The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-09-06
THE MOSS PREVENTIVE.
T1llanasIa Usne0ldes lspamBsEa Gray Moss
and YellOw Fever.

T1llRnasia Usne0ld es tspanBsF Gray Moss
and YelaOw Fever.
LOUISVILLE. KY, August 81, 1878.
To the Editor OF the Democrat:
would respectfully call the attention Of the
medical profession to the use Of the tillandsia
usneoides In the treatment Of yellow fever. and
malarial fevers In general.
Tillandsia usneoides,, or Spanish moss,
Is found in the true yellow fever belt widely
scattered and hanging from the trees, clothing
found In those localities where malaria and
miasmatic exhalations are known to exist. It
indicates the limits Of malarial exeesses. and it
ceases to flourish and exist outside Of those
limits Nature seems 10 have provided this re-
markable plant in those localities for wise
The .tillandsia, is not an orchid nor para
site. It is purely an air plant, and feeds upon
the malaria. or miasmatie yapors hat exhalate
matter In. the swamps of the lqwIands and
marshes of the yellow fever belt It Is M known
to exist on the tops OF the hghestt hiils sHr t
fact that miasmati3 exhalatlons aseend and fix
themselves upon high points. While thus i. ex-
sE IL aud
yapors, Its growth may be considered ablessing
from the hands of Providence. Every fllament
powerful breathing apparatus for the inhalation
and absorption Of Its customary food which ls
constantly being generated under the necessary
conditions. heat and moisture. The tiilandsia
G nsumes vast proportion OF this poison
otherwise our Southern cline would become
uninhabitable. The destruction OF moss for
commercial purposes and the stripping or the
trees have had a marked influence In tne
spread of malarial diseases in the last Jew
years. .e a., -.
Ouinine acts by supersession, and II the bit
ter principle of the tillandsia can be obtained by
our chemists 1t Is fair to suppose that 1t Would 9
act as PROMPTLY as Quinine, and the theory OF
sin1iliG sin1izibus curGat,r be definitely estap.
| lished. But this theory is unimportant, except
so far as 1t may tend to arrest the progress OF
| the malariaI diseases. It is known that the
negroes on the plantations often prescribe de-
| coctions of Spanish moss in feyers as fepri-
| fuge and diaphoretic with happy etfsef. MOE ls
| 1t disagr reeabe to the stomach In the eoncen
trated form of an extract or an aikalQld, II
might prove an antidote or, at Least; act Dene.
flcially in the cure of yellow fever. Nature mas
placed 1t in those latitudes alone where sucn
fzvers pre- vail Its habitat is the habitat OF vel;
| low fever. and. for wise purposes, It Is placeo
| ready for use where it is most needed -
The writer of this article knows. that TIL
| landsa has been used in the form Of decoc
| tion or Infusion as diaphoretic and anodynt
| without any irritation of the stomach. He saw
| it used by negroes during the epidemic of 1856
! in Texas, near the Gulf coast. where yellow
/ fever attacked both white and black. Another
very remarkable feature was noticed IL connec
| ton with the pre- parati lon of moss for CONNER
| cial purposes. When it has been rotted in vat
for market it is always Withdrawn from IN
vats during a strong wind, and alWays from tn
Windward side; for if the laborer should neg