The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-03-12
.'TRUTH."
For tho Sumter Banner.
Essay OH the Cause of Fever.
BY J. S. RICH, u. D.

III For tho Sumter Banner.
Essay OH the Cause Of Fever.
by J. S. RICH, u. D.
(coyriSUEn)
Some Typographical writer's have sup
posed that there exists some salutary prin.
cip'c,or property, in the pine and cypress
Of Our Savannals and ponds, as it is known
to be, for the most part, comparatively
healthy on their borders. 1t is an error;
that saln.ary inlluancc OF any } is nothing
more than that the water may be protect.
cd from the whitening effect of solar heat.
by the dense forests that surround them,
and grow in their midst; sincL i, is known
that ponds, situate in fields, where the
trees have been cut down or bc!,cd, die, or
siagnrtc sooner. and more completely,
than those in The forest shade. a buckle,
o! water, for example, will become unfit for
drinking, sooner in the sunshine, thln in
the shade.
Tie naked earth, stripped OF its skin, or,
in ollicr words, its vegetable cuvcring,-.hc
wild torcst-wi,ose vitnlity, in consequence
is wit,crcl, or totally destroyed, by the
Sumincr-so!ar-hcat, serves 10 produce more
rari:icl air, ,hln perhaps anything else.
WrrG our forests no, suffered TO he burn,
Oft, the shade OF The trees would prevent
heat. that would arise from the action of
the sun on the dead leaves and timber; and
il wc could make a halt in agriculture Too,
ii would not3be 10 Z ba!orc the health Of
our State would be restored, MS in the
days OF the first IlIglienot settlers, and of
Marion. The burning OF the forests, il is
snakes and mosquitoes; but ON Tho other
hand destroys the frui'fulncss of the soil;
and besides making it exceedingly hard to
clear NJ, for planting, destroys the Winter
pas'uragc Of our cattle.
Ditchins, il is tric. as has been observed,
nf shallow ponds, has Il yoni effect, but il
is impossible 10 ditch them thoroughly, so
As Ia prevent heavy rams from remaining
at certain seasons, in them. The cmpc-
rors and p"pcS, IN vain attempted to drain
: the Pontiuc marshes, to which they trace
the or gin OF their greatest tcrrors-fcyer;*
the same as The inhabitants of this country,
do 10 their bays and ponds, the origin of
fever among them; hut il is no, the water
alone that generates rariticG air; the marsh
cs being lower than the general surface Of
the earth, the wind connot so readily waf;
away, or coantcract the process Of r~ariiac.
ton.
England being an island, when compar.
cd with some other parts OF the Globe, has
: suffered bu, little with fever. Her climate
is cold; andhiving the ocean all around il,
. the rir!!actIon OF the air is prevented.
. Those writer's who suppose that n humid
: atmosphere tends 10 the production of fever
and other diseases, arc aslonisl.cd at the
, hcaith!u!ncss Of England, literally shroudcd
in her 'ogs. II fever and aguc did prevail
there III days OF Old, was If not after Cesar
cut down her impcnetrablc forests of loft
oaks, III order 10 break no the lurking place.
i. Of the Disconnected English, whom he lat
= sibducG, and found so much difficulty ir
governing! In modern times too, the drain.
ing OF the marshes FOR agricultural purposes
| has put n cl!cck on whit little fever they
! may have had there; and this, perhaps, has
giycnr!sc 10 the opinion that agriculture ha.
, such a salntary influence, generally, il
/, keeping Off fever They say that indie