The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1873-07-03
For the Eagle.
MALARIA.
BY DIR. c. j.. McADAMS.

supposed origin because. as yet. it is
only speculative hypothesis. This,
like all other scientific problems, has
been inquired into by some of the
most able men in the profession, but il
has baffled all their skill, and to-day il
is as much problem to the scientific
world as il was hundred years ago.
There has been a great many ideas
advanced as TO the origin of malaria,
and some very plausible ones. For in
stance. Prof. j. X. Mitchell. of Phila-
dclphia, SAYS that he believes malarial
diseases TO be caused by a vegetable
organism, whose substance or enema
lions enter the body. Prof. Harmon,
of BRUSSELS, believes il 10 originate
from certain fresh water alga. DR..
Salisbury, of Ohio, has recorded in the
January number of the American
JoRrnai Of Medicine for 1866 some
very Interesting observations aud cX-
periments tending 10 show that minute
cryptogamic plants. of the family of
palmella, Astounding over the surface
Of marshes. can generate intermittent
fever when transplanted 10 localities
otherwise free from it,
Iou will observe that these gentle
men believe malaria to be n specific
poison, and to originate from specific
n |, 4
Of a particular plant. But their de-
monstrations would not bear repeated
Investigations. For instance, DR. Sal
isbury, of Ohio, transplanled this par
iicular plant he speaks of around a
mans house, who lived i'm very
healthy locality. The plants grew
thriftily, as did all varieties of vcgeta-
ton that year. The result was the
family were all sick: hence his article
in the JouTndi. The following year,
however, the plants grew as they did
the year previous, but il not being a
very sickly year the family had no i'll
termittent fever. You see by the above
that the experiment proved a failure
on the second trial The same cause
was there the second year that was
there the first year, and the family
were healthy, and SO was that particu-
lar plant healthy.
These gentlemen confined themselves
Gas they supposedly TO the following
facts, from which they formed their
ideas: first, the largest number of
cases occur in the fall of the wear
spring the next greatest number. Sec
ond. they are generally confined TO par
ticular localities. Third, they never
prevail in thicl>ly built cities. Fourth,
Il warm. wet summer is necessary 10
their development. They are more
violent in tropical climates. Fifth,
they prevail least where the earth is
rocky, and most where marshes, shall
low lakes and slow streams are. Sixth,
the draining Of ponds and the culture
of new soil often originate them.
Seventh, their prevalence is always
checked in the fall Of the year by a de-
cidcd frost.
Now. from the above facts. the idea
originated that il was a particularvcg
ctable plant. aud that the warm and
wet locations were favorable 10 its
growth: also that the frost killing the
plant stopped the supply of new germs
and destroyed those that were already
9crmanatcd.
But the malarial plant theory has
been superseded by the decomposition
idea. viz: That the origin of malaria
is the result of decomposed animal or
vegetable matter. am believer in
the latter, but not in the former cause.
and that decomposed animal matter
has aOthiny to do with the cause of
malaria. ! believe that decomposed
animal matter generates specific
nuclei or germ. and when il is inhaled
10y the lungs or taken in by the stom-
ach of man, gcrmanatcs and produces
specific disease. i. c. typhoid fever
but as for animal matter assisting IN
the oermanation of malaria. | have my
doubts.
In our late civil war we had many
opportunities TO Judge as to the cause
of malaria. The battle grounds were
mostly in the south. where the climate
is very warm, and vegetation grows
very rapid and animal matter dccom-
poses very fast. Oftentimes the sol
dicrs campcd upon the same ground,
and remained there for weeks. where
The day previous they fought a hard
battle. The ground was strewn with
their dead comrades and horses. and
the atmosphere was continually inn
pregnatcd with a stencil. arising from
the accomplishing animal matter. Now
if malaria is caused by decomposcd an
imal matter why did not those soldiers /
suffer from malarial fevcrs? under !
stand they did not but on the con-
IL iiitN WHY Hpt Iht'tts. W IN
these ieycrs any more than usual. and /
had bowel complaints. such As diar- /
rhga. dysen,ery and cntcretous.
Again. the sea shore is said 10 be eN- /
cmpt from malarial fcyers. when at the .
same time on the lower beach the tide I
will leave the sand covered with fish. /
etc. 10 be dccomposed by the /
hot sun. and the air AT the same time F.
is fun of the disagrceablc eflluvia aris-
Ing from the decomposing matter. Yet
there is 40 malarial fever here.
| think the cause of malaria i due 10
iecomposed vegetable matter alone.
Why? First. because they generally
occur in the fall of the year, when veg
citation of every variety has arrived AT
performed its functions.
lies. decomposes and returns TO its
mother earth. Second. they are not
strictly located. but are found where
,vcr you find large growth of yege-
alton. The city is of course exempted.
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