Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-05-10
From the Southern Agriculturist.
MALARlA,- Its EFFECTS IN PRODUCING COT
TRY AND OTHER FEyERs.


MALARlA,--ITs EFFECTS IN PRODUCING CoUN,
TRY AND OTHER FEyERs.
Mr. Editor,-BeIevng tha,lhe following
remarks on the laws which govern the pro-.
duction and propagation Of malaria may in a
measure be useful and interesting 10 many OF
your readers, from the fact Oft the prevalence
and fatality of wha, is termed Country Few
er amongst our inhabitants, and especially
the agricultural portion, have been induced
10 submit them to you for your journal, if
YOU think them worthy OF place in lis
pages. have condensed the subject very
much, from the circumstances ofthe limi, OF
journal like this, and have only detailed
some very striking facts which cannot fail
TO be Interesting.
The first law we shall notice in regard
tot propagation of maal ia, is. that it o5eys
The motion Of the atmosphere, being con-
veyed by winds to some distance from the
locality where it is generated, with equal if
not greater fatality, 1t has often been at
tempted to ascertain the precise or probable
distance that malaria can be conveyed by
winds, to produce fever, but all such at
tempts have failed 20 establish any exact or
certain distance. Notwithstanding this,
cases are related where it has been tran.
smitted 10 the distance Of even three miles.
The convent sof Camsldoli, in Italy, is an
Illustration OF this fact. |; is situated on Il
very high hill, three miles from the Lake
A.nano, which IS The nearest source ofmal.
aria, producing remit:eni and intcrmittentfe.
vers amongst the inmates. We are inform.
ed by a writer on the climate o. IIaly, that
out of seven,y.six unhealthy towns and vii
lagos, thirty five are situated on hills some
distance from locality, likely TO produce
malaria. The marshes about Ereih in
Kent. sa>s MCoIlock, are less Injurious t.
the inhabitants Of the lower grounds near
them. than might be expected, while their
effect on the houses which are situated high
on the hills above, is such, as at ditfaren;
times to nave been severely felt by the III.
habtan,s. This circumstance he attributes
to a current of air so directed, as to escape
the low grounds, while it ascendS aud
affects the emin noes.
The distance at which maarIn may pro.
duce its effect, coDS,i u,es ii subject worthy
ofinqulry for ind v,duals living in he coun
try ofcn think the location OF their residences
safe, because they have no Standing water
near them, when there is swamp Or low
piece Of ground some distance off. When
fever prevails, they seldom or never think
or believe, that the exciting cause may be
only mile or two miles off but they i'm.
asine the sickness to be Ola peculiar nature,
no, in any way attributable TO he immediate
locality. These hints may prove useful TO
many Of my readers N the choice of their
summer residences, which oug 1t BE- few
mi es from any locality to generate mala
ria.
Writer'S on the diseases of warm china es,
huy" STA Cd many facts IN relation to this
par, OF our subj Ct, which are highly inter
estlng and important. Some of these au.
thorS do not thIuk, that this poison can pro-
duce disease at the distance OF more than
quarter of a mile. DR.. Liud, in his ob<er.
vatlons on The preservation of The h alih of
seamen, says, That when Commodore
Longs squadron, in the monhs OF July and
August, in l744, lay off the mouth Of the
Tber. t was observed that Ole or two Of
The ships which lay closet to the shore, be-
gan to be affected by the perncous vapor
from the land whilst some lying further out
ut sea, at but very small distance from the
former, had not man sick. At lhe same
time, the Austrian army, under the com.
mand of Prince Lobcownz, suffered so great
sickness through the proximity Of their sli-
ualion to the marshy country, that they were
obliged TO dccamp." There is no doubt
that the distance TO which malaria may be
conveyed, depends much upon the wind,
which when strong, may watt this poison
many miles. DR.. Bancroft, in his work on
Yellow Fever, expresses himself strongly
on this subject. The distance, says he,
10 which the exllalaton Of marshy grounds
may be conveyed from their source, and re.
tain the poison of causing the yellow Or 9TH
er marsh fever will partly depend on The
force of the wind, and par y on the extent
ofthe surface from which they arlse-and
on their being more or less copously exlrs-
ca'ed from that surface. Ifthe wind be very
moderate, and blow steadily from The same
point, and if the miasmata be abnndanlly
emitted from q very great extent OF surface,
Ii seems probable tia, SO large a mass OF
.hen! Is would ;h.;s he formed. nigh: ho con