The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-04-28
VEGETATION AND HEALTH.

Ancient Ideas Sustained by Recent Inves-
tfgations-The Sunhower as y Sanitary
| Agent. A nr
The English Gardener Magazine
says: "Our instinct leads us TO delight
in flowers. Their beauty and perfume
have irresistible attractions for us. We
have little dreamed that we were thus
led to surround ourselves with objects
which most powerfully conduce to health.
| No doubt there are certain members of
the vegetable kingdom which are exceed
ingly deleterioas; for, not to speak of
the much-dreaded upas, the West Indian
manchineel, and some species of the
American rhus, there are some of our
common sweet-scented flowers, such as
the mezereon, which have very injurious
properties. But recent investigation
has proved that those adornments of our
gardens for the presence of which we so
crave, are, as rule, endowed with
health preserving qualities. Oxygen,
when highly electrified, and 80 rendered
especially vitaizing, has in recent times
been distinguished by the name of ozone.
This is one of the chief elements of q
healthy atmosphere. Now, centuries
ago it was known that certain plants act
ed as powerful disinfectants. Thus
Herodian tells us that, when in the sec
ond century the plague ragged in italy,
the physicians recommended those who
crowded into Rome to go to Laurentum,
because there the sweet-bay tree (Laurus
nobius) grew in great abundance, and
the inhalation of air impregnated with its
odors was strong preservative against
infection. And the disciples of Empe-
docies were wont to grow aromatic and
balsamic herbs around their dwell
ings, from the belief that they
were thus guarding themselves against
fevers, agues, and such like. Has not,
too, among us the tradition OF its fever
dispelling power given the name of
feverfew to one of the strongest-scented
Of the composite2 Recent investiga-
tons, especially those of Prof. Monte
gazza, of Pagna, and DR.. Cornelius Fox,
have shown that these old ideas were
based on scientific truth. It is now
ascertained that the quality of ozone is
materially increased by the exposure to
the rays of the sun of various plants,
among which the most common are the
lavender, musk, cherry, laurel, Glove,
fennel, narcissus, heliotrope, hyacinth,
and mignonette. 1t is interesting to
know that the sunfower, which will
grow almost anywhere, and can be
turned to various useful purposes, is one
of the most valuable of sanitary agents,
since not only is it ozoniparous, but also
destroys deleterious miasmata. 1t
should be noted as further proof of the
good influence of plant-culture on
health, that, while the manufacture of
ozone is an Independent work carried on
by the flowers alone, the green leaves
are performing their sanitary function
by extracting carbonic-acid gas from the
atmosphere, and helping to reserve that
portion in its elements which tends to
make it healthful. More remarkable,
perhaps, than all is the eucalyptus, of
which we have recently heard 80 much,
and of which we shall soon know more.
Thus the cultivation of flowers is work
not merely delightful and humanizing in
itself, but one which, in way most
beautiful and picturesque, confersa posi-
tive benefit on society, 80 great that it
can hardly be overrated, especially in
large towns, where there must neces-
sarily be so much to poison and dete
riorate the air we breathe. It may be
added that the sunfower thrives in the
heart of London, and that it is readily
propagated from seeds sown in March
or April. It is nearly allied to the COM
mon Jerusalem artichoke, which also
grows in the smokiest of districts.