Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1869-05-22
Anti Miasmatics.

For several generations the nceroc- in
the Southern States have been accustomed
tn plant suniowcrs and castor beans about
their cabins, for the purpose OF preventing
local diseases. supposed to lc caused by
the impurities in the air. The educated
whites saw nolhing but superstition at the
bottom Of tho practice, and believed that
81 line of suntowcrs about Il cabin would
have no more to do with protecting the
tenants from the fever and agnc than the
wearing Of red string about tie rrcE--
as is done in MANY parts Of New England
would insure the wearcr from bleeding
ut the nose. Aside from an a!!uSion to
this practice. by Lieutenant Naury. little
the subject.
Recently. however, the great prevalence
Of mi>aslna in some portions of Belgium
has induced the Government to IT,; to de-
wise some means to render those districts
less unhealthy. Fortunately for the health
of those rc,ilinr in the sickly par; referred
to, IL clever nutcEulan noticed that the SUN
flower HcalniMuS an""as, grew to Il re-
mArkable size. producing an album lance of
leaves. flowers and seeds on those soil,
which SCENE to absorb the misasl.a most
plcntinlly. Taking advantage of this OBJ
seryatlou, he planted large quantities Of
the seeds Of this plant on an estate Of his
that had been heretofore. remarkably
unhealthy; but no sooner had the plant
gained considerable growth than cvery
vcstigc of the disease. previously "a prev
alcnt, Disappeared The coarse and UNI
calmly plants had completely disintcctcl
the air, by changing the misamatic efu-
via into various forms of vegetable tissue.
Critical examination afterwards d;>coS-
cd two very important facts: first that
most of the substance of the plants was
derived from the air and not from the soil :;
and secondly, that the pith Of the stalk, as
well as the leaves, contained Il large
amount Of nitrogen. The course of action
of the suuAowcr could now be understood.
The poisonous substances in the air were
largely composed Of nitrogen, which was
grcedily taken up by the plant.
Besides this testimony from the South
ern States and Holland, in relation to the
efficacy of the suntowcr, in removing
miasna from the air. we learn from tray
elcrs in India that the inhabitants oi the
marsh countries there plant the betc pep
per around dwellings in part, for similar
purpose. The question then may arise, to
what extent may We render healthy other
parts Of the country, where the a"uc. or
other diseases caused by the impurities of
the air, arc prevalent, by the cultivation Of
rulck-growinS plants?
That many localities are exceedingly
unhealthy when first settled, but after
ward become noted for their aalubrity. is Il
fact that is well known. The whole re-
gion about Chicago was once the hot bed
of the aguc now it has entirely disappear
ell. Has the change been effected through
the agency Of any cultivated crop! Ifso,
what is it? There is certainly field for
scientific inquiry.
1t is indeed Il pleasant thing to think Of
in planting crop, that besides cnrichiny
our store we are at the same time render
ing bad air hcalthrul and lifc-giying. Is
the sunAowcr the best or only disinlcctant?
In what quantities must it be planted to
insure us from local diseases? Can any
thing be planted in the vicinity of rich
swamps that will destroy the masma rising
from them at the season of towering !?
There arc thousands of square miles of
valuable land in the Mississippi valley that
are uninhabitcd, for the reason that it is
almost certain death to pass the summer
months upon them. Is there u vegetable
antidotc for this poison? Who has not
heard Of the unhcalthfuness of the Bog
Of Allen in Ireland and the Pontinc Marsh
near Rome? Could castor beans be used
to make pure this air. as castor oil is used
to cure the sick? Would of sun
flowers about the Eternal City render it
secure from the air coming from the Pom
tine marsh, as its walls of stone protected
it against the invasions of its enemies
Can the aguc be as successfully treated by
putting sunhowers in the garden as by
putting quninc into the stomach? Going
a step further may it not be possible to util-
izc the masmatic substances so as to rcndcr
the localities where they prevail places to
be desired instead of Stunned ? May we
not yet find the means of converting the
infectious substances arising from the vats
where hemp is rottcd into articles Of food
and raimcnt ?-Er.