Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-07-27

president Of the board, says he will CO.
operate with this body. He was request.
ed to do this, q petition requesting him
to withdraw his resignation being in cir.
c~ulation Among the citizens.
PRECAUTIONS AT yIcKsBURG
The Vicksburg Herald, OF the 18th,
says:
A responsible gentleman who passed
through this city yesterday, on his way
home from New Orleans, says that there
is a good deal Of yellow fever down there;
that it is not confined to the lower classes,
out on Tuesday morning there were
many cases 10 some of the best families,
and leading physicians think that an
epidemic is impending and imminent.
We do not mention this as q sensation,
merely, but wish to impress on this COM
munity the necessity OF absolute clean.
illness on their premises. DR.. Balfour is
thoroughly disinfecting the streets and
public cutters, but all that he can do in
that way will amount to little without
the cooperation Of citizens and house
holders. Those who have neglected
their premises should clean them up at
once, and those who have already cleaned
out their back yards should go over them
again TO make assurance doubly sure.
An epidemic here would be r%uinous and
il would be a misfortune for which our
people would have to reproach them.
selves as one which could have been
avoided by a little prudence.
KEEP II CITY CLEAN.
In conversation with a prominent ply.
stefan yesterday much was said regard
ing yellow fever, its origin and treatment
Apropos to this, we present the following
interesting communication from a Mem.
phis physician:
To the Editor Of the Ledger:
Yellow fever is supposed to be pro
dueed by the entrance into the system Of
q specific poison, which acts somewhat
on the principle of a ierment, and is
therefore called a zymotic disease. We
notice that certain conditions Of the at
mosphere are favorable, and others unfa.
vorable, to its production aud spread
We notice that heat fsvors these condi.
tions, and that cold or frost destroys
them Hence, as an epidemic disease,
It is peculiar to bot climates. We notice
that filth is an important factor in pro
ducing favorable conditions tor the
/, spread of the disease. II is hardly
known in the rural districts, where the
air is pure, but is mostly confined to the
cities, where filth is allowed to commu
nicate. II is also noticed to have sem
connection With electrical phenomena
prevailing mostly during seasons when
thunder-storms do not.
From the above facts, is it not reason
able to conclude that yellow fever is
3 disease that can only exist in gu atmos.
phere deficient in ozoue2 There are two
kinds OF oxygen 10 the air, the
one passive and the other &C
tive; the active variety is called
/. ozone. Certain forces may change
i, the active, or ozone, into the passive;
other forces change the passive into the
1 active. Ozone is nature 8. great purifier
and disinfeclant. II destroys the putri
factive principle; meat will dry in its
presence without decomposlng in the
: least; the odor Of rotten eggs may be in,
l stantly destroyed by it, and the air il
:. their vicinity rendered as sweet as tina
q upon the mountains. But in neutrali
A.. zing the vast quantities of filth in largt
cities the ozone becomes exhausted, ans
it is only by the action of electricity OF
i. the passive cxygeR of the air that it car
be restored. If thunder storms do no
4 occur the air remains deficient in czone.
but if frost should take place and stoI
the putriiactive principle, the drain upor
the ozone would be stopped and in &
5 short time the air from the surrounding
v country-not deprived OF its ozone by
, flth-Would rush into the city and the
air 10 the city would thus be restored to
a healthy condition. Or, if the city i,
r kept very clean, the ozone OF the all
o does not become exhausted, and oonse,
Quently such disease as yellow fever
. cannot become epidemic.
. Now, since we cannot produce ozone by
causing thunderstoFms, nor can We stop
putrifaction by causing frosts, we must
, do the best we cau-keep our city clean.
Probably the next hest thing we can dc
is to initiate nature and increase ma
lures great disinfeotapt, ozone, in ouI
t rooms by supplying them with ozone
generators, or by manufacturing ozone
r in any Of thu various plans in use. N.
. To the Editor of the Ledgeri
. As one Of the city council whose seat
. in regular and call meetings is never
vacant, and who never shirks the ardu
Gus duties OF committee work imposed
upon him, | feel it my duty to yipdisate
myself and a few others OF the genera
council, who meet from two to six times
) q week, spending their time looking az
ter the welfare of the city in it's many
interests; receiving nothing 10 return
for all this work and tropble-nothing
except abuse from the people and the
e press. / am sure If you or tho editors
e Of the Appeal were for one month to
meet at all the regular meetings Of coun
i Gil and those Of the courts, they would
discriminate when they had fault to find
The Appeal of this morning is quite Sc
we're in erilicising the action of council
or, more properly speaking, for want OF q
+, quorum, and consequently no action in
= the matter OF quarsniine. In consequence
d of the absence Of a few of the faithful
who are out Of the city in search C
q health aud other valid reasons, it is al
most impossible to get a quorum. And
yesterday there lacked but one Of a quo
rum. You would probably excuse theil
absence If you knew there was some i'm
a portant racing yesterday evening. | anC
all others who belong to the council anc
: do try to do our duty would be glad t
have you c%riticise the want Of interes
b taken by a few of the members till the,
q will resign and allow others TO take thei
places who will take a part OF the bur
then Off Of those whol don't finch frou