National Republican., 1877-09-05
MORBIFIC MARSHES
ALONG THE RIVER FRONT AND IN
THE EASTERN BRANCH

GEsrIoNs FOR THE PERMANENT CoRRE,.
TioN OF THE SAME.
The sanitary committee, to whom was re.
icrred the following preamble and resolution
Whereas the Board Of HEALTH in its third annual
report, invites attention IN the Importance IN a
frontage, stating that the vast area now par
ualiy submerged and on rcrcdiny tides giving out
poisonous omanations, generating malaria. should
O' rc'leenci NJ Whatever cost and at the earliest
possible period both the health aud prosperity OF
the District render this measure imperative; and
IcompliShmcnt Of this object have been established
by The board itscnor other authorities Of the Dis.
Rssord That this subject bc referred to the sanI.
tary committee with the direction that they care.
lly examine and report at the earliest practicable
Jay the ihrs with regard to the sanitary condition Of
said river frontage, making snch recommendations
with regard IN Its Improvement as may seem TO be
practicable and demanded by the welfare OF the
have the honor to report that they
have inspected and carefully examined the river
nuisance complained Of, and find that marshy de.
posts exist bounded north by the Chesapeake and
Ohio canal, nov abandoned and south by the
channel OF the Potomac; that from the Long Drilge
constituting an almost unbrokcn and dircc, line TO
Gicsboro Point; tho same condition continuing
nnorthward nd along me Eastern Branch US far Us
| benhings bridge. These deposits are the result OF
accumulated debris from the pcrcoiation Of All
sccnt shores, the gradual accreiion Of many years
The waters Of the cities Of Washington and Gcorgc.
Town falling gradually from the hills north Jf us 10
the Potomac river, It follows that many miles of
sewers ne Ieceptaecs Of all the filth Of the mctrop
ois are directed towards the river and dcbOurh In
the, very mrrshes In question The quantity Of
such pcrnici2us material constantly anwng
hut certainly amounts 'VUs to thomsSnds hndn"te Of
inns annually. This pnircsccnt matter enters into
lhese marshes, TO be stirred by the tides and i'm.
perfectly carried ptf on account of the immense
masses Of rank vegetation which obstruct is course
Ihe tiia currents being unable To bear away cnec.
lively the scdmentary matters against the power Of
returning waters, this halfdsSolvcd putrli matter
with the foul additions rttherrd III IT, lagynrd
course, Is brought back by cddcs over these flats
tide, communicating the surrounding atmosphere
iar and wide hy its offensive and pcsiifernus cflu.
lhvor the development Of rank vegetation, he.
coming the receptacle for an cndicSs organic
Sr"m,n n, subject to inGessGni putrcfac,lon; This
and burial to myriads OF plants and animalcuIa.
| me >nrfhcc of these marshes. covered by water
"r on eN]p"sed ] to the nays of sc"rching
gnniirra and inf,isor.a Whatever lis con.
a,hi2m' ,mhnn' whether snbmcrgcd oI, hidden
these areas firm q ndus for fermentation aud de.
cay Wlilrh should not escape the attention Of the
The noSio's gases evolved from these cp,,Sits are
lrroto'carbonate OF hydrogen, cnrbonic arid. sui.
pnnntcd hydrogen, and traces OF phosphoratcd
Ozone, the great purifier Is never found in the at.
| mnsphcrc Of these marshes, and It In supposed
@ a' IN, .he absence Of this powerful agcnt Is due To
products 0fths extensive theatre OF flrrompOsitIOn
nc ga,cs alluded to are not, however. the only
prulctS oi fermentation, which alone would not
nccrSsHrlly and under all circumstances prove
fatal 10 life But with these are dIscurrrd on,nic
Sinnlatloiis which are carried tn attitudes and to
,i'Sinlc's as The same arc conveyed by the vupnrS
thht FORM simultaneously upon thc surface Of these
marshes and Il Is rather to these organic cInaun.
lions vegetable or animal that physicists attribute
| the toxic principle which develops fever cholera
ayscntcry ard the ordinary gastric intestinal mala
Dr. Chas B. Russell SAYS: 1T Is A es,,b,isbcd
fact that the essential element In the production Of
malaria would appear TO be vegetable dccompC-
sitioh ana in order that this process shall ensuc
the simultaneous operation Of air, moisture and a
certain nigh range Of temperature is absolutely re-
g,red., or ms character are swamps and morasses
ailuNul deposits, loose, porous, sandy and argela
clo,is soils, or deep, l0any. marsy lands uneraid
by impermeahle strata, aff1rdipg capacity for The
retention Of moisture regions exposed to periodical
and occasional inundation Nc" "The toxic prin.
cip!e,' says Michel Levi, that aecOmpanies this
ga; escapes from the volatizaiion Of vegetable and
nhinni SUBSTANCES lying in state of putrenction In
IN the air OF some American plains, and demon.
be organic. Bcchi has discovered
the same in the marcmnie ofTuscany. VauGncin
Dupnytrcn and Thenard also bear testimony % the
presence OF This organic principle and II is believed
that us introduction into the human system causes
the development of so-called "malariai' disease
The careful investigation Of these scientists aud
miasm, show that they contain from thirty 10
tnIty.hv per cent Of vegetable organic matter
The marshes in our locality contain, besides The
drogen, carbonic acid, ammonia, &c.
Nilierme has demonstrated by statistical re-
huence Of these marshes. Comparing the mortality
Of children from saubrious districts with that
rom % marshy localities, he gives the proportion OF
Levi also states that malaria causes the death of
great many children, and not only generating spc.
cihc maladics, but also by seriously agyraystng,
and often rendering incurable, diseases from
which recovery under more favorable circum.
stances might be possible.
DiaTThuna dysantary anA hos
tcstinal muadics are the morbid forms developed
N these Young being. by this palustral poison. II
districts of Africa.
The records Of the registrar OF vital statistics of
our Board Of Health give The following percentage
of the mortality from zymotc or preyentabc dis.
ssses 1873, ss or q 80 Of total number OF deaths;
1876, 9D. 22Ol Of total number OF deaths: ISL
9ls or .2.02 oftotal number Of deaths. '''''
The unremitting efforts Of the Board OF Health
IN removing all nusances injurious to health over
when II exercises competent Jurisdiction has in
the last six years greatly reduced the percentage
OF mortality from zyniotc diseases The abate.
prol hc source Of malaria, and hence your commit
tee does not hesitate 10 declare that these Grounds
Reclaimed, properly drained and tlled the mortal.
I ~ ir9n zym2.e diseases In Washington will be
The local malaria affects strangers, viz: unaccli.
tricts much more sensby than The denizens Of ibe
city. We have many such coming 10 Washington.
he capital OF the nation at all times and seasons
rescniatives the foreign ministers aud multitude
Of army and navy officers, departmental clerks
ahd lheir families are among the temporary resi- |
dents o. the District OF ColuInbia whose health Is
put IN The greatest jeopardy by malaria The Pres
DENTAL Mansion Is but few thousand yards from |
the marshes, and It's inmates. as Is well known |
have to some extent suffered from the arences
alluded to herein II is for this reason that suc-
cesslve occupants OF the White House have sought
other homes during the summer season.
These statements are not made on purely theo
retical grounds The testimony of the existence of
poison III atmospheres coming frum marshy To-
calitcs Is found In the lands affected Thereby in
the shape OF continued III health, broken consiltu
lions; or In monuments marking the spots where |
the victims have fallen.
Around and within the Roman Campnyna tho
Mcrcinme of Tuscany and the Italian EnordI sixty
thousand such victims annually mark the course |
extent and fatality of malaria.
Precautions In regimen, clothing, habtation etc
may rctard ior a time the approach of malarious
disease; but the fight Is prcarious at best and pos
slbie iOT The most par! only with those In aaiucnt
circumstances, Hygiene Is the only recourse 10
which The dcniZenso these unfortunate localities
can hopefully look forrelief for the adoption ofsch
preventive measures as will forever render san.
itary these nurseries OF poison and disease and the
encouragement OF sanitary science operating I'm
this direction Is the solemn and imperative duty Of
every enlightened government.
Washington has now attained large proportlous |
having II population Of 10000 inhabltult r. IL n
the capital OF our great country. POssesSingmany |
advantage. aud extraordinary beauty the result Of
the vast system Of improvements inGugurated by
thA IutA ~ nf lI.ll