Morning journal and courier., 1884-08-29
LEMONS VS. MALARIA.

Nobody knows very much about the terri
 ble malaria, but Professor Conrad Tommasi Crudeli of the University of Rome, Italy, seems to know as much anybody about what nobody knows much about. He has devoted years to the scientific study of the matter and is called the highest 'living' au- thority on the subject. It is possible that those who have died of malaria know more about it than he, but their knowledge is not available.
 Professor Crudeli believes that malaria is not exclusively produced by the putrid eIn
 anations 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 putrefaction whatever, and
 is due to the presence of a specific living vegetable germ. This germ may exist in. soils without poisoning the atmosphere, re-
 maining inert for years, even for centuries, retaining it's vitality, however, and becoming active only when certain necessary conditions are present. These conditions, the occur renee of which is indispensable for the pro
 duction of malaria, are threein number, viz:
 A temperature which does not fall below
 675 degrees Farenheit, very moderate de-
 gree of permanent humidity of the soil,
 and the direct action of the oxygen of the air upon the strata of earth containing
 the malarial ferment.
 So far so good. Now, what can be done
 to prevent this vegetable germ from making trouble? Cold, the learned professor thinks,
 prevents it's development, but except in the
 Arctic regions there is not cold enough to kill it. Another means of prevention consists
 in depriving the ground of it's moisture by some system of drainage, by cultivation of plants and trees which consume a 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 eucalyptus tree as means of extracting moisture from the ground, but the experience with it, in Italy, at least, is not encouraging. The third meth
 cd of purifcation is to prevent the direct ac- 1 tion of the oxygen of the air upon the infect ! ed strata of soil. This has been successfully l accomplished by the system of overlaying, l which consists in covering the infected ground with thick layers of uninfected earth dG tne sdLle t1Ine empIoy1nB GnOfOuSn SyS- | tems of surface and underground drainage I Regions about Rome, heretofore malarious
 have benefited by macadamizing and turing | the ground.
 But, as the professor acknowledges, these | means of prevention are not very generally practical. He has therefore busted himself
 in looking about for something which will ! help the human body and mind to resist the
 malarial poison. He pins his faith to lem ons. He advises that decoction of lemon be made as follows: Cut up one lemon, peel and all, into thin slices, put it into three glassfuls of water and boil it down to one glassful. Strain the liquid through linen, squeezing thoroughly the remains of boiled | lemon, and set it aside to cool. Drink the whole amount when fasting. As the decoc- 1 tion possesses cathartic properties the dose should not be repeated too frequently, not more than once day or every other day, ac- cording to individual susceptibility
 | It is claimed that this not unpleasant med ieine is especially efficacious in the chronic
 forms of malarial poisoning, which are no 1 longer relieved by quinine. We believe the
 professors idea is good one. We have
 known malarious persons who have been | greatly benefited by lemons and greatly | harmed by quinine.