Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1883-05-29
SournaI x1S GOrier.
EDITED AND PUBLISHED By
SINGLE COPIES THREE CENTS.
Tuesday, May %, 1883.
DRAINAGE VS.. MALARIA.


The region around Lenox, Massachusetts,,
was not many years ago, one of the most
healthy places to be found. Now it is so
cursed with malaria that it is difficult to live
there at all, and those who do survive live at
ga poor, dying rate" What has made this
sad change? Mr.. Richard T. Auchmuty, of
Lenox, says that the dam of the Smith
paper company is responsible for it and his
explanation is an interesting contribution to
the discussion Of malaria and its causes.
In the year 1865 the paper company built
its dam, and in 1870 the height of the dam
was raised. For six years following the
raising of the dam backing water over the
meadows and drawing it down again went on
without producing any Ill effect The water
over the greater part of the flooded lands
averaged but few inches in depth, and
when it was drawn down vast expanses of
black mud replaced the luxuriant meadows.
Trees and shrubs rotted and fell. Rank
swamp plants dourished and added their
growth to the accommodating mass of decaying
vegetable matter. For the entire length of
the valley and from the mountains on the
east to the hills on the west, the drainage
was destroyed. The water level below the
surface was raised until the water and slime
oozed out of every depression The
streams coming down the hills left
their silt and dead leaves on the mead
ows. The valley might now be COM
pared to box of earth, in which plants are
raised. without an outlet for the escape of the
surplus water. The earth in the valley at
first water logged now became sour, the wa
ter became stagnant and with both was min
gled the rotting vegetation. The depressions
common in all bottom lands became what Mr..
Auchmuty graphically calls ststink holes. :"
About this time it became known that ma
lariaI wave was advancing over New England
Malaria appeared in Lenox and vicinity, and
around the swamp created by the dam over
three hundred persons have been or are now
sick. Sone have died, some have fed, and
it is asserted that not one of those who have
been taken sick has completely recovered.
year or two ago the town of Lenox sued
the Smith paper company for maintaining a
nuisance endangering the health and injur-
ing the property and comfort of certain peo-
pie living in the town of Lenex. The trial
| was an interesting one and resulted in a
| complete victory for the company. The de-
fense admitted the existence of Intermittent
fever around the swamp, but denied that the
| condition of things in the valley had any con-
nection with it. On the contrary, it was
| maintained that the dam was of benefit to
Lenox and preserved the people from great
er sickness by keeping the ground always
| saturated. To maintain this position seven
| teen medical Witnesses were called, some of
whom had never visited the locality. These
witnesses swore that Ia their opinion
there was no connection between the Smith
swamp or miIl-pond and the sickness around
| it, and that removing the dam would do no
good and might do harm. This testimony
| was supported by statements that surround
ings had nothing to do with peoples health,
| stagnant water and saturated land were harm
less, drainage was useless, exposing Shiny
bottoms of ponds to the hot sun did no harm,
etc.
Mr.. Auchmuty, who was one of the COM
mittee which managed the case for the town,
thinks that great injustice was done by the
result of this trial and he makes moving ap-
peal in behalf of his malarious fellow citi-
and thinks that the remedy for malaria is
drainage. He says: From the time of the
Roman empire to the present day chills and
fever have been a scourge to the human race
Fortunately, from the time of the Romans to
the present day there has always been one
unfailing remedy. That remedy is drainage.
In all countries and in all climates this RENE
dy has never failed. The fens in England,
once uninhsbitable, have been rendered by
drainage as healthy and as populous as any
part of England. In Italy the Campagna
around Rome and the Maremna south of
Leghorn are notable examples of the good
effects of drainage and the danger of neglect
ing it. The Campagna has been rendered
perfectly healthy By drainage many times
during the past 1000 years, and has become
| unhealthy again when the drains were suf-
fered to become cheked.