The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1848-07-05
COMPROMISE
roR rur CHARLOTTE JOURNAL.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE CAUSE, &C
OF ENDEMIC FEyERs.
w lxI

In our last number We proceeded 10 IN
vesiigate the nature aud origin Of the ma.
lsfious poison, and We found abundant rca.
son .or Withholding our assem-, to the com.
monty received opinion that /, results from
the humid decay Of vegetable matter, or
at least that this is the sole cause Of It's
production. We shall now proceed To ey.
anime briefly another OF the many theories
TO which the attempts to cluelJal TIN. oh.
seufe subject, have gwen ri.c, aud while
We dwell upon this comparatively uninier.
esting portion Of our subject, We must
crave tie patient indulgence OF our read.
ers, as correct understanding OF the CIR.
Gums ances which give rise to the extrica.
lion Of malaria is Of much importance to
due appreciation OF The means TO be
adopted TO escape lis effects.
SIsguant waters, such as are to be found
IN hall dried pools, bitches, ponds and the
beds oi small streams, have almost unlver.
sally been looked to as prolific sources of
malaria, aud when the soil of such stua.
,loas IS possessed OF all other requisites
for its estflcalon, IT is not TO be doubted
that they greatly contribute TO tina, end,
but the opulon which ascr,bcs 10 all sue h
collections Of putrld water, wherever stu.
aled-the power 10 generate malaria, with.
out reference to the maarious character OF
the se,l itself, is surely destitute Of the
\ slightest foundation.
I Referring again 10 our own mountain
regions Tor an ,llu,trat,on, We find that IL
very many OF the small streams the watel
/ becomes so low that there remains only q
line of s,aguan, pools, at greater or les,
/ distances from each other, along the whole
course oil the stream for perhaps 20 or 81
miles from It's source. These pools exis
during the shule Of the latter part OF sum
mer aud The first months Of autumn, espe
cially IN dry seasons and many becom'
80 FAR advanced 10 the putrelsctlon process
os to present over the whole surface
green tilm OF vegetable matter. Yet thcs
regions, as before remarked are known {,
be remarkably exempt from malaIlous dis
eases.
Again, at Lisbon and m many othe
parts OF Portugal It becomes necessary I
accumulate supply Of water for the sup
port Of the gardens during the dry season
For this purpose large reservoirs OF ston
are prepared and filed with water b
means OF the public condu,s. This sur
ply is always cut oil at the beginning of tn
dry season, and the water thus collected
allowed 10 stand for months, becoming II
tolefaby pultld and offensive, and this to
in the immediate vicinity of the sleepin
apartments aud yet malarlous disease
are no, generated, though 1.-the most j!
norant native is well aware that were |
only to cross the river and sleep on II
sandy shores OF the Alan'ejo, where apa
ticle Of water at that season had not be-
seen for months, and where water, ber
absorbed into the sand as soon as It ie
was never known to become puirid,
II would run the greatest risk of being selz'
Ir with remittent fever"
e Many Instances Of like character mig
n be adduced in support Of The pos''io
l that the putieiaction of s,aguan, water
D. not, Of itself, sufficient to produce mslal
81 In { soil otherwise healthy, but il is unit