The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1878-08-15
No Need for Quarantine in Austin.

The New Orleans Times saws that
the long continued rains have had the
usual effect of setting free pernicious
exnalations, giving rise to malarial
complaints of greater or less severity,
which are often mistaken for the much
dreaded pestilence. 1t is now conced-
ed that henogastric pestilence, or vel
low fever, has similar origin to all mi
asmatic complaints. Decaying vegeta-
BILE matter, acted on by moisture and
heat, evolves mephitic Yapors which
invade the system, and, accumulating
there, act as powerful congestive poi
son, eminently destructive to life. In
true yellow fever this poison is thought
to be microscopic spore, capable of
being propagated wherever the pecu-
liar elements and conditions necessary
TO its existence are found. This has
been proven by the fact that ths germ
of the diseasSs9GJ be iISall,,i -,
tain localities where adverse conufclolIs
exist, and though no precautions are
used, it will not spresd-or, again, TO n
| place of favorable influence where IL
will speedily engender ravishlng epi-
demic. BY long continued obserYa-
ton and experiment science has shown
that the multiplication of the fever
spores may be arrested and the term of
the scourge eradicated, even from
places where every condition favorable
| to it is known to exist. ANY antiseptic
chemical, lavIshly used upon the breed
ing spot of the malaria, will DESTROY it,
or if used upon contiguous spots will
neutralize its efforts to extend. It was
thus in '73, IA, '75 and '76 that yellow
fever, though existing in the city, was
confined to localities in which it orig
mated, and in short time COM
pletely driven out.
OF these substances, used to stay pu-
trefaction, carbolic or picnic acid is
the cheapest and most common. Min
gled with twenty or thirty times its
bulk OF water, it will Immediately de-
stroy, by cauteriZatiOn, any miasmatlc
spores with which it may come in con-
tact, and effeetually prevent their pro-
gress to new breeding spots, if well
sprinkled In circumscriblng line. For
sinks, which are dangerous hiding
places for the pest, chlorinated lime is
better than carbolic acid. Possessing
powerful affinity for hydrogen, chlo-
rlne instantly decomposes organic sub:
stances and vapors, assimilating the
hydrogen, and precipitating the inocu-
GUS carbon. 1t will give off Its chlorine |
fort hree or four days, attacking all mi |
asma as it rises, and destroying it.
Cisterns are endangering places of |
malaria. The rain water, flowing from |
the roof, carries down particles of |
wood, dust, lichon fungus and organic |
matter of various descriptions. These,
confined in the warm tank, putrefy, |
and thus introduce poison into the |
household through the necessity of |
drink. In addition, cisterns are the
homes of the larv9 of insects-the mos
quito particularly-which, in this in
cipient stage of existence, frequently
die, and render noxious the surround
ing element. To obviate this, the best
purifcsnt is the permauganste of pot
ash. OF this salt, one grain to the gall
lon of water to be purified should be
taken, dissolved IN little warm wa
ter, and added little by little to the
cistern. Il at once attacks all organic
matter, living and dead, precipitates il
in insoluble form TO the bottom. If
thus used every three weeks or SO, the
cistern water will be kept assuredly
pure and wholesome. Dry willow
charcoal, contained in a large linen
sack and immersed in the cistern, Will,
IN few hours, absorb ali the gases the
water may contain. It may then be
Withdrawn, and the operation repeated
at the end of the week, using fresh
charcoal. The permangamste Of DO
tassa, however, is yet more valuable, as
it destroys the source Of the missma.
Both used in conjunction viii render
cistern water absolutely pure and free
from taint. One of the most powerful
agents for the destruction of infusoria
in water is quinine. 10 proportion of
70 1000, It will destroy them in &
few hours, and Il has been found that
one dracnm in 1000 gallons will not :
kill the lsrye, but will effectually pre- {
vent their again being germinsted
within the receptacle. Such ouanti- !
y could not be perceptible 20 the taste 4
N anywise.