Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1857-05-09
Sunfowers a Preventive of Ague

Sunfowers Preventive Of Ague
Lieutenant Maury, in an article communl-
Gated to the Rural New Yorker, maintains
that the growing Of sunhowers around dwell
ling located near fever aud ague region,
neutraizes the miasma in which that disease
originates; and seems to support the theory
by successful experiment. He was led TO
make the experiment by the following cir
| cumstances The dwelling Of the superin-
tendent Of the observatory at Washington is
situated on hill on the left bank of the Po-
tomac, in lat $50 39' 33". 1t is "a feet
above low-water mark, aud about 400 yards
from the river. The grounds pertaining to
it, about IL acres, are enclosed by q wall on
the east, south and west, and with a picket
fence on the north. The south and west walls
runs parallel with the river, the Chesapeake
and Ohio canal aud row Of sycamores, OF
some twenty years growth, separating the
wall from the river. In fact the river, with
its marshes, encircles about half of the
grounds. Tho house is, therefore, in the
bend oil the river. and the place is so unheal-
thy that the family of the superintendent ore
compelled to vacate it FIVE months out Of the
twelve, the marshes being covered with
rank growth Of grass and weeds which begin
to decay early in August a knowledge of
the following process of reasoning:
"lf it be the decay of the vegetable matter
on the mashes that produces that produces
the sickness on the hill. then the sickness
must be owing to the deleterious effects of
some gas, miasms or eflluvum, that set free
during the decomposition and is, the poison
GUS 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
as and the marshes, and By bringiDg.into vi
gorous growth just about :he time that Of
the marshes begin to decay, bring fresh forces
of the vegetable kingdom again to play upon
| this poisonous matter, and elaborate it again
into vegetable tissue. and SO purely 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 off the
| cbills." But as to the trees, it so happens
| that at the very time when the decomposi-
| tion on the marshes is going on most rapidly
| the trees, for the most part, have stopped
their growth to prepare for the winter; and
though trees might do some good, yet q rank
might do more. Hops climb high; they are
Isfe asfs to hops on account Of
stakes, poles, &c. ! recolleeted that l had
often seen sunfowers growing about the ca
bins in the West, and had heard, in explana.
tion, and it was "healthy" to have them. This
was so much more in favor OF making the ex-
| pertinent with sunhowers.
Lieutenant Msury says that an era of sun
n laa a bair n
thousand gallons of water more than supplied
| by the rains. They are Of easy cultivation,
aud the seeds, which are very valuable, find
ready market at the drug stores. The
theory or science of the experiment is this
the ague and fever poison is set free during
the process of vegetable decay. which poison
is absorbed by the rank growing sunhower,
again elaborated into vegetable matter, and
SO retained until cold weather sets in. The
result Of the experiment is thus narrated:
| Finally, | resolved to nuke the experiment
at the risk of spelling the looks OF beauti-
ful lawn. Accordingly in the fall OF 1855,
the gardener trenched up to the depth OF q
feet belt about 45 feet bread around the
Observatory on the marshy side, and from
$50 to 200 yards from the buildings. The
conditions of the theory | was about to try
required rich ground, tall sunaowers and a
rank growth. Accordingly, after being well
manured from the stable yard, the ground
was properly prepared and planted in sun
flower 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 Tor the first time
since the Observatory was built the watch
men about it weathered the summer clear OF
chls and fevers. These men, being most
exposed to the night air, suffer most, and
heretofore two or three relays of them would
be attacked during the season-ior as one
falls sick another is employed in his place
who in turn, being attacked, would in like
manner give way to fresh hand. And last
year attacks of ague and fever were more
} than usually prevalent in the nelghboring
parts of the city.
} During the present year Lieutenant Maury
J intends to repeat the experiment, with varia
tion in two respects. First, the seeds are te
be planted later; and second, there are tC
be two paintings, so that the last crop may
becaught by the frost while yet in flower. !
on a second trial the result prove equally
T favorable, the practical benefit of the disco
very will be great indeed, and Lieutenant
! Maury will have added another to the eyI
d dences he has given that true science is th'
: handmaid Of practical utility.