The Bossier banner., 1880-09-23
The Causes OF Periodic Fevers.

1ue Stuuy OI uQo CduSoS VI uISeaS0,
not only in reference to treatment, but
with view to their prevention, is now
recognized as one of the chief pursuits
of medical science. 1t is also reeog-
nized that the laity need to study and
understand what is known in this de-
partment. The treatment of disease
must ever be an art by itself. But the
study of the causes of disease is some
what within the range of every student
and observer of nature. The objective
and the subjective is not only a wise
division in logic, but in a modified
sense appertains to various classifca-
tions. There are diseases whose origin
is always and wholly without the body.
There are others which only have their
origin within the body. An old division
had precisely this distinction of
"miasms. 1t is now generally agreed
that the exciting cause of chills and
fever, of intermittent fever, of remittent
fever, of all that class of ailments asso-
ciated under the name malaria" in its
proper technical sense, is dependent
upon an infective particle from without.
There are differences of susceptibility,
and conditions of system may invite the
disease; but it will never originate or
be de noU0 in the system unless it has
been generated by influences from
without. A chill may occur from this
or that cause, and be repeated; but, if
it be the usual "chill and fever" it
arises from exposure to some external
influence which has excited it. The
entity has not been discovered. We
tvn of 1fc vuba ,fC rs
the conditions of its productivity, of its
naod1s Opera,sdi; but have never yet
caught the vagabond infective. Long
ago Salisbury thought he had found it
in one species of paldual plant-life.
Later still Prof. Klebs, of Prague,
claims to have detected the cause in
microscopic fungus, to which he has
given the name of bacillus malarise The
more general view is that it is not de-
pendent upon any one plant or species,
but is result of complicated condi-
tions attending the decomposition of
vegetable matter. We suspect that
the great desideratum is to find out
how we may avoid these forced and
unnatural decompositions. We shall
never succeed in doing this so long as
we turn up soil without compensating
by a proper treatment and vegetation;
or so long as we build without institute
ing corresponding drainage; or so
long as we dam up watercourses with
out studying the soil, heritage, back
water, overflow. etc. Interrupted pro-
cesses of nature and stagnant water
and water-soaked land, made by art of
man and mans device, is breach of
natures laws, of which this is one of
the notifications. We have recently
had occasion to study a typical case.
Bound Brook, New Jersey, has had a
sustained reputation as healthy town.
Like all towns bounded by brooks, the
very circumstance affords facilities for
producing disease. Various improve
ments, excavations and road changes
have occurred in the last few years.
The little island we used to see in the
stream has become part of a marsh.
The former roadbed is itself SUBJ
merged. The raising of dam has in
creased the area of overfowed lands.
Various little complications have
changed the channel of the stream,
and its waters are diffused intermit-
tently, according to the behest of men,
the sun and the weather. If we had
sought for conditions under which to
institute malarial experiment, we
think we could not have chosen abetter
experimental station. The disturbance
OF natural drainage, growth and protec-
ton n-has been gradually going on, until
this year crisis has been reached.
The dryness of April and May gave
unusual alienation of water and land.
The weather has happened to be ex-
tremely favorable for the putrefaction
OF this stored vegetable material. So
long as it could be kept covered by
water and free from excessive heat, it.
awaited its time of fermenting energy
with great compOsure. Some of the
more discerning citizens, with a brief
experience last year and with their
of what such evils forecast,
last spring in indicting the
nuisance before grand jury. But
nothing was done, until the dryness.
the hot suns and the heavy subsequent
rains did the business. Bound Brook
IS in affiiction. 1t has the ague so good
that it furnishes us q most beautiful
nosological study. Even the pond Ill |
les and other large-leaved plants, pro-
vided as shields and helps, are diving.
It is the best approach we have seen to |
that picture OF malaria in the Luxem-
borg; We ale glad it is so pronounced,
Tor the remedy is sure to come. The
demonstration is too complete for cavil. |
The evil, we believe, will be corrected
md result in a blessing. For, with its
natural drainage restored and a few
other evils remedied, the water will, be-
come help to the landscape and the
beautiful rolling fields again be reioiced
n by the sons of health. But in the
year 1880 let no one delude himself or
herself with the idea that such evils can
De ignored, or that small towns can
grow while nursing the pets of the doc
or, the druggist, and the undertaken
n. Y. Independent.
.