The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-05-07
T E S 7 A T E..
an ALE AND INTEREsTlNG
REPORT.
Geographical Position Geological
cn.r.cteristies kna tho Medical ToPo-
rr.pny and Hygiene ;of South Caro-
HnA.

The following report was submitted to the
stata Agricultural and Mechanical Convention,
received as information, and ordered to be pub
lshed:
REloRT OF TUE COMMITTEE ON TEE asDiCAI Iofo-
GRAPHY AND HYGIENE OF THE STATE
There Ia perhaps no one Of the diverslned ana
complex relations which mt man m ssose which relate
to the climate and locality II WniSn nm nnnsiered
nav happen to place him Wnesner Gons1uo roors
In his political physical SoGa nas,ton in regard to
these agencies, they are all nes only OF uanscen
Sent iInortance, but wherever any one or more
Of me elements involved IN sas c'e an ~ inev.
table sequence will be correspondingly uniaYS ;s
able influence upon his destiny; cneSh upoa n,s M
IoDeIsy and p seese ana a1rbSes which are
essential to his en-oelng: .;,,,,
4 subject OF such magnitude, and comprising
such diversified details, cannot pc dlsGnsSse sSss
which follow, It. is, consequently, proposSa 70
ofier few. observations relative TO the sanitary
or hygienic conditions Of the, climate OIL SCUM .a
Carolina, considered mainly IN reference 10 s; iGs
Individual characters, but partially In compari'
eon:Hith the same subject as It relates TO our
ride extended country, 30 diversified In 1ts
geographical, physical and other climatic charac'
y: tse .,e term climate, according to its ordinary
eccantst,on are involved number Of condluons
or eiernents necessary to be duly qnaelstooo ne
Sore va can be prepared to appreciate lts precise
characteristics. It may be susfcfent Tor tne por.
fhe'axufession climate includes all those physical
conditions existing upon the surface OF tae
or In the superintendent atmosphere, WniSu ~
snyWise influence organic life, and az tne SAME
time more Or lessmodny tae SaI.ea ation af the
earthjs surface. Viewed In these relatloLs, Tue
most Important points TO be discussed are: Geo
graphical poeison and eXtsn. Syeatss to
of the country, including hydrograpny; sne ss ~
mosphere, In lis various relations with temPet,a-
t nshneas and density dsynsss AN sna cdTrse Of
6e Winds, their purity and tmpurity; tne vsrying
degrees Of electric tension; the productions Oh the
se tSs sscnssien Of the characteristics Of the
climate Of South Carolina, In relation with It's san.
itary condition, II is proposed to notice Drleny
each the points alluded to above, ana 40 ueouce
therefrom such conclusions as may oe legIlmsW,-
mate of The health Of the State, compared 70 the
hygienic conditions Of other sections. Z
> L-aeographtoal Position.
South Carolina, In its general connguratlon, Is
Of an irregular triangular shape, ana ls lntSrpoe-
ed between North Caroline, on sne mo- ho'nea annsn
WeSt, nom which latter 1t is separated, tnrouSa
itsSntfre length. by the Savannah Kver snd us
mountain tributary streams On the sootneast
R0QA06O
by.the Atlantic Ocean. diversified by numerous
fiants, fnlets, and estusries OF rivers. lts geo,
6rSphicsl position Is between 80 deg; MIN; W
sec. aud, S. deg. u min: north latitude, and %
nom Greenwich. It presents superficial area
OF upwards u 80 600 square miles, being In length
from south to north, Mhere 1t approaches tne Al
!egh. Mountains ao9l5 1s9 ,nIr miles, ane apea,l1 IN
diversined In phys aspect; m SOIL In its natu-
raj and agricultural products, In climatic innu-
ence and many other characters.
H-Pnysical Geography. and Geological Char
dcters or Ise STATE
To economize space, It ID proposed to discuss
these two elements under one head.
From the Atlantic Ocean to the northern boun-
dsry OF the State, the face OF the country pre-
sents aigradual ascent, fer the most part uniform,
for 4 distance ofs70 or 80 miles; then irregular
and undulating until height Is attained, at the
summit of it's loftlest mountains, Of $500 feet
= above the level OF the ocean.
Az the physical features Of the State are nota-
biz related toits geographical position and con.
stsutln, 1t ls expedient. to give in this eonnec-
tion, brier outline Of the latter In order to be
able. Ia trace this relationship.
may be divided into two parts OF nearly equal ex-
tent, which as regards some individual consider
atlons In relation to situation, soli clmate e.,
NAV be eubdiyided int several zones, or limited
1. In. relation 70 geological constitution, the
arss pTimary division, comprising an the lower
k6,.-G
distance Of from q hundred TO hundred ana
twenty miles into the interior, belongs exclusively
20 the tertiary Qeose0ions periods characterized
sy the following sPoSas ~ Tisn az ars sesan
points. Thus considering them In the order OF
natural succession, the eocene, the miocene, the
pliocene and the postpliosene, and the dlluvlnm,
are Al found In variable relations, In tins section
OF tie State: while Of these, the pliocene and
postpliocene present the greatest preponderance.
Inc fossiniferous beds by which these formations
nadsre m sne weoe ~ owss ona bsn
dred and twenty miles from the coast. ana clearly
Indicate that at some remote period this vast ex-
tent OF country, now made up OF undulating plains
knobs and stsgnsnt pools, generally covered with
aiSantic forest treea. snd an almost impenetra.
ble growth .sf ahrubs and other productions OF
the ,superinCumbent oceans; and that these ex.
tinct types OF animal nature forming the fossilt.
ferrous seds In question, are but the dead repre-:
sentasives OF myriads Of. living beings Of
preventative now exists on earth, or in the
depths Of the ocean: Interposed between
tho fosslliferous beds in question are variable
tsm ssas great 81 rssuaty and render il dcaty
in many places 10 denne their limits; and besides
these, are found, In several localities, beds OF
water.worn pebbles, gravel &C., tnterml1ed Win
tho tertiary probably not belonging originally to
their present position but formed Of the debris Of
the primitive rocks Of the upper region OF the
Htate which have been washed down bJ the cur
rents Of rivers and deposited where they now re-
pose. It should be further remarked that the
beds OF sand, superimposed npon these fossiill1e-
fous deposits are variable as TO character; being
derived, In part, from different sources, they re-
semble, la the main. the beds Of sand drifts now
exhibited along the shores OF the ocean, and thus
rexempiify how the undulating surface presented
by thfs lower division Of the State, and the hill
locks thus formed, became ps. nanently fixed In
proportion q the ocean wave receded to Its pres
emit limits, and LEFT as dry land vast extent or
space formerly submerged beneath its mighty
wave. Interposed between the lower tertiary OF
the region In question: and the primitive rocks OF
the upper diEison Of the State, we find the creta-
ceoas formation, and Is these several strata IN.
cline, By q GRADUAL ascent, from the shore to the
distance OF about 120 miles, the ontcropping at
that point reaches an elevation OF abeIt 80 feet
above tide level and indicates the line OF transit
don between theitertiary and primitive, or gran
itic formations.
4 The upper grand d:..slen Of the State ex-
or gralitic geological epoch, and while; IN
the division considered above, the formations
peculiar TO this primary period are overtopped
BY and covered under the tertiary, they come
here boldly into view, and while they impress an
entirely different aspect upon the physical aspect
Of the face Of the region, thep influence produces
not less important notifications upon the char
acter and composition OF the soil and its natural
productions.
As has been tntimated above, this region ex-
tends from the limits Of the tertiary previously
described, to the northern terminus Of the terrific
rial limits OF the State. Starting from the upper
limits Of the tertiary, and proceeding in the north.
erly or northeastern direction, narrow belt Of
connfrv uenara11v undulafinU in asnact rnnaiat.