The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1858-10-13
From tie Cotton Planter and Soil.
Health of Negroes.

wont TO bestow too little attention. | am
persuaded that they can do much to pro
mote the health of their negroes by time
Iy care and attention, and thus avoid, in
some measures, what | have often heard
them say gives them the greatest trouble
IN the management Of their plan :ations,
namely, tie sickness among negroes.
Their food should be souLd, Of sufficient
quantity, well cooked, and served at reg
ular intervals.-lt is better as general
rule. to have it cooked for them, than 10
give them their allowances to be cookoh
by themselves, as is frequently done. |
am aware that they prefer TO cook for
themselves, but there are always some ne
groes on every place who are too careless
aud indoIent 10 cool their food in a proper
manner, consequently they eat it but i'm
perfectly cooked, if not entirely raw
With their meat and bread thev should
bave vegetables Of some kind at least
Mree tmeS a week. and where it is prac-
ucabIe it were better that they have Them
daily.
The next thing in importance is the wa
ter which they drink. The purest and
best is ciStern water. will here state, as
the result Of my experience and observa-
ton as physician in The low lands OF
Louisiana during the cholera epidemics
OF lS49 and 80, that those places on
which cl>tcrn water alone Was used. we've
nearly exempt from that dreadful disease.
Ihe few cases that did occur on those pIa-
ces were attributable 10 some imprudeDce
IN ealing, or 10 lie drinking Of unwhole-
some water. On one plantation, whe,e
the disease made iea,iu havoc till the ne
groes were removed 10 Tue woods and
gwen ciStern water, 1t was ascerlained
that 1t WAS their. custom 10 make use of
stagnant water from lagoon near the
quar:er. Spring and well water, so much
usec N many parts OF the Southern and
Western States, containes salts which are
unwholesome, anI in some instances pos.
lively deleterious. The water o. BE
Mississippi river, when filtered or settled,
is better than this but not So good as
c'ste'n woter. The cost Of cisterns pre-
vents many planters from haviuy them ::
but they would be doubly remunera,ed
tor bpi!dmg them, in that greatest OF bIes.
sings. health. Negroes generally drink
too m"ch water when they are in the
field at work; this they should not be al
lowed to do, and plore especially when
much heated.
Every one who has seen much OF the
negro, knows how susceptible he is to the
effects Of cold and atmospheric vic;ss-
tudes. The sickness and mortality from,
The winter diseases. Pleurisy and Pncu
monla, are distressing, besides being the
cause oi a serious loss TO the planters
Beng impossible to carry on the work of
Il plantation without some degree of eX
posure Of thc hands 70 The rains and colds
IN ,he winter, it becomes matter of
much Importance that their cioMiDg par.
IcuIarIy attended to al this season. BE
sides, the heavy liusey clothing, the hats
and shoes given them, | would recon-.
mend that each should wear Fdnnd nn-
der shirt. The beneficial effects from
wearing Ibis garment are very great, and
have been verified IN many instances with
in my knowledge, but in none more
strongly than on certain plantation III
this country, where the hands are very
much exposed, being obliged to travel be
tween two and three miles from their
quarters to get 10 Il part of their work. -
lie past has been very wet winter
They were often out IN the cold rains and
mud, yet they seemed to suffer no ncon-
vcnience from the exposure as there was
no case oi sickness amongst them nor
has there been Il case of Pneumonia on
the place in many years. ascribe their
exemption from disease, in great meas
ure, 10 the wearing of flannel Shirts
They should be put on as soon as the
cold weather begines in the fall, and worn
till The wam weather in Spring. When
one is inclined 10 be sickly, besides the
shirt, give him drd,oers of the same mate.
rial. The importance Of giving their ne.
groes flannel, cannot be too strongly
urged upon the attention Of planters.
In the summer, negroes should be
made to wear hats to protect their heads
from the rays OF the sun this is very inn
portant with unacclinated negroes, who
are more apt to be sun-struck.
Their houses should be good, their beds
comfortable; with plenty of comforts
and blankets for The cold nights Of Win.
ter. A negro is unfit for a good davs
work If he has past large portion of the
previous night without sleep. Their hou-
ses, as we'll as the quarter lot, should be
kept free from all filth. This matter will
demand the frequent attention Of the
owner, OF manager, as the negro is pro-
verbally filthy in his mode of living.
The free and unrestrained use Of whis
ky and tobacco by negroes is highly in
juiious to them, though they have an
innate desire for both. 1t is better not
to allow them to have the former at all,
except as medicine, anG the latter only
in small quantities and at regular inter
walls. When sick they require constant
care and attention, and il is very impor
tant to prevent them from indulging their
appetites for food, as they will frequently
do If not held in restraint. They should
not be allowed to remain IN their houses,
but be placed in the hospital as soon as