The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-08-28


from their original nature in the INTERIOR for those
of which the shells have been abraded present the
appearance of an inorganic, indurated mass; the VII
tai principle having been extinct for many ages I
presume.
1t would be curious and interesting experiment,
were il practicable, Tin my opinion, il is not,) to
hatch some of those eggs, which may be four or
five thousand years old, to see what kind of birds
would be produced-whether identical with the spe-
ces that produce the guano at present. whether any
change had taken place in the external appearance
or internal organization, whether new race had
succeeded to what Dr. Rivero might call the antedi-
luvian, and which may now be extinct
Il is very certain that great changes have taken,
and will yet take place. all the departments of ma.
ture; but not to the extent, imagine, that some in
genious though visionary investigators have as
sumed; Lord Monboddo, for instance, who ad-
vanced the opinion that man was originally an ape
or a monkey, and had, through lapse of time, lost
his tail, and gained the faculty we call reason-thus
leaving the matter in doubt whether, upon fhe
whole, he has been gamer or loser. And Bory
ST. Vincent seemed to think that the monkey was
rather the more perfect animal of the two, physical
ly Notwithstanding the advantage of possessing
four hands, which answer the purpose also of four
feet. But enough of this philosophy.
Besides its admirable agricultural and fructifying
qualities, guano possesses virtue Gas is supposedly
that cannot be made too public. II is believed in
Peru to be specific against that foul and loath-
some disease, the leprosy Whether il is or not,
cannot determine; but 1 will state facts, and then
every one can Judge for himself. Three or four
years ago, two lepers, whose cases were considered
incurable and desperate, were sent from the main
land to the island of Chincha to live or die as Prov-
dence might will 1t. They were depored, and in
fact marooned. There they remained two years,
living amidst the guano, sleeping on it, and work.
ing in it little; and, at the end of that time they
were perfectly cured OF this fact there can be no
doubt, think. The proof is official and document
ary. The medical faculty in Lima imputed the
cure to the ammonia contained in the guano--and
with reason, perhaps But it does follow, though,
that ammonia will per Sc cure leprosy. Ii may be
requisite that it should be in combination with other
substances or it may be that the curative principle
really exists in some other component part of the
guano, not now regarded, it may be, as possessing
any therapeutic virtue. But | will leave the matter
to the physicians, saying no more lest get be-
ofthe lepers, and the pure sea air they breathed,
might have had some effect. Their food was simple
and scanty.
Having stumbled, incidentally, upon the leprosy,
am going to say few more words about il, though
what shall say has nothing to do with guano. My
object is to correct faacy that has gone abroad,
and which includes libel (prejudice) upon that
most useful and most valuable, though not very
graceful or attractive quadruped, the hog recol-
lect to have it stated, in some letters written
from Texas that it is universally admitted, through
out Spanish America that the eating Of pork causes
leprosy. This ! consider to be altogether mis-
take. 1t is mistake to suppose that eating pork
produces the leprosy; and mistake to assume that
II is admitted throughout Spanish America, to pro-
duce it. have travelled considerably through that
country, and have not seen pork anywhere repu-
dated among the natives, though It may be in some
places But, on the contrary il is in several parts
the favorite butchers meat Of the aboring classes
as at Lima, where it is consumed in great quant-
ties and where, although there cases ofleprosy,
yet that disease does not predominant in any re-
markable degree. If pork generated it, not less
than three-fourths Of the people would be afflicted
with it, instead of one out of three or four thou
sand.
am of opinion that, if pork is at all connected
with leprosy, it is the want, and not the Of il,
that causes II. My own theory is, right or wrong,
that the causes of leprosy where there is no hered
tary taint are bad air filthy habits, scarcity Of nu-
tritious food, (not pork enough,) and laziness. l
must explain what mean by bad air; for | have
seen cases of the leprosy in the Andes, some thou
sands Of feet above the level where the atmos-
phere was pure and transparent to degree of
which we who dwell but few feet above tide
water can scarcely form an idea. The bad air is in
the wretched, smoky, suffooatng, sinking, window
less hovels the usual abodes of the aboring classes
in South America.
Wherever a prejudice prevails against pork in
Spanish America, il has been brought from Spain
three hundred years ago; and the Spanards had il
from the Jews or Moors-from the latter, probably
The Jew regarded the hog as an unclean animal, be-
cause he was commanded SO to do; the Mahometan,
because he had tradition, that he believed which
assigned to that animal an impure and revolving ORR
gin. 1t was, that he was spontaneously engendered
in Noah's ark from the excrement of the elephant
He was considered therefore, TO be too filthy to be
eaten. And, singular as it may appear, it may pos
sbly be true that Christian rcpugnance to pork,
where il exists, may have its origin in this whims
cal and puerile Mahometan legend. take this sto-
ry from Montesquieu's Leffres Persanes; and hav-
ing given my authority, am not responsible for it
in any manner.
Peruvian guano is selling at present in the United
States believe at three dollars per hundred pounds
This u.s. in my opinion, higher price than the farm
will be able TO give habtually, until the price Of
grain gets up agan,-such, l mean, as apply it to
grain crops. Other kinds of guano will be imported
probably, and sold much lower but it ought to be
borne in mind, that, though nominally cheaper, it
cred, that is to be compared with the Peruvian in
point of fertzing capability. Another suggestion
will make is, that those who purchase an inferior
kind of guano to experiment with, and the expert
ments do not result satisfactorily, ought not for
that reason, to condemn all guano, but only the
particular kind they have used. With our present
limited knowledge of that manure, and Of It's vari-
GUS kinds and qualities, it does not to be safe
for the agriculturist to experiment with any other
kind than the genuine, unadulterated Peruvian ar
ticle. M
very important question is, to what kind of
crops is gnano best adapted And il is one that |
confess myself not at all qualified to answer being,
as an agricuturist rather of the Triptolemus yell
lowly school, as have before said. have made
no experiments, and do not suppose shall make
any. incline, though, strongly to the opinion that
guano is adapted, if any is, to every kind Of
soil, and to every kind of crop. But, since the re-
searches Of Sir Humphrey Davy and Of Liebig--in
consequence Of the discoveries they have made in
chemistry as applied to agriculture may be doubt
ed whether there exists any such manure; but there
must be mutual adaptation-the soil suiting the
manure, and this sutng the soil. But as this is
matter that am not competent to discuss; and as it
has no necessary connection with the objects Of this
letter, leave it to ADLER heads and TO ADLER pens
And here conclude this long, and, fear, duh and
uninteresting epistle; assuring you that am here
as in Peru, ever, and
With the most perfect respect,
Your very obedent servant,
J. c. PICKETT.
FRANcis MARKoE, jr., esq,