Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-08

concerning Malaria
From the Philadelphia Record.
How frequently we hear Of miasm, malaria
and malarial poisoning, and how slight is our
knowledge OF its nature. Scientists have long
puzzled over 1t, and understand but little except
its effect upon the human system. Malarial
poison affects not only individual life, health
and comfort, but often the we'll being and pros
perity OF entire communities. Malaria, which is
generic term, Is the mala-dria Of the Italians.
In broad sense it consists Of emanations from
animal and vegetable substances or from the
earth. The poison arising from these sources
cannot be cOmprehended by our senses; the eye
cannot see it nor the touch feel it; chemical tests
and micrOscopical examinations fail to detect 1t;
and yet 1t Is al-pervading on our palms. our hills
and shores, in. cities, villages and country
indeed, 1T is difficult to say where it is not
present at one time or another Our people
have long been made sensible of It's poison
Gus power, and it would be difficult to estimate
the number Of lives it has shortened and de-
stroyed. 1t was said that malaria was 80 ma
lignant when the railroad on the Isthmus of
representative of a laborer's life. The young
and old, the rich and poor. are equally liable to
contract it. But we are not entirely helpless
against its influences. Regions originally unin-
habitable have through means Of civilized sani-
tation been made healthful, and salubriOus
places by neglect have been made desolate. The
hot sun, with moisture and vegetable decay, gen.
crates and fosters the poison and the winds wait
1t abroad. Frost is its deadly enemy and stops
It's progress. Its ravages are most malignant
where there Is q luxurant tropical growth and
cOplOus rains. the poison under such circum-
stances developing a congestive type. The up
turning Of the earth In almost any locality, Is q
common cause Of malarial exhalation. Thus it
happens that new settlements after time often
become infected, 80 that cultivation may induce
aof c1hQonnQnt
carrying out sanitary laws maintain its viru-
lence.
How to eradicate this universal pestlence is a
matter to which much thought has long been
directed In this respect there has been but
little progress. But medical science has gone
very far toward efficiency in cOunteracting the
effects Of malarial poisoning. In infected dis
tricts people have learned to avoid as much as
possible the evening and early morning expo
sure, and full meal Is supposed to be an ex-
cellent protection. In South America, where
the disease is very common, we find the panacea
for it. The tree from which this antidote
''qulnia," Is obtained grows on very high noun
tain ranges. The bark is called cinchona, after
the Countess of Cinchon, who first brought
it to Europe in 1889; but it was not until 1920
thatthe active principle, quinia, was discovered
There is, unfortunately, a common belief-and
among intelligent people. toO,-that this wonder
ful, Indeed almost miraculous agent is hurtful and
even dangerous to the human system How often
it Is ignOrantly spoken Of as mineral substance.
1t is difficult to convince unbelievers that it is
only an organic substance, as harmless in it's
action as the Irish potato We venture to say
that there are few if any authentic instances of
injury done by quinia, while the testimony in its
favor is as thoroughly complete as any other
well-recOgniZed fact. Time and accumulated
experience have long since proved that quinia
is the best tonic that the world has yet pro-
duced. 1t needs no other advocates than the
innunerable army of malarial invallds all over
the world who have been restored to health
through it's influence. Before the discovery of
quina large amounts Of the crude bark were
given. Gradually science gave us in qrinia
all the virtues of the bark in q concentrated
form.
But how to eradicate malaria is still the ques-
ton. Possibly. in the near future some means,
like vaccination in the hands of a Pasteur, may
be discovered which will render the human sys-
tenn proof against its assaults.
--S~>-
Slightly Sarcastic.
A correspondent of the Christian Intel.igea,cer
has new theory Of creation: "Mr. Darwin has
discovered that earth worms bring to the
surface from to IS tons of mould per acre an
nually; and this spread out evenly would pro-
duce in every ten years layer of soil of from
to more than 2 inches thick. Suppose the
layer to be only one inch thick. At this rate in
40 years the worms could raise the soil foot;
and in 633. 600 years they would raise it mlean
in 2, 500 OOO0 900 years they would raise the sur
face 4 900 miles-abOut the distance of the sur
face of the earth from it's center. My hypothesis
is that this earth was made by earth worms in
the period mentioned. OF course the number of
workers increased as the surface and room for
working grew larger; 30 we may 60 back in the
history of our planet and find it a mere lump Of
earth. and upon it u pair of worms at work.
Whence the worms came, and where they got
the lump of earth are not explained by the n.y.
pOthesis which starts after they began their
work. But every other hypothesis of creation
also starts after the beginning, except the Bible
account. which is by many regarded as more
than hypothesis. Other theories of creation
have their difficulties 30 has the one presented.
To an unscientific mindts difficulties seem little
if any greater than those in the way of others
that are celebrated But this has advantages
that should at once commend it to persons who
are not satisfied with the scriptural account; it
is simple; it is built up with mathematical ac-
curacy; it is based on facts; and best of all, it
is founded on the latest scientific discoveries
Saturday Smiles.