Quasqueton guardian. (Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1856-1858, 1857-05-23

THE SANITARY INFLUENCE OF THE SIM
FLOWER. II III

+ fA" ~ Jon oHLUWEh.f ftJ F0 UH fgl .
Lieut Mp Maury, besides seryin,
mostqacceptably in the us. Navy, ex
plormg the mountains and plains of tn.
oceiny and Q perseveringly laborine {,
unite tins continent with the old world b,
"a submarine telegraph, has also give,
ms attention to matter, which, if sue
cessiul, viii confer a benefit of no mear
order on a great class of the population
| OF the Southern and Southwestern States
Withlnaa few years he has been experi-
menting with the sun hower-cultivatibo
IL as preventive or protection agains,
ague and fever. The importance of a
shelter from this I" hon in the path" OF
those who seek the Western States. miob,
be deduced from the multiplicity of pan
aceas that are prepared by the "regu-
lars and "quacks,'' and every year
swallowed by unfortunate shakers. .
were not the living evidences too numer-
lt ~. - - -. -'.'~..-.-..-
Chicago has out-grown it but in many
quarters, its prevalence is an evil which
all sanitary, precautions have failed to
overcome
Lieut.. Maury's experiments have been
made at Washington--about the dwell
ings of the Superintendent of the Obser-
vatory-a location where the .decayed
vegetable matter so impregnates the air
with impurities (the ground being low
and marshy) J, that residence there du-
ring the warm months, free from chills
and fevers, has been rare occurrence.
Reasoning that "if it be the decay OF
the vegetables on, the marshes that pro-
duces the sickness on the hill, that the
sickness must be the dcleterious effects Of
some gas, ,miasm, or affluvium, that is
set free during the decomposition, and il
so, the poisonous matter, or the basis O
it, whatever it be, must have been elab
GRATED during the growth of the weeds
and set free in their decay. 1t is plaus.
ible, then, to conclude, that by planting
other vegetable matter between us and
the marshes, and by bringing it into Wig.
orous growth just about the time that o
the marshes begins to decay, brings fresl
forces Of the vegetable kingdom again in
to play upon this poisonous matter, ano
elaborate it again into vegetable tissues
and so purify the air" :" A belief, fire
! quently observed, too, that chilIs are FIRE
! quently kept OF by the interposilion o
trees, also favor the idea and for vari
Gus reasons the sun flower was chosen fo
4 the experiment.
In late number Of the Rurul 1Nea
Yorker, Mr. Maury details the origin ant
progress of his experiment, the success
of which is apparently quite satisfactor,
] to himself. He says: p A
] resolved te make the experiment, a
therisk of spelling the looks of beauti
i ful lawn. Accordingly, in the fall Q
1855, the gardiner trenched up a bel
about As feet broad around the observa
tory on the marshy side, and from Is
to goo yards from the buildings. Th
conditions of the theory was about t
try, required rich ground, tall sun flow
ers. aud q rank ground therefore, afte
being well manured from the stable-yard
+ the ground was properly prepared an
planted in sun-flowers last spring. The
grew finely the sickly season was es
peeted with more than the usual anxiety
j Finally il set in, and there was shaki,,
! at the Presidentls House and other place
E as usual but, for the first time since th
Observatory was built, the watchme
about il weathered the summer clear ,
! chills and fevers. These men, being ii
h most exposed to the night air, sutf'
1 most, and heretofore two or three relay
III 5..Isgs.