Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-06-25
COMMON SENSE ~ HOE WEATHER

COMMON SENSE IN HOT WEATHER
fla person has any common sense, he or
she can never use it to better advantage
than during those hot days Of sumner and
early in autumn, when the atmosphere in
our climste contains a large amount of
moisture, invisible in its spaces, and thu
germs of many diseases also invisible, with
a tempsrature that favors the vital activity
of these germs whe n taken into the human
system, while breathing night and day. As
in grating scions into living trees, and in
oculating them with buds, success depends
entirely on the condition OF both the bud
and the tree, so the success Of having the
cholera depends wholly on the vital activity
OF the cholera germ, and the condition
of the human stock into which it is inocu-
lated. Millions of these cells pass through
the bowels, and blood vessels of man with
out doing any serious harm. Texas cattle
have indefinite millions 0 { spores, or fungal
cells ia the contents of their bowels and in
their blood, as found by Prof. Gamgee and
Others, without being apparently injured by
their presence. But let these cattle drop
their excrements on the grass of Kansas,
Missouri, Illinois, or Tennessee, as has hap
pened when taken from cars to drink and
rest on their way TO market, ard these
parasites, IT, taken, kill local stock.
Animal life leans TO bear with comparative
inpunity, iDfietions of all kinds. One
man will take into his stomach quantity
Of opium, without Inconvenience, that will
be fatal to one who had never used the
drug. 1t is in this way that Texas cattle,
disseminate over many States, true boy
inc cholera, which is indigenous in Gulf
region, and as harmless to them as subdued
chills and fever to an acclimated person.
Cattle murrain belongs to the same class
of miasmatic complsints. 1t is not impos-
sible for murrain germs and those OF the
Texas cattle distemper, to grow in man,
and kill him.
There are probably as many different
species of vegetable unicelIs, and multi
cells as there are of insects in the animal
kingdom; of which some 100000 are
named. When one sees grapes more or
less blighted or rotted early, or sees an APP
pie or pear disfgured in form, he has be-
fore him the work of vegetable parasite.
Instead of fighting the cholera germs in
common sense way, we do much to null
tply them indefinitely il Nashville. All
fecal matter fsvors their growth, and to
m'ke a sure thing of their propagation,
our night carts are emptied into
stream that carries excrements a
short distance down TO the pump
that lifts water into common reservoir
for generous municipal distribution over
the city to be used for drinking, making cof-
fee and all culinary purposes. This ought
to be remedied, even if the water-works
have to be removed eight or ten miles into
the country, where supply of pure water
can be obtained. There is no doubt that
the unfltered water from the river which
is thrown into the reservoir and which OR
citizens, with few exceptions, have been
using, has ceen rather injurious than other
wise during the cholera visitation. But
this water is pure AMI harmless when run
through good filter.
Everything that is either filthy
o. foolish finds patronage in cities,
but not cleanliness nor common sense.
Every particle Of vegetable or animal mat
ter which is not useful in city for other
purposes, is valuable as raw material out of
which to form new plants and animals on
the land that supports the inhabitants of
the city. Common sense tells us that Nash
vile needs certain quantity of grain for
bread, and feeding horses and cows; needs
also meat and other provisions, taken from
the soil. Without adequate restitution the
land becomes barren. What supreme folly
and wickedness TO throw the fertility of the
soil that gives our children their bread
partly into the Cumberland river and part
L. into the living germs of frightful pesti-
IeDce! Man is not the only being that can
easily form every part of its body, includ-
ing bones, muscles, brain and nerves, ont
of wheat bread. All animals without ex-
ception do the same. There are thousand
species of insects whose young grow to
maturity on this plant, like those of the
Hessian fly, wheat fly, and weeVil. Among
plants, mold, mildew, must, rust and smut,
are equally well known; and there are
thousands more. The fertilizers which
come from -four, meat and meal should not
be wasted. 1t is he abuse ofvegetable and
animal substances that generates cholera,
and many other fatal diseases. These sub
stances are all taken from the soil before
they are brought 10 the city. Properly
handled, no harm would accrue to any from
their legitimate use.