Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-01
SANITARIANS IN COUNCIL.
Continued from First Page


the summer they become drawn down so ss 70
EXPOSE great tracts Of oozy bottom, covere1
with rottening stumps and other vegetable
matter. The greater the extent OF tue exposed
surface the greater. a rule, has been the
prevalence Of malarial fevers; and seasons or
drought and unusually low water have been
found where these fevers have been most prey.
alent. Such were the summers OF 1870, 1870
and 1850, which were characterized by an I'M
usual prevalent and rapid spread OF inter
mittent fever. in 1870 in New Haven and vicin-
ity, in 1876 at and near Hartford. and IN 1850
in portions OF Massachusetts,.
The relation Of fever and ague to rivers and
ponds is shown by the fact that in MasSachu-
sets of the eighteen cities and towns report
ing, more than half a dozen cases in 1880,
eleven were on the Connecticut river,
comprising all those bordering upon
that river in the counties OF
Hampden and HAMPSHIRE and the remaining
six were in Berkshire county, adjacent to re-
servoirs or 10 low, swampy places on the
shores of the Housatonic, besides one locality
OF similar nature on the shore of the HoosicS
river.
The first place invaded on the Connecticut
river was Springfield in 1870. next Holyoke in
1875. and next Agawam in 1878. In 1879 cases
first appeared in West Springfield. Chicopee.
Northampton, Haaley and Hatfield, and in
1880 in Longmeadow. South Hadley and East
hampton. Five of these are on the east and
six on the west hank of the river and. outside
of these river towns. which in 1870 reported
I,647 cases. only q cases we're reported in the
whole of the remainder of the two counties OF
Hampton AID Hampshire
In the river towns the first cases always ap-
peared on low ground near the river, or on
tributary streams or ponds. and such places
have since remained the foci OF the largest
number of cases.
In Berkshire county the first cases of inter
mittent fever appeared at New Marlborough in
1874. the next at Sheffield in 1871. and the next
at New Lenox ia 1873. In 1879 the disease APP
peared at Great Darlington, Lanesborough
and Cheshire, and in 1880 in Monterey. Otis,
StockbridRe. Lee. West Stockbridge, Rich
mond, Pitts6eld and North Adams. The num-
Der Of cases has been much smaller than in
the valley of the Connecticut. and nearly
all of them have occurred in six towns, viz:
Sheffield, Great Darlington, New Lenox, Lanes
borough and North Adams, where the number
of cases in 1880 was So TO- 81, 20 and u. respec-
lively The nature of these six localities is as
follows: At Sheffield the cases occurred near
reservoir which is drawn down in summer, and
along the Housatonic river. which is here slow
and circuitous. and stagnant pools, left by the
spring overflow, slowly evaporate in the ada
cent meadows; at New Marlborough, in the
Konkapot valley where are also stagnant pools
formed by the overflow of the river: at Great
harrington. near an artificial reservoir formed
by dammiDg the Housatonic river; &c New
Lenox. close TO a reservoir similarly formed,
which is 50 extensive and shallow as to expose
a great surface of swampy land in summer, and
of 80 small a capacity as to cause large daily
fluctuations as to depth: at Lanesborough, on
the border Of the great Cheshire reservoir; and
at North Adams, on swampy land near the
HOosic river
8. The Rate of Progress.-This is found not
to have been a regular one from town to town,
but the advance has been by a series OF inva-
sioDs, the first attacking few places at long
intervals, the next affecting certain intermedi-
ate ones aud the main army following and oc-
cupying the country between these first estab-
liShed outpOstS.
Thus. while previous to 1854, no cases OF in
termittent fever had occurred beyond five
miles from Long Island Sound. suddenly, in
1864. few cases appeared in Wethersteld,
al k,r%s
till 1872 that the next and stronger wave, ad-
vancing from town TO town, reached Hartford.
In 1870 a few mild cases first appeared in
Springfield. Mass, thirty miles north of
Wethersfield, and the same year the first cases
occurred at New Milford, on the Housatonic
river thirty miles north Of any place where
they had appeared the previous year. In 1874
cases were first observed at New Marlborough,
forty miles north of New Milford. the interme-
date towns having up to that time escaped,
while the adjoining town or Sheffield was not
reached till 1s77. The next place reached north
Of Sheffield was New Lenox, distant twenty
miles, and the next Lanesborough. ten miles
further north
With the exception of these preliminary leaps
the advance Of the malarial influence has been
at a much slower rate. 1t took two years for
it TO creep up the Quinnipiac river, from New
Haven to Wallingrord, a distance OF twelve
miles. Four years later it reached Meriden,
six miles further north, while the ten miles be-
tween that city and New Britain was
,
from New Haven to Hartford was accom-
plished in eight years, and the distance from
the Sound to the Massachusetts, line, which va
ries from IS to 65 miles, was crossed in a period
of twelve years. After the first general APP
pearance of intermittent fever in Massachu
Setts in 1877, it Travelled 10 three years 80 miles
nOrthward, while few scattering cases oc-
CURED as far as 40 miles from the southern
boundary.
The rate of progress may be roughly stated
to be from to 30 miles year.
l.. - L. -. >. -
rapid progress has been made the hottest
and dryeSt years. at all places to- cases in the
first year have been few and mill the disease
gathering strength thereafter from year to
year.
4. The Subsistence of Typhoid Fever-The
characteristic feyers of New England have
always been of the typhoid variety that
is to say, continued fevers, accompanied with
a local lesion in the glands Of the small intes-
tine These are characterized by a peculiar
range OF temperature and an eruption
on the skin. Tnev are generally
and exhibit high rate of mortality. An impor-
tant factor in their production has been shown
to be the vitation of air and drinking water
by animal matters in state Of decomposition
such as are apt to collect about dwelling
houses Whether or not there is a general at
mospheric cause, besides these local causes,
has never been satisfactorily proved. But,
during the past ten years marked diminution
in the prevalence of typhoid fever has been
observed. Physicians generally report these
cases as milder, of shorter duration, and with
less diarrhoeal tendency. This is especially
true of the localities which have become mala-
rious.
In Connecticut the number of deaths from
typhoid fever fell off from 458 in 1863 to 252 in
1873, while the deaths from malariel diseasesi in
creased from in 1859. to l43 in 1873. In Massa-
chusetts, the population increased from 1870 to
1850 over y per cent; yet the number Of deaths
from typhoid fever decreased from 1913 in
$50 to 637. or less than half, in 1873. 1t rose
again in 1880 to Se2, two-thirds the number in
1870. perhaps for the reason that the summer
of that year was very hot and dry, such as is
usually fruitful in typhoid fevers. Yet. in com
pairing the different counties, we ind that IN
Berkshire and Hampshire, where malarial fe-
vers were prevailing. that the deaths from ty-
Dhoid fever, instead Of increasing, as in the
rest Of the State, had still further diminished
Whether or not there is any actual antagonism
between these two forms of fever is a question
of great interest That ii may be so. evidence
is not wanting, in various parts OF the United
States. Prof. Caben, OF Virginia, has pub
lished such evidence existing in his own State.
But there is another point to be considered,
which is, how far the local sanitary work which
has been carried on in New England during
sidence Of typhoid fever. Such Of
US as have been actively engaged
upon Health Boards have BATTERED
ourselves that the fruits of our labors had be
come apparent To find that this subsistence
is due not to sanitary science but to malaria,
would be most notifying.
Fifth. The Bearing of the Facts OBJ
served upon the Etiology of Malaria.-The
facts observed in New England indicate
an undoubted connection between malaria and
swampy land, and in the gradual progress
along river margins and from pond to pond,
lend strength to the germ theorys for the ana
logy is complete between this progress and the
distribution of plants where seeds are waited
by the winds, to fall, terminate and mature,
wherever the proper soil for their development
is found.
The theory of Dr. Oldham that the periodical
fevers are due wholly to the influence OF chill
upon constitutions enfeebled by prolonged and
excessive heat, appears to be completely over
thrown by these observations: First, because
the temperature Of New England has under
gone no marked change, and those portions OF
Massachusetts, and Connecticut where there is
no malaria are no cooler than the portions
where it exists; and, second, because IN those
situations which have now become malariouS,
cases have been abundant as early as the
month of April, Immediately after the melting
of the snow and while the weather is yet I'M
comfortably cold, These investigations have
not included any microscopic search for the
malarial germ. This is a special branch of the
subject, which now offersa tempting field for
biological research. While Drs Klebs and
Tommassi Crudeli at Rome in 1879, and DR..
Sternberg at New Orleans in 1880, have done
most valuable work in this direction. we can
not fail to perceive the force Of DR.. Sternberg'S
suggestion that, until the incubation expert
ments which they performed upon rabbits are
repeated upon the.human subject, they cannot
be deemed convincing.
No preventive measures to check the spread
of malaria have yet been adopted IN New Eng
land. The reservoirs, which evidently tend to
promote its development. are so essential TO
the manufactures, upon which the prosperity
of the State largely depends, that the question
how far the public veal rec uires that they
should be interfered with, is very delicate
one A case to be tried in Massachusetts, next
sF.fa