The Cairo evening bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1868-1870, 1869-11-09

Property. 1t considers the healthfulness
Of the location Of Cairo In a scientific
manner, and wherever read, will dis.
pei many erroneous impressions formed
regarding the sanitary condition of our
city:
MEDICAL INSPECTORS OFFICE,
ALTON, ILL.,, July 81, 1865.
SIR-Knowing that you are as
earnestly and honestly interested in the
prosperity of Cairo as any one, and be-
lieving, myself, that lsaid city must con.
tinue to be an important point during all
the future Of our country, this impor-
lance increasing from year to year, its
growth and being commensurate with
the age OF the place and desiring to do
Justice to much-abused embryo city, as
far as my knowledge OF facts from actual
observation and experience and my in
fiuence extend, i address you, feeling
that . voluntary offering, like this, from
an individual who Is not pecuniarly in
terested TO the amount of even single
cent, either In Cairo, or the adjacent
country, win not be considered either pre-.
sumptive, inyidious, or work OF super
erogation.
Ali who are familiar with Cairo, know
IL to be located on the extreme southern
point OF narrow tongue Of land in free
Illinois, dipping down deeply between
two original, aaue States, towards the
very heart OF Dixie, and accessible every
day In the year, by railroads from the
north, and by steamers, OF even the larg
est class, from the South All the North
west In travelling south must concen-
trzte at and pass through Cairo, and all
the southwest In going north, must
concentrate at and pass through Cairo.
After the national troubles aud confu.
sion resulting from the late rebellion
will have been adjusted, all such points
rs Cairo must augment in national i'm
portance. Then a considerable military
force will be withdrawn To and be con-
stantly retained by the exigencles of the
country, at Cairo, aud Qualifications, an
arsenal, q naval depot, a navy yard, mil.
itary and naval hospitals, and their APP
planes and surroundings, will be estab.
lished there.
During the winter, the Mississippi
river II often frozen over and passable
for heavy teams at all points above the
mouth OF the Ohio, while the latter
stream is frequently clogged with ice
aud impossible for boats even below
Paducah, Ky. When these rivers are
low, Cairo is often the highest point nc
cessible 10 steamers from the South Tn.
der either OF these conditions, whatever
passes farther North must he re-shipped
here and transported by rail.
But, cir, IL Is 10 the peculiar aspect OF
Cairo In sanitary view that most espe.
cialiy invite your attention.
since the autumn Of 1852, Il has been
my frequently recurring duty 10 inspect
the post OF Cairo, with its troops, camps,
barracks, hospitals and military prison To
study It's sanitary laws and diseases and
to direct its military hygiene. As . re.
N h-a cat inl nd I. ..Fl ..4a..
l am prepared To assert that, with filth
enough within Its levee To poison all the
people OF some largo and pOpulous cities
during tho summer solstice, IL u even
then quite rs healthy as any other place
| in the Union.
i attribute the saiubrity Of Cairo to
several Important considerations that
ricnced observer, and, also TO "a
more important cause which does
not operate ia favor of any olher point
in the United States, viz:
LIST. The fact that having no elevation
OF the surface Ia IL, around H. or within
many miles OF IL. IL Is free from the nox.
ious accumulations Of fogs and miasmas
That rest, morning and evening, during
much OF the year, on the brows OF all
the bluffs along our western rivers, and
are dreadfully potent in engendering
disease.
I'd. The free aud almost constant sweep
OF pure air down and up the Mississippi
and Ohio rivers, and necessarily, in an
uninterrupted course across every part OF
the town.
Sd. The free and rapid currents OF
above rivers, ever washing the borders
OF Cairo and rapidly floating away all
that would accumulate around many
other cities.
Without all the above influences, your
city would be very unhealthy but the
great cause ever operating 10 free Cairo
from miasmatic, endemic aud epidemic
influences, exists in the fact that the
water on one side OF Cairo, la the Missis-
sippi river, is brought from the far North,
where the "Father Of Waters" drinks
his never.failing supply from the crystal
bOsoms OF hundred byperb0rean lakes;
while large part of that I'm the Ohio
river, on the other side Of the town, flows
through the Cumberland and the Ten
nessee rivers, from the very heart OF
Dixie, and is always several degrees
warmer than the former, where their
channels meet.
The air over the Ohio at Cairo is,
therefore, correspondingly warmer than
the air over the Mississippi on the oppo.
site side of the City, The necessary re-
suit OF this palpable fact il, that the
warmer air over the former river ascends,
while the cooler air over the latter PUSHES
in TO take its place, and you, conse-
quently, constantly have very free aud
cool breeze from the Mississippi, over
and through Cairo To the Ohio, that
promptly drinks up every gas as rapidly
as IL is generated.
The people who first attempted to hew
out residence in the forest that form
erly existed where Cairo now basks In the