Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-01-18
A Supposed New Phase of Malarial
Influence.

OOITeSbOtQcItCc OttChSONUttt6 CittOUs
FORT MAYsON, ORANGE COUNTY, FLORI-
DA, December l5, 1881 An idea is being ad-
vanced by some persons, and is even enter
tanned, l am informed, by certain medical
men, that those residing in many localities
in Florida, and especially IN what is regard
ed as malarious districts here. their system
becoming imbued with malaria, its effects
will remain latent, or apparently inactive in
many instances, and its noxiOus influences
are frequently not manifested until a change
OF locality is made, especially to a supposed
healthier one further Nor'h then its per-
nicious effects will almost surely become
revealed IN some form of malarial feVers.
1t seems this opinion obtains support, be-
cause a number Of persons after leaving
this State and going North the past sum
mer were known to be thus affected
The advocates Of this cbimera of course
do not, and could not know, but what
these same persons would have been so af-
fected had they remained here at home;
and had they, thev most probably would
have been more mildly attacked because,
then, there would have been fewer changes
in their usual habits, as induced by travel
and other causes, than a change Of locality
and climate. But there are many localities
in the States north and west OF Florida
where the deleterlOus effects OF malaria pre
vail to a greater extent than here; there
are many extensive districts even in the
New England States, that this haleful enc
nv is now spreading over, where It has been
unknown for the last half century or more
And malaria in regions nOrthward is more
permanent in its prevalence, when once es-
tablished, than in our peninsula, where
it's uoxiOus effects are being constantly
obviated and neutral'zed by the con
slant agitation Of the atmosphere by the
vigorous breez almost always in action
and the direct contact with oceanic sa iue
air, besides the disinfecting influence Of
ozone, ahOunding plentifullY in the Diuey,
terebinthiuate forests, etc. Fur hermOre
It is a we'll known fact that malarisl dis.
eases are always m1lder IN Flor d. and more
smenae to medical treatmentthan In other
States Of the Union. Therefore, from whar
is here adduced, would 1t not be more rea
sODable to infer in reference to the cases
above alluded to, that instead of malarial
disease being engendered here, and IS q
sequence developed elsewhere 0n the
Nortb), that it was elsewhere. both were
incident. Most assuredly This imagin-
arY and prepOsterous theory is scarcely
worthy of retutation, only that it IS re-
ported some medical men Of the South have
given 1t credence and publicity; and It may
be good many persons regarding them as
reliable authorities, may be induced to avoid
visiting Florida, as by many uniformed
strangers this State, and more particularlvthis
lOWFF pOTbiOus Is T6GHTQtu d RF6dE DTeGUer, q
prolific prOpagafor Of malarisl affections of
sll kinds, even during the warm weather in
the winter season. Entertaining this belief,
they will imagine that after 3 sol i0urn here,
should tn y not be attacked while here,
they will almost certainly be on their return
North IN the spring.
This idea is so at variance with the uni
versally entertained and well founded belief
OF the enlightened medical profession the
np16 hat 49,
lar that any physician, jealous of his repu-
tation of being well-informed in his profes-
sion, would maintain or promulgate theo-
~ so absurd.
All diseases, firstly, are dependent on
prediGpOSin9 causes, and in many diseases
these causes mostly are the peculiarities of
climate, with its varying meteorological
conditions, the seasons, electrical status,
amount of ozone, etc, and the natural ten
dency to disease on account of temperature,
organic alton, heredity, etc. And secondly, |
on eIcitfng causes, such as various indiscre-
tiOns, as regards diet, clothing, cleanliness.
exposures, Irregularities in habits, use of
unhealthy waters, inhalation of insalubrious
Atmosphere, excesses of every kind, etc,
Now, the merest tyro in etiology, even the |
intelligent non professional, knows that |
where the predisposing cause or causes of
disease exist, there 1t IS that disease will ha !
developed, Jthere is suffieiency of excit- |
ing cause or causes, WhereVer the subject MAJ,
De: This is true of diseases. not onlv OF |
missmatic origin, but even of those that are |
contagious or infectious-in fact, of ali |
zYmotic diseases, endemic, epidemic. and |
sporadic. In word, there is no known
malarious or zymotic disease, but what is /
most prevalent where there are the most /
predtsposing causes.
This Idea OF a change of locality to de- |
Velop malarial disease has never been oh
served by travellers and those In charge |
OF expeditions to the various eoua- |
torlal and semi-trOpicsl regions of |
Asia, Africa and America. Very abundant
opportunities to verify it as a fact existed |
during our late war, but in IT'S vnluminous
medical history few, very few, allusiCus to |
anything OF this kind were made by the !
Federal army surgeons; such instances, or
apparent occurrences, T. seems, were re-
garded to be Incidental, and by no means as
established fact This subtle, potent. dread
full hydra, malaria, which is ever lurking
here and there over the earth, and with its
noisone breath infusiDg into mankind di-
verse diseases, prOtean, deceptive and dan
gerous, will in a few years hence very
probably be under the complete con-
troll OF the scientific sanitarian. or
late years great progress has been made
in medical chemistry and microscopic re-
searches regarding the origin of diseases
and their prevention. And the province Of
the physician will eventually be as much
for the prevention Of disease as 1t is now to
treat It. The physicians Of our country will
then become the great \ National Board of
Health, the same means as now, and many
others that science may dictate, will be put
in force, like our present efficient National
Board, which is doing such good service
under the auspices OF the government. II
is now pretty generally conceded by ad-
vaneed medical men and scientists that the
"Germ Theory Of Disease" is true; that is,
all sO-called malsrious, irruptive and most
of other fevers are caused by microscopic
called germs, and whenever the
conditions are most favorable for the indus
OF those germs to exist, there it is these
diseases are most certain to prevail But
salts SlpperQ,e Yet, If thought requisite
that sdy further effort be made to i,sa que
the miEds of those disposed TO hitch on to
the above visionary crochet your CORES
pondent would be pleased to hear from
some of the leading and old established
Southern physicians on the subieet