Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-06-22
WHENCE Is 1T:

Seeing that we are ourselves accused by
thoughtless and excited people of partially
suppressing the facts about the present cpl
demic, we are slow to accuse our brethren
of Memphis, Louisville and elsewhere of q
similar delinquency. Certain it is, that the
up, is gaining for Nashville a very unenyi-
| able reputation, and no dollars. ALI human
knowledge, and even the possibility of its
acquisition, rests on the axiom that every
effect is the result and consequence of some
sufficient cause, or combination of causes.
Surprising that we are not the victims of
exceptional honesty in making up the cho
era record, can we discover any causes why
Nashville should be afflicted 50 much more
severely than her sisters? Elevated 400
feet above the level of the sea, our location
presents all the requirements for healthful-
ness in this latitude. The undulation Of
bill and vale, securing natural drainage, is
ger orally considered better than the COM
parative dead levels of st. Louis aud Louis
vile, where we have actually seen water
running three ways in the gutter on one side
of single block. A tendency to very high
temperature in Summer has been noticed
here and is commonly attributed to the
almost naked limestone; but we might
reasonably expect, as compensation for its
heat, that this naked rock would have no
disposition to retain moisture and would
secure us a dry atmosphere, unfaVorable to
malaria. We have heard it suggested that
there are too many shade trees in the
dwelling portions of the city. The bad eff
feet of such shade in the damp weather of
the past six weeks, is uuquestionabIe; bus
in the hot dry spells that generally prevail
here during July and August, the trees are
grateful and we think not unwholesome,
unless in exceptional localities where Gods
sun is shut out from the dwellings of his
creatures the whole day long. Another
item not TO be ignored in the health Of any
city, is the presence of numerous and |
able body of physicians, the peers of any
in the land. Again, no objection has ever
been aised to the comparatively free-stone
Cumberland water, used by the bulk of
our citizens. Thus questioning our cir
cumstances, can we elicit any probable
causes for the present visitation? We VEN
ture few points, hoping ADLER minds will |
elucidate the whole subject, develop the |
fault and the remedy, prevent the recur-
rencs of calamity and redeem the good rep |
utation of Nashville:
l. The great helt of our summers, pEob |
ably renders peculiarly dangerous, the mode |
of filling the fats with all manner of re |
fuse, which has been in vogue here from |
the beginning. Other cities, further north, |
may thus utilize their sweepings and filth |
with safety, but we cannot.
2. The very fact that the typographical |
conformation of the city favored natural
drainage in its primitive state, has probably
led us to neglect too much the artificial |
drainage that becomes necessary with the !
building of many cellars and the erection of
various barriers and obstru,ti tons to the |
natural flow in nearly every yard.
8. A spring in the heart ofs city, built up
all around and above with hsbitations, and |
their concomitsnt stables ard vaults, is
hardly fit for human use. The water may
have been healthful in earlier times, but is