Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1882-10-20
OPINIONS.
The State OF the Pub,ic Health as Elicit
ed by Interviews With Our NIen Of
Medicine.
The p iolic Health.

The P iblic Health.
An Alert reporter called upon several
physicians with a view to ascertalning the
state Of the public health and the nature
of disease that prevails. While this
country is, comparatively speaking, one
among the hcathlcst in the world. COM
mon sense teaches every person that dis
ease and death is the common heritage
of the human family, and that no place
on earth is wholly exempt from these
maladies Many of the diseases peculiar
to more southern latitude are unknown
here, but there are diseases, unlimited by
latitude or climatic influences, that do
prevail In this and all other countries, and
to disguise this fact and hold the delusive
impression that there is no sickness or
death is to disgust and prejudice against
the country those who may thus be deceiv-
ed when they come to find out the truth.
To the more intelligent of the people in
the states, the very class whose lmmigra-
ton we most desire, the idea or proposi-
ton of a country where there is no sickness
is so absurd that they would have but little
faith IN anything a person who would
max" such proposition might say OF g
country. The first physician nterrogatcd
upon the subject was
DIR. BALDWIN
lie SAID the health of the town and
country was rapidly improving, and with
the advent of cold weather the malarlal
fevers would entirely abate. He ac-
counted for the malar1al fevers by the de-
composition of vegetable matter, occa-
stoned principally by the breaking Of the
sod and the low stage OF water in the
streams. Typhoid, of which he SAID
there had been several marked and we'll
defined cases, were occasioncd by ilnpurl-
ties of the water and dccomposing refuse
matter about the premises, in the cellars
and alleys. That this disease prevailed
in all parts Of the country, from the At
lantic TO the Pacific, wherever these and
other causes exist That a majority of
the cases in town were those who came
INTO town from the country around when
they became sick, on account OF the bet
ter accommodations and convenience for
medical treatment, and by this means the
IN appearance above what properly be-
longcd 10 it.
DIR. CARLEY.
Dr. Carlcy says he 1inds malarial fe-
yer prevailing which may be called bil.
lous RENTING fever, but no typhoid:
Tint many OF these eases, if allowed to
run several days without proper treat
mcnt or any medical reaimcnl at all, are
accompanied with some Of the symptoms
OF typhoid, bot are not, for that reason,
typhoid fever by any means. That ty.
phoid fever is a distinctive disease as
much 50 as small pox or measles, and
though some of the symptoms are found
III cases Of the various bilious diseases, it
need not be confounded with them or be
mistaken for them. The malaria incl
dent to the bringing under cultivation of
any new country produces some Of the
II Various bilious diseases, but IN this
country does not produce the bilious in
termittent or ague form, and he has not
known of a single case Of ague contracted
here. After the prairies are brought un-
der cultivation, and the original vegeta-
ton has decomposed, the malaria will TO
Il great extent subside
DIR. pU PUT.
DR.. DuPuy says he finds typho- -mala-
rial fever prevailing and attributes it to
the decomposition Of vegetable matter in
the breaking OF the prairies ana other
vegetation that is in the natural course
of decay Says the typhoid phase of the
disease is duo TO the impurities and filth
that finds its way into the water. That
he has had several we'll defined cases Of
| typhoid fever. That the diseases OF any
| malarlal nature that have prevailed are
incident to any and every new country,
Before the breaking of the prairie these
diseases did not exist here as they now
do and when the grass has thoroughly de-
composed in the course of cultivation
they will pass away. The low and stag
nant condition of the river and pools eau
not be avoided, but the cleanliness of the
people in the matter of privy communi-
cation with the wells, the most dangerous
of all procuring causes of typhoid fever,
can be avoided and should be compelled,
| if reason will not secure it,
| We we're unable TO find any Of the
| other physicians and obtain from them
an opinion on the subject, but these are
sufficient to show that the health OF the
town is in great measure in the hands
of the people themselves, for III pointing
| out the cause of disease the m ans Of pre-
vention are indicated. With a proper en-
ercisc of sanitary measures, this town
and country will in the course oi few
wears be one among the healthiest in the
world, as il is now, considering all ,he
! circumstances.
Messrs. McCrcery aud Dravo returned
yesterday from 4 visit up to the formers
purchase near Newport last summer.
Mr.. Dsavo is more than enthusiastic with
delight over the beauty of the country,
and SAYS he has more ambition TO be To-
Gated on a section of land and fix ii up to
his notion and cultivate ii in his own
way, than to be president of the United
States He is going to locate his son
there at any rate. flr Mc' 'feerY IS Of
| f...nl sa Ann nnr.. for his nurchaSp tMan