Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1857-04-30
euNFLowERs A PREVENTIVE OF AGUE.

sUNFLowERs PREVENTIVE OF AGuE.
Lieutenant Maury lin an article commu-
nisate,a "a she Rrd Ne,o Tokrer, main
>tainis that the growing of sunfaowers around
dwelling Rcated near a fever and ague
region, feutralizes the miasma in which
that disease originates: and seem to support
the theory by successful experiment. He
was led to make the experiment by the fol-
lowing circumstances The dwelling of the
superintendent of the Observatory at Wash
ipston is situated On hill on the left bank
of the Potomac, in lat. $50 39/ 53H. 1t
is 81 feet above low-water mark, and 400
yards from the river. The grounds per-
tanning to it, about II acres, are enclosed
BY wall on the east, south and west, and
with picket fence on the north. The
south and west walls run parallel with the
river, the Chesapeake and Ohio canal and a
row of sycamores, Of some twenty years
growth, separating the wall from the river
In fact the river. with its marshes, encir-
cles about half Of the grounds The house
is, therefore it the bend of the river, and
the place is SO unhealthy that the family of
the superintendent are compelled to vacate
it Ave months out Of the twelve, the marshes
being covered with rank growth of weeds
which begin to decay, early IN August. A
knowledge of these facts led Lieutenant
Maury's mind to the following process of
reasoning:
IF it be the decay Of the vegetable mat
ter on the marshes that produces the sick
ness On the hill, then the sickness must be
owing to the deleterious effects of some gas,
miaslna or effuvium, that is set free during
the decomposition, and if so, the poisonous
matter or the basis of it, whatever it be,
must have been elaborated during the growth
OF the weeds, and set free in their decay
Now, if this reasoning be good why might
we not, by planting other vegetable matter
between us and the marshes, and by bring
ing it into vigorous growth just about the
time that that Of the marshes begin to de-
cay, bring fresh forces of the vegetable
kingdom again to play upon this poisonous
matter, and elaborate it again into vegeta-
BILE tissue, and SO purify the air? ~
This reasoning appeared plausible enough
to justify the trouble and expense of expert
ment, and [ was encouraged to expect more
or less success from it, in the circumstance
that everybody said, plant trees between
you and the marshes--they will keep of
the chills." But as to the trees, it so hap
pens that at the very time when the decom-
position on the marshes is going on most
5 rapidly, the trees for the most part, have
3 stopped their growth to prepare for the win
ter; and though trees might do some good,
yet rank growth of something got up for
the occasion might do more. Hops climb
high; they are good absorbents, and ola rank
growth but there were objection to hops on
account of stakes, poles, &C. recollected
that | had oftsn seen sunaowers growing
about the cabins in the West, and had heard
III explanation, that it was healthy to have
them. This was SO much more In favor of
making the experiment with sunhowers.
Lieutenant Mauray says that an acre of
sunaowsrs will absorb during their growth
many thousand gallons Of water more than
are supplied by the rains. They are of
easy cultivation, and the seeds, which are
very valuable, find ready market at the
drug stores. The theory or science of the
experiment is this-Ae ague and fever poi
son is set free during the process of vegeta-
bic decay, which poison is absorbed by the
rank growing sunaower, again elaborated
into vegetable matter, and so retained until
cold weather sets in. The result Of the
experiment is thus narrated:
FINALLY. / resolved to make the expert
ment at the risk of spelling the looks of a
beautiful lawn. Accordingly in the fall of
1853. the gardener trenched up to the depth
OF . feet a belt about 45 feet broad around
the Observatory On the marshy side. and
from 100 to 200 yards from the buildings.
The conditions Of the theory [ was about to
try. required rich ground, tall ,sunfowers
and a rank growth Accordingly, after
being well MANFRED from the stable yard,
the ground was properly prepared and plant
ed in sunfowers last spring. They grew
finely; the sickly season was expected with
more than usual anxiety. Finally it set in,
and there was shaking at the Presidents
House and other places as usual but for
the first time since the Observatory was
built the watchmen about it weathered the
summer clear of chills and fevers. These
men, being most exposed to the night air,
suffer most, and heretofore two or three re-
lays of them would be attacked during the
season-for as one falls sick another is en-
ployed in his place, who, in turn, being at
tackled, would in like manner give way to a
fresh hand. And last year attacks of ague
and fever were more than usually prevalent
in the neighboring parts of the city,"
During the present year Lieutenant
Maury intends to repeat the experiment,
with variation in two respects. First, the
seeds are to be planted later and second,