Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-01-16
4. MacLean, Editor and Proprietor.

Jaisiena, or Aoa,iug plant. Part of the lee
ture is published in the Natchez Free Iru
der of the 7lh inst. and is to be conclude
in assubsequent number. The doctor as
tables to that plant virtues of the most salu
Icrv kind, and if he establish them 10 theeS
tent in which he says they exist. the f1oatIn'
plant will become very important mater
ial for promoting and restoring health.
is found on the staenant waters OF Lowe
Louisiana a great quantities, floating on Int
surface, and where it appears. the water o
the bayou OF pool on whlchitf fioats' IS moro
or less clear in proportion to the grea'er. o.
hller quantity ofthe plant. According
ioIDoctor Cartwright, the pores OF thli
plant constitute the alembic through which
The impurities OF the water pass off. The
plant is entirely aquatic, bears'a flower grows
three or four feet above the surface of the
water /; the root is several feet in length, his
horizontally on the water about two inches
below the surface. The roots and leaves.
saws the doctor, form such dense coveringto
the wa.ar as to constitute brid &c sufficient.
" strong,o enable snakes and the smaller
animals 10 pass over the pools in which II
grows. The mass is in some places SO
thick as 10 offr considerable resistance to a
canoe, and they form the stratum Of the
prairie tren.bzante or shaking prairie.
The doctor supposes that the growth Of
this plant is conducive to the health Of the
the region in which it appears and, to sup.
port his theory, he adduces the following
facts;
l. Thatit puriies alls,agnant water in
which it grows.
2. That though he visited the region in
which the rlant is Indigenous, in the hottest
season of the year, he found the stagnant
waters OF the lakes and bayous, inhabited by
this plant, as pure 10 The sight, smell and
taste, as if it had just fallen from the clouds.
He gives as an example the waters OF the
Bayou Black, which have darksh appear
ance, owing TO chemical affinity between
some furrugimous matter in the soil and the
oak trees and leaves which fall into it
yet the water was free from all disagreed.
be taste and smell. 1t contained no green
scum, and was as good and pala'able as
cis,ern water, except near the Gulf OF Mex:
co, whcre it was imprcgnated with salt, and
the inhabitants drink no other kind DIVA.
ter.--'rhe doctor alleges, that south OF the
region wh-re he Jassiena GrandIiara
grows, in the s,me kind Of alluvial soIl'
stagnant water of pools and bayous be-
comes very impure. He infers. therefore,
that this aquatic plant consumes or feeds
upon those substances which, in other sit.
nations, corrupt and yiIia!e stagnaa: waters
in warm climates.
8. The doctor asser.s fact, which, It
we'll founded, establishes has theory bey.
. d all controversy the region in which
this plant abounds, contains more stagnant
wafer and swamps, than any inhabited dis
,rict of The same extent in the United
States and yet the inhabitants enjoy re-
a,arkabIe degree ofhealth and longevity, are
exemp' from malarious & miasmattic dis
eases. Til. growth Of this plant is bound
ed by the 3Olh degree Of north latitude,
and The soil and face of the country on both
sides Of it are similar. being alluvial, and
containing lakes, swamps and stagnant
water, and c. vered with nearly the same
vegetable productions. The country on
the north side is unhealthy, its stagnant
waters impure, lis inhabitants slckly, and
human life Of short duration. On the
sou.h side, on the contrary, there is whole:
some atmosphere, pure water, healthy and
long lived inhabitants. The doctor ad.
duces the country on bayou Lafourche to
sustain his theory respecting tho health''
ness produced by this growth of the floating
plant and he says tina, in the year 1881
great number of,he original settlers were
living, who migrated from Nova Scotia be-
fore the revolution. The negro population,
he says was very numerous and remarka-
bly, healthy and long lived and the number
Of persons among the negroes over hun
dred years old, was greater than in all New
England, Including its whole population
white and black.
The inhabitants attribute their peculiar
healthfulncss TO the salubrious influence Of
sea.breezes. But the same effect is not
produced by sea.breezes on soils of the
same kind beyond the region ofthe JassIe.
ua GrandiAora. Therefore he says, it is a
fair inference that this plant, by consuming
the impurities af the stagnant waters, pre-
vents the generation Of miasmata' and thus
acts as prophylactic against bilious tevers
and other miasmatc diseases.
Doctor Cartwright is man Of science
and learning, Of high character as a ply
sician and of amiable disposition. We are
not sufficient acquainted with the phenom.
ena of natural history to decide upon the
meri S of this theory. If it be correct, and
the facts. which he advances, seem to leave
no doubt on the subject, he has made dis
! coyarv of the, ItnooSt importance to science