The national Republican., 1867-09-23
HEALTH OF WASHINGTON.

In enumeratlng the many auVantaBes
which this city possesses as place Of resi-.
dence and business, it is not the least
among these benefits that Washington is
very healthy location. From some cause
or other the impression and belief prevails
in some parts Of the country that this
city is q Sort of charnel house; that we
breathe here a sort Of fetid atmosphere,
and are constantly inhaling upon our
lungs q poison which soon destroys. Not
long ago an influential Northern news
paper, in chronicling the death Of young
man Of this place, intimated that he came
to his death by breathing the unhealthy
air Of Washington. Now nothing can be
further from the truth than q statement
Of this kind. While we do not say that
Washington is as healthy as it might be
made were the sanitary regulations that
might be adopted and rigidly enforced re-
sorted TO on all occasions, yet we do say
that there is no spot on the continent
more free from epidemics and climatic
diseases than is these ten miles square.
IT'S true that there are persons here who
are afflicted with what is known as "chills
and fever" but in very many cases Of this
disease which have come to our knowledge
the victims Of this distressing complaint
took ii into their systems elsewhere. The
people Of this District, to be sure, can pleat
no exemption from those ills to which
flesh is heir" Like ordinary mortals, the!
sicken and die. Go where we will, Their
is no discharge in this war. What ",
mean to say, therefore, is that the Distric
Of Columbia is q remarkably healthy coun
try; that in this respect it will compar'
favorably with any region as densely popu
lated that may be named in the United
States. Indeed, we think that q careful
comparison will show that there is no cit,
in the country, whose population is a
large as ours, that can present smalle
percentage of deaths in its bills Of NOR
tality than Washington.
Not unfrequently we have been write,
to by some OF our friends in the Nortl
asking us if we meant to remain in Wasl
ington during the hot season and whe
we have informed them that we shout
probably remain here, the rejoinder not ur
frequently has been: we should think 20,
would be afraid to stay there oil summer
This is mistaken idea that there is some
thing in the Washington climate and at
mosphere that induces disease.
There is, in fact, no popularity Of thi
sort appertaining to this region. On
thing that has contributed to create thi
opinion abroad is the fact that Congres
has generally hastened up its proceeding
in the early spring months to get ava
before the coming Of what is called th
sickly season. Now the truth Of the matte
is, we are no more liable to what is terme
the sickly season than any one Of ou
Northern or Western cities. Members q
Con gress and their friends in other place
must find some better excuse for the pos
ponement Of summer sessions than thi
that Washington is especial, unhealth
during the warm months.
We, therefore, unhesitatingly aiirr
that Washington, among its many adval
tages, rendering it an admirable place ft
private residences, may be added Ii
salubrity of its climate and its remarkabl
freedom from epidemics.