Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-07-06
PLANTS IN SLEEPING ROOMS.

PLANTS IN SLEEPING ROOMS.
In regard to malarial fever resulting from
plants in sleeping rooms, it must bo remem-
bered that we have not been able to decide
what produces these fevers. 1t is nearly GER
tain that they do not arise from decaying veg
etable matter It is known that in some way
they ferment germs, as very minute organisms,
perhaps animal, perhaps vegetable, are called.
No amount of decaying vegetable matter in a
barn yard induces malarial fever. Perpetual
sWamps do not induce tit is only those which
are sometimes very wet and sometimes very
dry, that make dangerous surroundings. we
may sleep out for weeks on the grassy prairie,
loaded down with the weight of centuries Of
decaying vegetable matter, without injury
but as soon as the settler comes with his pow,
agues generally prevail. Then, agues rarely
prevail till the sun has, in some measure, dried
the ground. In my intercourse with scientific
men, find the tendency Of thought to be in
the direction of blaming bacterlan forms for
these diseases. The ground, when divested OF
it's grassy, prairie covering, cracks under great
heat In muddy meadows, by rivers, it cracks
more widely and more deeply than anywhere.
Down in these deep assures, aided by the damp
and darkness, the germs find happy home.
There they increase and multiply. AS long as
the weather remains dry there is no harm
done; hut heavy rain or the overflow of the
river, fills up the crevices. The germ-laden
air is. of course forced out as the waters flow
in, and the whole atmosphere becomes poison
ed. l do not think this view OF the origin OF
malarial diseases is anything more than n.y.
pOthesis at present. 1t has not yet been
proved It is scarcely in the rank Of a theory;
yet there are many facts which make it look
as if it may be correct. Now, if this really
be correct we may understand that, in some
rare instances, plants in sleeping rooms might
induce maarial fever Large masses of earth,
as plants in tubs or large pots require might
have stiff earth cracking open when dry, and
ferment germs might then feed on dlseased
or injured particles, and be forced into the at
mosphere when the forgotten watering time
was brought to mind. This so rarely happens,
as no careful plant grower would permit 1t,
that l should say no more injury is likely to
result from it than from keeping box or par
lor matches or a can OF coal oil IN the same
house. On the other hand, the moisture
which the plants transpire and the carbonlc
acid elected from our lungs as we sleep, and
which the plants are glad to feed on whenever
there is the least light to help them, makes a
heavy weight in the balance to thelradvantage
No amount of plants in sleeping room can
equal the mass about a person who sleeps III
the open air, and it is well known that there is
| ~
piece of canvas, and few weeks OF camping
out.
AN IMPORTANT EVENT.
The great Importance of the coming transit
of the 9th of December, in the estimate OF the
men of science, may be seen In the prepafa-
tions now being made for its observation.
Forty expeditions to witness it are already pro-
jected, and the number will be very largely IN
creased by those of the United States, Italy
and Austria, which have not yet been al,
nounced. The French government Will send
eight expeditions to the following points:
Four in north latitude and four in south lati-
tude. In the north the stations chosen are
the coast of Florida, under the charge OF COL
Perrfer Cuba, under NJ. d'Abbadle; ; the coast
of Mexico under NJ Bouquet de Ia eyre;
Martinique, an island of the French Antilles,
under NJ. Tisserand In the south the stations
chosen are Santiago, in Chill, under NJ. Le-
clerc: Santa Cruz, a river in Patagonia, un-
der NJ Fleurlais Rio Negro, the northern
boundary of Patagonia, under NJ. Perrotin,
and Port Desire or Chubutt, alsoin Patagonia,
under NJ HIATT. The members OF all the ex-
peditions are now preparing for their work at
the observatory in Paris, where, by means or
model Venus and a model sun, they are prac-
ticing on imaginary transit in hope of being
able to observe, with scientific accuracy, the
passage of the real Venus oyer the real sun In
December They will start for their destlna-
tion in the month of July, and spend the IN
teryening time after their arrival III dlllgent
preparations for the event.
The object of this great expenditure of time,
labor money and brains, is the hope that the
observers may determine, with an accuracy
never before attained, the earth's distance
from the sun. For this is the unit of celestial
measurement, and as long as the doubt con-
cerning it's accuracy exists, SO long there IS
doubt in the estimate of celestial distances.
But cloudy day will render months of unre-
mitting labor of no avail. 1t is estimated
that the weather at half the stations will be
unfavorable, but great deal may be learned
from the observations made at the other halt,
where the favorable conditions prevail, accord
ing to the law of averages. The four southern
stations of the French expeditions are IN the
south temperate zone, and the 9th OF Decem-
Der will be near their summer SolStlce, ike the
9Th of June at the north. The localities ia
vored with a clear sky OH this meridian at the
time of the transit will be specially fortunate,
for the short winter days are not hopeful IN
their conditions. a transit OF Venus Is not
glorious phenomenon, like Il total solar eclipse.
1t is simply the passage of a round black ball
over the SUMS bright face. But it is visible
all over our western world, and no human eye
that now looks upward to the stars Will ever
again behold it's recurrence. 1t IS the laSI
chance for trying this method OF estimating
the suns distance until the advent OF the year
2004.-Prorideuce Journal.
REMARKABLE REVELATION OF THE GEN
sUs.-There are in the States and Territories
of the United States no less than 4,2Q,362
persons above the age of Il years who can
! whites
and 2, ,147, 800 colored. Included in the latter
are 800 600 Indians and 100000 Asiatics The
Indians and Asatics are not citizens and not
likely to become such. Deducting these it is
shown that there are many more llliterate
white people than blacks in the country. Ot
the total number of illiterate persons over Il
years of age, assuming half to be females,
which is a quite proper estimate, 1t leaves
almost 2,0OO000 adult males, or about ~ per
cent. Of the entire voting population, VINO
know nothing about the ballots which they
cast except from hearsay. In the last fifteen
years much has been said, and said with truth,
of the dense ignorance of the colored voters
of the South. But in the meantime not
enough attention has been drawn to the illit-
eracy of white voters in the North. Even
in New England, where popular education Is
supposed to be more widely difused than any
other section, the illiterate voters hold the
balance of power In New York, in Pennsyl-
vania, in Ohio, in short it may be said in al
most every State, the illiterate voters. if com
bined, can decide ANY political issue. In the
State of Maryland $4,000 voters, OF whom 81
per cent. are white, do not OF their own
knowledge know for whom they are voting.
In Maryland there are III 1881 people over ten
years of age who cannot read, and in Massa-
chusetts there are 49, ,635 over ten years of age
who can not read. Another table furnishes