, 1865-12-15
Post Magazine and Insurance Monitor, Oct. Ia.
SANITARY
Continued

(COntlnued.)
There can be no doubt that certain inorganic
agencies, such as carbonic acid, sulphuretted,
and carbonetted hydrogens, ammonia, and
sulpho cyanogen do produce injurious effects
upon the system. Continued exposure to such
exhalations may prevent a proper oxidation of
the tissues, and render it predisposed to take in
the diseases of special pOisOns, but we have no
evidence to show that any of these agents
although they will destroy life-are capable of
producing any of the forms Of miasmatic dis
ease. Again, it seems demonstrated that
there arise, during the decomposition of vegeta-
bic and animal matters, certain organic mole
cules which, being taken into the system, will
produce certain definite changes in the system
constituting we'll known forms of disease. Thus,
ague and kindred fevers, called paludal and
paroxysmal fevers, do not seem to be produced
by poisons formed in the animal system, but By
poisons formed during the decomposition of
vegetable matter. A certain amount, also, of
the diarhea of summer is to be set down to the
accommodation of vegetable and animal matters.
Certain quantities of these matters are directly
taken into the stomach and bowels, whilst
others appear to come in contact with the
mucous surfaces by inhalation. There is, also,
one of the endemic and epidemic fevers of cur
country that is supposed by high sanitary and
ru0uI0dr ouUIUritivo tv vri5inot in tho cr1ontn-
neous decomposition of organic matters in
drains and sewers hence it has been called
"draln fever" 1t is, however, generally better
known by the name of gastric or typhoid fever
That this disease is generated by a specific
poison has been demonstrated by DR.. William
Budd, of Bristol, and, should it be canahlo of
demonstration that this disease is really oone.
rated de moro by the matter Of drains and
sewers, it would be an interesting fact "a
showing the possibility of a contagious disease
being produced atresh. But, up to the present
time, we have no conclusive experiment. with
regard to the origin of any Of the specific CON
tagious diseases. There is no error norbons
of more vital Importance to the public health
than that which was fallen into bv some of onr
early sanitary retormerS-a belief in the snon-
taneous origin of the several forms Of diseases
produced by specific contagious. The most
common forms. OF contagious diseases in this
country are smallpox, scarlet fever, measeIs,
Whooping-cough, typhus fever, typhoid fever
and our occasional yisitant-Asiatic cholera
Or the Intricate nature of the poisons PRODUCING
these diseases we know but little, but recent
researches with the microscope lead us to hone
that We are not far distant from the time whan
at least, the form Of the poisons of these Al
seases will be made visible to the human o1o
1t is q fact known TO ali that the blood containe
two sorts of cells or globules-one red. and the
other white. The white cells are composed of
matter in a state of vital change. It is these
cells which accumulate in infamed parts, and
which form the pus found in ~vesicles, p~ustules,
a%bcesses, and infamed surfaces Of the BODY,
These pus cells have a great power of multi
plication, and they retain their vitality after
they have been removed from the living body.
we can convey common pus cells from one
living body to another, and make them Increase
There is a disease of the eve attended with a
large formation of these pus cells, and tbase
may be conveyed through the air from one
persons eye to that of another, and produca
the same disease. In the disease known az
pyemia these cells assume a specific character.
and DR.. Richardson informs me that he has
succeeded in producing, artifcially, pyamia in