Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-11-01
LEMONS VS.. MALARIA.

Medical Congress has just been held in Co.
penhagen. Through the enterprise of the
Medical Record, synopsis Of the proceed
ings and few of the most important papers
in full have been received By telegraph.
The paper Of greater scientific and popular
interest TO the American people is that read
by Professor Conrad Tomassi Crudeli. OF the
University Of Rome, Italy, and entitled The
Natural Production Of Malaria, and the
Means of Making Malarious Countries
Healthier"
Professor Crudeli has devotcdyears to the
scientific study of malaria, and is without
doubt the highest authority on the subject.
His conclusions are, therefore, entitled TO
great weight. He repudia!es utterly tho
paludal theory Of malaria, that is, that ma.
Iaria is exclusively produced by the putrid
emmna,ions Of swamps and marshes. On the
contrary, he finds that it is produced in soils
of the most varied composition, without
the presence Of any plltrefaction whatever,
aud is due to the presence of a specific liv-
ing vegetable germ This germ may exist
in soils without poisoning the atmos-
phe!c. remaining inert for years, even
for centuries. retaining its vitality,
however, and becoming active only
VI y
ent. These conditions, The concurrence OF
which i. indispensable for the production OF
malaria, are three in number viz: A tenn
peraturu which docs not fall below 615 de-
grees Fahrenheit; q very moderate degree
Of permanent humidity OF the soil, and the
direct action of the oxygen Of tie Dir upon
the strata Of earth containing the malariai
ferment.
Such being the factors in the case, what
can be done to remove one or more OF them
and thus render malarious regions more
salubrious? In the first place nature makes
localities healthy during certain seasons by
taking away the factor Of heat, there being
less malarial infection in winter than III
summer. But this means is obviously be-
vcnd the reach of man, nor is it at all GER
tain that it would be effective in this coun-
try, if within his reach, for every physician
has noted the fact, while malarial diseases
prevail to less degree in frosty weather,
vet old cases have relapses and new cases
occur even in midwinter.
The second means Of prevention consists
in dep-iving the ground Of its moisture Is
some system Of drainage, by cultivation Of
plants and trees which consume = large
amount OF water in their growth, or by the
destruction Of dense forests which prevent
the rays Of the sun reaching and drying the
soil. Much hope was placed in The euca-
lyptus tree as means ot extracting moiS-
ture from the ground but the experience
with it, in Italy, at least, is not enconrag-
ing.
The third method Of publication is to
prevent the direct action Of the oxygen OF
the air upon the infected strata of soil. This
has been successfully accomplished BY the
system Of OVERLAPPING, which consists in cov-
pring the infected grouud with thick layers
OF uninfected earth, at the same time EN-.
ploying thorough systems Of surface anu
underground drainage. Regions about
Rome. heretofore malarious, have been
benefited h. macadamiZing and turing the
ground.
In districts where malaria prevails in IL
pernicious form it is difficult TO carry out
large works of Improvement, which take
time for their accomplishment, such as the
forced cultivation of the soil, because OF the
sickness of the laborers. Professor Crudeli
has therefore been devoting the last few
years TO "a search for means to increase the
power OF resistance Of the human organism
TO the attacks of malara. Acknowledging
the grea: value Of quinine and arsenic, as
preventive and curative, he has still sought
to discover Il cheaper, harmless and yet et-
fcctive remedy, and this he believes he has
found in the ordinary lemon. He does not
claim the discovery as original with him
self, or indeed with any physician, but can
didlv acknowledges the remedy to be Of
popular origin, ard with true scientific
spirit, seeks knowledge not only in the ex-
act researches of the laboratory, but also in
the everyday experience Of common
peop!e. He advises that q decoction OF
lemon I've made as follows: Cut up one
lemon, peel and ali, into thin slices, put
into three slassfuls Of water and boil 1T
down to one glassful. Strain the liquid
rhrough linen, squeezing thoroughly the
remains Of boiled lemon, and set 1t aside 10
cool. Drink the whole amount when fast.
ing. As the decoction possesses cathartc
properties the dose should not be repeated
too frequently, nor more than once day.
or every other day, according 10 individual
susceptibility.
Whether the decoction Of lemon will
prove to be of permanent value can only be
determined by extended experiment. 1t IS
claimed for it that it is especially efficacious
in the chronic forms of malarial poisoning,
which are no longer relieved by quinine.
As the remedy is cheap and innocuous it
will probably receive almost universal trial,
especially as it is recommended by such
eminent authority It is to be borne IL
mind, however, that malarial manifesto.
tions are not exactly the same in different
countries and in different individuals, and
that a medicine curative in Italy may be
less so here. It is to be hoped that the SUBJ
ject will receive such careful study that tue
exact type of malarial poisoning 10 which
it is adapted may become known and accu