Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-01-02

tO Tedii1e tfutn pefCoBHPeiy, ana tnenc'
make it rule Of actioftathau to prove th'
variety in a life Of shat& agong. But hos
few are able to rise iptat t&ch a-reaiiza,ion :.
Godey's Lady's Book: :. :.
PHTM0MeY. .: = ;: -. -.
We select the follqa4ng notice ofsDf
LABoRBE's new book tim the correspon
dence of the Yorkuilley Squirer: :. -. =.
The press has Just iaaed Dr.. Laborde',
admirable little book of Physiology. H
would be point we'll gaped, If every Pro:
fessor would supply hM department with
textbooks Of his own-Eitten with, full
knowledge of the requirede ents of their clas.
ses, and published at me.. The South
needs such efforts, which, well performed
would be the beginning 6Bhe end-a noble
endeavor by Southern al Ids in behalf ol
Southern Literture. TheAeeling in favor Of
home.education is now teroughly aroused,
and let no effort be spars to render our
home'institutions and home advantages equal
to the emergency. -. -,
Of course, l went straight to the Book.
store and purchased copysof Dr.. Laborde's
new " introduction to PhH*elogy," to which
the reader will remember3f alluded during
my summer travels. Up% cursory ex:
animation am grati6ed- -toa find it all had
anticipated. 1t is publishA in good style,
and contains about 400 daodecimo pages,
replete with sound practical lessons and a
fund Of useful hints upon this important
branch of learning. While it is not too
popular in its style and contents, it is yet
entirely free from the severely scientific tone
which has heretofore rendsled this study
irksome to the College student and seal.
ed book" to the general resder. 1t supplies
want and must serve bo,h in the College
and Academy, and in theislibrary, most
valuable purpose. If DR.. Iaborde succeeds
in arousing the public attention to the vital
Importance of q thorough acquaintance with
the laws of health, he will lhave done our
little world an essential service.
1t is not the time, and Lam not prepared,
to do ample justice to this;aork. a friend,
who bears the reputation ossone of the best
physicians in Columbia, ahd, who speaks
we'll Of the merits of Dr.. sLaborde's book,
SUCH criticism WiIi Ds.2,zz s1aceount ofit.
will proceed from source more 1ulfy com:
petent to the task, and beyond the influences,
which play sad havoc with the imPartiality
of my own judgment. must quit the SUBJ
ject now, after having expressed the hope
that our friend Mr.. Anderson, will give the
task thorough examination, and see if it
be not in every respect the best that can be
procured for the use OF his classes.
We also present the following excellent
extract from the Doctors book alluded to
above. The author thus speaks of climate:
Besides those general influences which
bear upon the salubrity Of a country, there
are local causes, affecting particular situa.
tions, which deserve special attention. 1t is
a fact familiar to all, that in the same coun.
try, and in the same neighborhood, some
places are very sickly, while others enjoy
remarkable exemption. The cause in this
case, is not to be found in the general char.
acter of the country, but in the particular
circumstances of the locality. The follow
ing enumeration is designed to embrace the
leading particulars under this head; the ma
ture Of the soil, and its particular state in
respect to cultivation the character Of the
vegetation, with its amount and condition; ;
contiguity to low ground or other marsh.
es, or stagnant water; the surface and eleva-
ton; the rapidity Of the water.courses !;
adjacent hills and valleys; and the particu-
lar exposure to the prevailing winds. Here
is presented matter for much discussion, but
will call attention briefly to few Of the
particulars only, and in no determinate or
der; but rather in special reference to our
Southern country. AS we advance, the
reader will perceive that the subject, in some
RESPECTS, is not relieved of doubt aud per.
plexity, but yet we conceive, upon the whole
we will be able to arrive at conclusions Of
great practical value.
There are few persons, if any, in our
Southern country, who have not heard Of
the great agent Of disease know as malaria,
bad air, or miasmo. The particulars emu
merated above are to be received in connec.
ton with it, as they are all more or less con.
cerned in its generation, or diffusion. 1t is
believed to abound in the neighborhood OF
marshes, and is therefore generally known
as marsh miasma. The common doctrine is,
that it is an emanation from vegetable mas.
ses, when in the process of decomposition
by the agency of heat and moisture. | am
aware Of the many difficulties with which
the subject is surrounded, and the perplex'
ing discussions to which they have given
rise. What is this mighty destructive agent
this terrific power which so completely
transforms an atmosphere of health and life,
into one of disease and death2 The various
speculatons as to its nature are scarcely
worthy of mention, as, after all, we are
compelled to confess that we know nothing
oft, though we are acquainted with some
of its laws and modes of operation. 1t is
simply absurd to suppose that all malaria
springs from marshes, or decaying vegetable
matter. The facts are abundant, | conceive,
to prove that disease is generated also by
animal substances in state of decomposi-
ton. The kinds of malaria are probably ms
various as disease itself, and each is distin.
guished by its own specific individual char
acter. Eudemics are found in every coun.
try and locality, and pestences take UP
their march over the broad face of the world
and slay millions in their course. Wh8 one
epidemic prevails this year, and another Of a
totally different nature the next, we know
not. If.it be said that there is special
epidemic constitution OF the atmosphere
it explains nothing. In what consists this
epidemic constitution, and in what particu