Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-05-09
Light Your Fire.

At the present time when the energies of all
are more or less directed toward the prevention
Of he deadful Asiatic cholera, any hint sug-
gestion ionk king TO the mitigation of this any
other epidemic disease-should it cOme-will
not be uu- OF place. In view of the apparent
r. cent tendency of fevers whether epidemic or
giouS, 10 prevail among the inhabitants OF
arg4 cities, and IN some loca lties in the count
~, men Of large experience and sound Judg-
meut have enueavored to seek its explanation in
the habits of social life.
DR.. Parkin, late Medical Inspector of cholera
In West Indies, believes he has discovered
a cause Tor the greater prevalence of certain
disease now than formerly, in the fact of the
general substitution in dwellings of furnaces
for the more genial and more healthiul old
fashioned crates and fire places.
Many OF the facts mentioned by DR.. Parkin
in hi7 work on " The CAusation and Prevention
OF Diseases, London, 1885," seems to corrob-
ora,e his theory birmingham and other large
manufacturing cities, it seems, enjoy an almost
c~mplrts exemdtIOn from fevers and other dis
eases produced by bad air The as
signed for his is the number of factory fires.
Dr.. Parkin further states that the portmaster
of a town in a Italy, situated on the margin of
the POutiae Marshes, and who seemed TO enjoy
perfect he5lth, thus accoun ed for the circum-
stance. have re>ided,' said he, more
than forty yesrs in this place and | have never
he'd ne irver. The only precauton l take is
not to Ietvs the house until the sun is some
what aboT- he horizon to return home be-
fore nisnffu and then build a fire. l live well
and take w.nt-thaJ is all MI secret"
The natives Of some parts OF Africa, also,
say DR. Parkin, speaking from personal OBJ
s-rva o., aDopt the same practice, as l had
an oppor u1i'y Of observing with parry OF
untu ored Africans, captured in a slave ship, and
loca'ed on enc Of the estates in jamaica;
Auoher Example given as having been OBJ
served by DIR. Nc 1uliocn, S more striking.
\ superintendent engaged IN the directing If
the cu,ting Of wood In Africa, erected twenty
earthen furnaces on the spot where his men
were employed, Lighting them every day. Be-
fore this be had always from forty to forty
eight Of his workmen sick, but in short time
the lnvalid- were reduced to twelve, then to
four, ard finally to one.
DIR. ActOl also relates another similar in
stance Of a man whom he found in one of the
mos unhealthy corners of the Pontine Marsh
es, where he mad been employed for severa
Years IL making charcoal from turf. During
this he had never been affected with any dis
ease, though surrounded by the victims of the
pestiiental fever of the Pontne Marshes-and
wnen ques Toned respecting circumstance so
extrao .din4Ty, ascribed il to the fact of bis
makIaZ 1t Particular point to return home
before sunset, and to keep up continual fre
tl morning.
Many olner remark 4ble instances, in iIlustra-
ton OF the authors theory, are given in his
book among them the practice of Napoleon
Of having fires lighted for sanitary reasons, the
monelt his troops encamped but We have
not sP'cs 10 follow the record further. Un-
qlestIonaoly the modern practice of heating
CIV ling y furnaces tends to vitiate the air
ssoo4er than the Use of open fires aud CRATES.
In fever and ague districts OF this country, old
innaoiiants learn the value of these sugges-
uons lney may not be able te give the theo-
iy' 1ut they understand the practice of having
open hires in The evenings, even in moderately
~arm Eeatber.-JOur. Commerce