The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1881-09-22
Malaria.

Gus influences were confined, or supposed
to be confined, to the swamps and low
lands of the South And of late its dele
FERROUS influence upon our suffering Presi-
dent necessitating the dangerous expert
ment of removing him from the baleful at
mosphere of Washington to the purer and
more invigOrating air of Long Branch, has
made the word a familiar one all over the
land. Worcester defines malaria as Gan
exhalatlon from marshy DISTRICTS produc
ing intermittent fever or disease a noX-
iOus eXhalation." In Washington mala-
ria arises from the extensive flats of the
Potomac which are covered twice a day
by the tide, and upon which is collected
the refuse from the two cities Of Washing
ton and Georgetown, whose sewerage is
emptied into the river The sun shining
with midsummer heat upon these flats
when exposed dstills the poisonous vapor
which the prevailing southerly wind car
ries through the city The digging up of
streets in the work Of repairing also pro-
duces malaria, and on streets in Washing
ton thus disturbed in summer time there
are few households exempt from disease.
Malaria is not a new thing in Washing
ton, however, nor in Baltimore, but fur
Their North where it has hitherto been
confined to narrow limits, its spread is
attracting the attention Of sanitary eX-
perts The Boston Medical and Surgical
Journal notes the temperance Of mala
ria at various places in New England
from which it has been absent for many
years. This malaria has been extending
to a marked extent of late throughout
the lower Connecticut River Valley, and
has also made itself apparent in Western
Massachusetts, The Medical and Surgi-
cal Journal says that although "the fact
seems to beindisputable that this affection
is much more frequent and general than
formerly, as yet no sufficient explanation
of the cause, as far as we are aware, has
been offered" The Secretary Of the Con-
necticut State Board Of Health, in re
cent monthly report, states that the ma
larial wave is gradually extending over
the State, but he fails to discover the
actual cause of its prime appearance.
The possible centre from which the recent
outbreak has started is indicated 10y a
reported saying of Dr. Knight Of New
Haven to the effect that the malaria
never wholly disappeared from the lime
stone regions of the lower llouSatonlc
Valley. The Secretary ot the COnnecti-
cut State Board SAYS that ''the only gen
eral features that appear to influence it
are the rivers along whose valleys it cX-
tends and spreads from right to left with
greater frequency in the valleys, and the
coast line along which il spreads and cN-
tends inland In regard TO the search
for a cause. he says, "such local causes
as have been Investigated have either
originated after the appearance Of the
disease, or else had been in existence long
before. Often local causes have been
found which apparently induced Il local
lied epidemic, or the persistence and fire.
quency of the disease, as the clay cut on
the course OF one of the new railroads
near which the cases were vastly more
numerous than elsewhere in the neighbour
hood and the pestiferous marsh in Dur
localized epidemic of typo-malarial fever,
but in both instances the disease was in
the neighborlood long before" The Med
zeal and Surgical Journal states its belief
that the appearance Of malaria in West
ern Massachusetts was at one time receiv-
ing the attention OF the State Board Of
Health, and it adds the weighty sugges-
ton that the subject is certainly worthy
OF timely and careful investigation, and
needs to have more light thrown upon it.
A writer in Appletons in discussing this
question says
Within the last few years there has been very
remarkable spread Of malarlouS sickness At one
time malaria was confined in the eastern and mid
die states to a few marshy districts, but now 1t is
found almost everywhere lthas appeared in parts
of New England and New \ ork where all accounts
agree that it never known before; it is foun d
on the hills well as in the valleys in cities as
well as in villages. in dry Welas wet places. At
one time Boston declared to be the northern
limit Of it. and whether ii has yet appeared the
shores of Massachusetts, or Maine we do not know:
but the Berkshire country was equally considered
free from it and it has made its appearance
there. The question naturally arises to the
cause.
The writer then goes on to say that
most Of the answers to this question are
of a speculative character. \ few of them
are cited. Prof Chadbourne, of Williams
College, while he says that the question
cannot be answered, is Of opinion that the
theory which once prevailed, and which
he had taught that malariAl poison is
the result of vegetable decomposition, es-
pecally the decomposition produced 10y
stirring soils rich in organic materials, 50
that the soil can be readily acted upon 10y
heat and sunshine needs, he now be
leves, from observations in various dis
tricts, to be greatly modified. ANY
one" he says, "who has studied the sub
jects in the west, will satisfy himself that
malaria abounds where water is too scarce
for comfort where, if the malaria comes
from the soil ut all, it must come from
soil that is high and dry. lie will be
further confirmed in the notion that
neither abundant wa er nor rich soil even