Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-07-31

lected for utilization, there is necessa-
rily some waste. This viii be washed
into the river, whore it will coagulate
and sink, and unless the current isvery
strong it VIII remain at the bottom of
the river until the temperature of the
water is such as to cause the putrefac.
tive process to take place. / have fire.
quently found coagulated blood at the
bottom of the Chicago river months
after it had been deposited, and when
its presence had become manifest by
the escape Of noxio1s gases, the result
of decomposition" In this case water
delayed the decomposition of blood
"a very ehangeable substance) for
months. Had it been applied to warm
drained land, as food for corn, turnips
or cotton, the rotting of the blood
would have commenced at once.
We are not to be understood as say
ing or meaning that mephitic gases are
harmless, but we do say that they fail
to account for the phenomena of Vi
tality and the wonderful growth of
cOntagion from few parent germs.
How can dead, disorganized molecule
of air of any kind multiply itself, as
blowing fly lays a thousand eggs on
the carcass Of a dead horse, each of
which will form fly equal in all re-
spects to its pregenitors? Neither
gases, water nor. solids operate in thPt
way. Spreading epidemics mean not
only motion but life; and this micro
seopic life In a parasitic form often
does serious injury in August. In
prudence of any kind gives the parasite,
whether in the brain, spinal cord, flesh
or elsewhere, an undue advantage over
human vitality. When the problem is
life in million against life in one
biped, we should not be so unwise as
to help the former against the latter.
Neither yellow fever, typhoid fever or
chills and fever can grow without It's
vital germ, any better than crop IF
corn or a crop of cotton can spring up
and grow by the acre, with no seed
whatever. The seeds of disease are not
so large as thos of corn ard cotton,
but they ought to be studied.
A damp, warm atmosphere, ike that
In the hold Of a ship in a tropical
climate, is fair hot-bed for propa-
eating any malarial seeds. a ship
infested with plague, yellow fever or
cholera, on landing it's diseased sailors
and passengers, does not send poison
Gus gases to infect the inhabitants of
a whole city, county or nation, but
self-multiplying germs spread to live
and flourish wherever the condition of
things fayors their existence. Humid
ity is one of these conditions, with |
nutriment, as mould grows
In moist bread, cheese and ham, and |
large masses Of smut are now growing
parasites on many a stalk Of corn.
Cattle and mules may be poisoned the !
coming fall and winter by eating too |
much of this fungus, or too much |
smut that grew in the wheat and may |
become mingled with chaff, straw or
bran.
When man or beast dies it would be
well if the public understood the cause |
Of such death. To investigate the
causes OF events leads to a higher and
better system of popular education.
Such studies are to be commended and
encouraged. Remove the conditions of
a plague and the plague viii cease to
trouble mankind. Thorough drainage
in town and country, is doing much to
prevent epidemics of all kinds. The
immediate drying of refuse animal and
matters in cities, to be used
as fertilizers, would promote health and
comfort while the fertilizers would pay,
9r nearly pay, all expenses. Reform
and progress are needed in this direc-
ton. Commodore Cooper telegraphs
that 'The yellow fever Epidemic at
Barrancas is fearful, and it is feared
here is some local cause for the dis
ease" OF course there is; and all
such causes should be kept at a dis.