Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-05-05
san Flower Culture as a Preventive of Ague
md Fever.

In second communication to the Rural New
Yorker, Lieut. Maury gives the following addi-
tional facts in confirmation of the theory that the
miasma Of fever and ague districts may be alb
sorbed by the culture of the sun flower or some
other rank and rapid vegetable growth:
OBSERVATORY, WAsHINGroN,)
March 20, 1857.
70 he Editors: The time for the Spring attack
upon those who had to - battle the watch, with
ague and fever last Fall, is drawing nigh so also
Is the time for planting sun flowers as barrcade
TO the pestilence. A hedge of sun flowers about
the house. II they would keep the fevcrs and doc
tors away, is surely entitled to be considered as
GOOD sign OF husbandry, as well a very profit
able crop: For the purpose of satisfying those
who are disposed to try the experiment as to the
reasons for suppOsing an anti -ague and fever yr-
tue to reside in sun-hOwers, perhaps you will al
low me to state in addition to what has already
upon the subject
About three years ago party Of officers under
command of Thos. J. Page, in the U s. steamer
Water Witch was despatched to South America
to explore the Rio de la Plata and its tributaries
The waters OF that river flow south, and the coun-
try drained by il lies between the parallels of Is
degrees and 80 degrees 80 minutes south latitude,
which you observe include region that, between
the corresponding parallels of north latitude,
would be liable to yellow fever and intermittents
OF all sorts. Accordingly, when the officers got
up into the country and saw the pond and marsh
es there they thought of ague and fever, and be-
gan to anticipate 80 shakesn among the party for
several of them were from corresponding lati-
tudes in this country, and knew well what to ex-
| pect from such places at home. They observed,
however, that many of these ponds were covered
with thick growth OF water lilies and when
they came to inquire of those living in the neigh
borhOod of such ponds, they Were told that no
| such thing as ague and fever was known there
where this growth was absent, these intermit-
/ tents Were common.
| was relating this circumstance i short time
| ago to a gentleman from the South, when he told
me Of the following fact in confirmation: His
slaves were subject to ague and fever. He built
| milldam, and put the miller and the miller's
wife and children-slaves and ALTO live at the
mill The neighbor said {" You will ruin this
family OF slaves; they will be of no use TO you,
for they will he all the time sic with the chillS
and fever" But he observed that his mill pond
was soon made green with water lilies and the
miller and his family are the only slaves on the
plantation that regularly escape ayue and fever
This was several years ago, and no case has been
known to occur at the mill.
Now, here these water plants, with their broad,
thick leaves, probably performed the office which
is proposed for the sun-hOwers They both
great absOfbents, and they appear equally fond of
this miasm1tic food which seem to breed inter
mittents.
Ii is said that that President intends to aban-
don the =. w hite House'' next summer on ac-
count of the liability OF its occupants to chills
and fevers, and TO take up his residence in some
part of the District beyond the influence of the
marshes OF the Potomac. Indeed, you often hear
the opinion and wish expressed by residents that
Congress should provide summer residence for
the President in some more healthy spot-within
the limits OF . the ten miles squdre''-than that
in which his mansion stands
Can water lilies be cultivated, If so, would it
not be well to plant the Potomac marshes with
them, They would, l suppose, answer better
than sun flowers To take from the air the ague
poison, because they might catch % the ball at
the first hop.' Oyerspfeading the marshes, they
would absorb the masma as IL rises and SO pre-
vent the seeds of disease from being disseminated
through the air aud over the city -
The pr evailing winds here are from the West
vet
who live on the other side of the river are also
subject to ague and fever, though not so much as
we are who live on the east side. Such facts as
this suggest the idea that the pestilence Is difus
ed through the air by permeation, well as by
transportation on the winds of the wind.
DIR. Gordon, of Ohio, is making, at the instance
OF the American Medical Association, a series Of
Investigations concerning cholera. | had the
pleasure Of visit from him last Winter, and he
suggested that the position Of dwellings with
gard to water, might, irrespective OF the winds,
have an influence upon their healthiness Let us
take the situation Of the Observatory to illustrate
the character OF " the destruction that waSteth at
noOn-ddy." 1t is SO situated with regard to the
POtoIndc-Deiny OIL pTomontory-that the sun Is
rejected from the water upon il all the day from
about 10 Il IN. till near sunset so that in the
nnmer time especially, we have the rays OF two
SUNS playing upon US with terrific force-one
from the sky, the other from the water. Sunfow-
ers could not counteract the influence of this
in the water, but grove OF tall trees the
ter'S edge probably would.
stirling illustration OF this fact Is offered by
the Insane Asylum, three or four miles south OF
the Observatory and on the side OF the river,
but having the water and the marshes to the north
OF it, and situated that the reflection feom the
water is cast from, never toward the buildings IL
is on hill, like the Observatory. and about as
high above tide; only il Is little further from
the river, with grove of forest trees-virgin
growth-between IL and the water. A case of ague
and fever, am informed by DIR. Nichols, the ply
sician ia charge, has never been known there. lie
has known OF cases under the hill, but of none on
the BLUM. .
How MAINE FARMER Took THE ADyAN-