American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-07-17
To the People of the Malarious Re
gions Of Mississippi.

sippi Medical Association, held in
the city of jackson, on the 10Th OF
April last, the undersigned were ap-
pointed a committee to offer some
suggestions to tho citizens of the
miasmatic localities of our State
upon the importance of q more
thorough system of drainage and the
adoption of those hygienic measures
calculated to arrest the production
and diffusion of malaria.
Whatever difference of opinion
there may he among medical author
tiles respecting the nature and char
acter of this subtle poison, its effects
ON the human system, are too well
known to be a matter of dispute. Up
10 the close of the late war, Conges-
tive, Rcmittent and Intermittent
Fevers were very common on the
low.lands of our State, were general
ly in familiar forms and not difficult
to control byremedies but since tie
surrender these Fevers have been
far more prevalent, have existed in
poYtiops of the State where they
were unknown before, have been
more malignant in type, and difficult
to manage. a new form of COnges-
tive Fever has appeared in various
places, attended with bloody urine,
yellow skin, excessive nausea and
vomiting, great depression of the
vital powers, and remarkable fatal
! ity This disease has not been de
scribed by our standard authors, and
is known by various titles, such as
Hematuric Remittent, Cachcemia,
Up Country, Yellow Fever, etc, etc.
These facts point Enthusiastically to
greater intensity and increased guam
tity of the peculiar poison, which. it
is admitted by all. gives rise to these
diseases. 1t is also well established
that this poison is generated by the
combined action of water, vegetable
matter and heat consequently We
find malariOus diseases most preva.
lent OH low, swampy lands and their
adjacent hills; in fact wherever
drainage is imperfect, and water is
permitted to spread out over large
surfaces of vegetable matter, to stag
nate and slowly evapOrate, thereby
aiding in decomposition and the
illumination of miasmatic poison.
In consequence of the imperfect
character of our field labor. the scar
city of money, the want of energy,
enterprise and confidence in the fu-
ture prosperity of the country, Incl
dent 10 the unhappy state of things
existing in our midst, bat little atten-
ton has been given to the improve
ment of plantatio IS; therefore ditch
es have filed up, and the low places
are inundated; negro quarters are
policed, and wells neglected. In
TACT an hundred fruitful sources OF
disease exist around us that might
befemOved and ought not to be ne.
elected.
Therefore, with a view to aid in
checking, even to a limited extent,
the spread of disease and death in
many parts of our State, We recon-
mend the following:
Clean out all the old bitches, and
dig new ones when it is necessary to
drain the land well, and dig up the
wet, marshy places; keep down the
weeds and grass on low, damp
grounds, for they shade the soil in
summer, preventing rapid evapora
ton, and favOring slow decOmpOsi
ton those water-furrows that ter
inmate in branches and bitches
should be well run out avoid using
branch, pond or bluff-spring water
unless filtered through charcoal and
cloth observe greater cleanliness
in, under, and around freedmen,
houses, and keep them well white
washed +; keep out of the night all
as mnch as possible during the sick,
" season; avoid a residence in OF
contiguous to low, swampy regions
consult good physician as to the
causes of sickness at particular
place, in case it prevails to an alarm
ing extent. We alsJ advise person,
who are suffering with, or have re
Gently had chronic chills, enlarged
spleen and an8mia, not to reside in
a malariOus district during the sickly
season; for such are peculiarly OBJ
noxiOus to this new form of fever
They had better seek high, dry
mountainous region, take quinin'
and other tonics, aid get well, be
fore exposing themselves again to {
malarious atmosphere.
s V. d. HILL, NJ. D.,
a. f. FAINT, NJ. D.,
w. r STROBE, NJ. D.,
Committee,
Papers throughout the State ar,
requested to cOuy.