the medical faculty agree, and that is,
! in recommending an immediate application to
their professional services. and total abstinence
| from all medicines without their advise.
| In such state of uncertainty as to the cause
and treatment of the disease, how can any course
as to diet be safely pursued? The very food re-
commended, may be the most injurious, and that
which is prohibited may be the safest. All is
in darkness and uncertainty. Common sense is
the best rule to 60 by in this case; and as to diet,
every man knows what will agree with him much
better than the physicians. What will agree
with one, will disagree with another, aud the
wisest maxim to follow is, ito abstain from
every thing that disagrees with you"
Until now. the doctrines and opinions of the
learned profession have all been in favor. of good
ripe ruits of every description; the experience of
every one has proven they were correct 1t has al.
ways been thought that ripe fruit would do no one
any harm; and IN cases Of dysentery, ripe fruits
have been always recommended. In the trOpi-
cal climates. and in the Southern States, where
" ooseness of the bowels is very common. the
fruits. Fruit is the diet of man in his natural
state. The Almighty created ii for that purpose,
and adapted its quality and nature to the climate
it grows in and, amongst the great varieties Of
fruit, none is more wholesome than the water
melon. II ripens IN season of he At and relaxa-
ton of the human body. and its delicious fruit is
calculated to refresh and invigorate the system
by its qualities Who ever knew fine ripe wa
ter melon to produce indigestion, or sickness Of
any kind? The writer Of this has not far from a
hundred persons upon his plantation, and during
the water melon season there is not one case OF
fever or Of disease amongst them His own IA
my, as well as his servants, eat profusely Of the
water melon; and during their continuance,
health, perfect health, exists. But when the
melon season has passed, the agues and fevers,
and bilious fevers. prevalent in this part Of the
| country, visit his plantation.
The water melon, by its qualities, cannot be
unhealthy. 1t contains fewer fbres than any
thing else in the world and its saccharine prin-
cipe counteracts and prevents Indigestion. Its
effects, if eaten in quantity, is to operate mildly
upon the kidneys, to difuse over the whole body
gertle preparation, and by its cooling and other
qualities. to keep the bowels free from costive.
ness No other fruit has so healthy an effect up
on the system. That unripe water melons. as
well as all kinds of unripe fruit, are not healthy
is true, and by wise regulation ought to be ex-
Guided at all times from your markets; bat TO
to exclude ripe melons that account, is as i'm
polite and as unjust, as if you were to prohibit
the sale Of good wheat flour because rotten flour
ia upwhoesnmo