The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-02-23
Mn. EDITOR: notice in your paper

mer practitioney'of medicine in this city,
now an absentee Of mnny years .dura-
ton. It appears 10 that tho import
ance OF this letter has been greatly ex-
aggerated, which can be made apparent
by slight examination. Az, for in
stance, when he states that he was in
formed when he first came to Columbia
to practice, that I'LL the city West of the
Main street was healthy before the con-
struction of tho dam; and that after the
dam was built, but few families above
Halls Hill but were subject to bilious
fevers, &C." Since the destruction oi
the dam, ''thc health of the city has
been constantly increasing, until now,
when all know no place more healthy"
We have here, first, the broad assertion
that all the city West of Main street was
healthy. This is certainly very strong
statement, which, if it was true then,
certainly has never been since, and is
not now; in which assertion, l am GER
tain, every physician OF the place will
agree with me. The dam is constructed; !;
what then? lie says that few of the
families above Halls Hill but were sub
ject to bilious and intermittept fev+rs,
unit til the dam WAS taken away. From
this. we are forced 70 conclude thut the
portion OF the city which sustained
damage was that above Halls HILL The
dam is destroyed. What is the effect?
"Since then. the health OF tho city has
been increasing, until now, when all
know no place moro healthy" It seems
to ME that this is very louAe reasoning.
First, most unqualified statement of
health, which. from the very nature Of
things, could not have existed; second,
an assertion of Il partial injury to the
health Of the city; and finally, an nbso-
lutte attribution of the steady progress in
health Of ~ city Of 5000 inhabitants,
during period of forty years, to the re-
moval of II small obstruction in a river
on ita EXTREMIST outskirt.
Again, the Doctor states that lie is
satisfied that the dnmming of the river,
as now contemplated by the owner of
the canal, would be disastrous to the
health of the city. Why he is satisfied
that it would be, he does not state. l
am perfectly satisfied that the venerable
Doctor does not have the remotest idea
OF where the dam is to be, or what the
present condition of the country is.
Who is the most capable Of forming
correct opinion, those who do know
where the dam is to be, have, with their
owa eyes. inspected the whole country
recently, have no hobby to ride; or one
who belongs to period of at lenst
twenty years since, has not seen the
country about the proposed dam III
twenty years, aud writes only from hear.
say. hundreds of miles distant. Again.
he asserts, that "no change should he
10 ~ tI,of Gel
aud free flow of the same" Again,
s.any change would end in increasing
miasma. Now, had the Doctor said
any change which would lead to the ex-
posure Of the river bod and low places,
would increase miasma, we would all
agree with him; but change which
would submerge all these and keep them
80. certainly would have the contrary
effect. 1t is at this point that the Doc.
tors letter becomes an argument in
favor of u dam, for nature is constantly
performing the net which the Doctor SO
strongly lepreoutes. since the constant
swells and falls of the river do very often
produce "changcs in the river which
prevent free and full flow of the
strcam," alternately covering AMI cx-
posing fiat and marshy places directly
opposite to the city. This the dam
would prevent, and. therefore, the Doc
tors diction is in favor OF the dam, and
not against it. So much for the Doctors
arguments. 1 will now state what ap-
pears to mo to be tho true cause of the
former unhealthiness and subsequent i'm
provement OF the health of Columbia
The medical history OF all new coun-
tries proclaim tho fnct that there are
three phases of health. First. with Il
virgin forest and soil, we have health.
Secondly. with sparse population, par
tal clearing and imperfect drainage.
sickness. Finally, close population.
thorough drainage and cultivation. health
again. Now, this fact will give the sou-
ton to the whole of tho matter The
period in which the Doctor arrived in
Columbia corresponds to the second o..
these conditions; and when the marshes,
&c.. which filled that portion of the city
which corresponds to that above Halls
Hill were drained, the sickness subsided.
This will account for that portion Of the
city. The portion which is now occu-
pied by the Charlotte Railroad shops,
&C., was not healthy until tue morass in
tha raur Of Tuylnr'a oil honSo xrnS