Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-15

Editor Morning Ne1Cs. An article in
your Saturdays issue, signed "Subscri'
ber,v deserves attention. subscriber
complains of the smell of the rank weeds
in the Old Cemetery and the offensive
odor they throw off. A hint is sometimes
equal to an insult, and should be so taken;
and when Nature hints-and she often
does-a wise man, thinking people VIII
ask what is intended?
Some writer who has doubtless studied
the question Of malaria thoroughly, ana
from our observation and knowledge Oh
the laws of nature understands the true
philosophy of malaria says: "Ihe taVorte
seat Of malaria is at the mouths OF rivers
where salt water meeting fresh forms a
combination in which it revels." Moth
ing is truer, and he might have SAID
Malaria revels about all rivers where the
tides affect those rivers.
1t is well that the people of our section
should understand thoroughly the PM
losophy of malaria, and how to reclaim
land subject to malarial influences.
Light sandy soil in a climate like ours,
with our marshes, mixture OF fresh anu
salt water, and the rank eXuberance OF
water weeds, or low fiat lands in Whlcn
the water does not run on, is the hoI-oeu
of malaria. With our hot sun In July,
August and September, and our rank
vegetation, we have the active generating
cause of malarial fever.
At this season of the year our yegeta-
ton is rank and still growing, but It's a0-
sorblng power, or capacity 10 ABSORB
carbOnic gas and all miasmatic pOlsons is
lessening daily. Decomposition is slowly
going on and will continue until next
spring, when counteracted by new Vege-
table life. Winter comes in also 10 arrest
the poisonous eXhalatiOns that lie In the
soil. PutrefactiOn does not necessarily
engender malaria. Excessive neat,
though promoting it. is not indispensable,
and thus with our hot summer and fall
sun, with the natural decay of vegetation,
the decomposition of vegetation and the
poisonous gases in the soil, we may
naturally look out for these fevers so COM
mon to this climate.
Should we have frequent rains in Au-
gust and September and the ground be
covered with water there is safety, but
with dry August and September our
doctors will be kept busy. The philoso-
ply is this: At the surface and below the
surface there is rot and decay, and hence
poisonous gases, and with hot sun the
evaporation and eXhalations are rapid,
thick and full-the atmosphere is pois-
Oned. But should there be rainfalls
enough to cover the surface the water
cannot stagnate underground. Floods
while they last are as inimical to malaria
as the refusal to let water stagnate under
ground, for water will purge or drown
the poisonous gases in their effort to
escape.
Earth in which moisture is not allowed
to accumulate undisturbed, purities the
clements of corruption. Malaria works
its mischief by means of moisture not
enough to saturate the soil to its surface,
and more than enough to be absorbed
thoroughly. Thus on moist, sandy or
lOamy land, such as we have, there should
be deep and thorough drainage or a rich
cultivation of vegetables or plants, such
as cotton or rice-anything that will grow
and absorb until frost and cold weather.
Hutchinson Island, every Inch of it,
should to-day be under a thorough Guilt
walton either in vegetables or cotton
field. We cannot prevent poisonous gas,
but we can control it or limit its intlu-
ence; we can neutraliZe it in great de-
gree, and rob it of its fatal effects. That
is a poor science, Indeed, that cannot
grasp the laws of nature and turn those
laws to mans benefit rather than his
hurt.
Now a word as to the crank weeds"
complained about by subscriber in the
Otu cemetery. CIOIll TIE IlCu Ne8cldlluu
in that place, neglected as tits, the ground
has been kept damp and moist. Our hot
sun, with the dry weather we have had,
has penetrated the soil and drawn off the
moisture, and the scOrching rays of the
sun tend to draw the nOXious vegetable
fumes. 1t is a hint that miasmatic in
tluences are abroad, but not yet danger
Gus. But as soon as one smells decayed
vegetable matter at night the hint is be-
coming very significant of dangerous
malarial fevers. When the atmosphere is
poisoned it gives us warning, and reason
says, take care of yourself.
1t would be well for our City Fathers
to give the Old Cemetery an inspection,
and remove such vegetation as show
signs of decay, and put it i'll such order as
not to make it a covert for mlaSmatic
influences, but a healthful respiratOr, not
only for the immediate neighborhood, but
for the city.
To sum up-thOrOugh drainage, good cul-
tivation and the destruction of all decay
ing vegetable matter in the fall, will
arrest miasmatic and malarial influences.
If Chatham county was as thoroughly
cultivated as Belgium, it would be one of
the healthiest counties in the State. For
five miles around Savannah there should
be thorough drainage and vegetable farms.
The philosophy of health is in a pure
atmosphere, and this atmosphere can be
made pure by growing vegetation and the
arrest or destruction of decaying vegeta-
bic matter. X. NJ. ..