The Monitor., 1884-10-31
LEMONS VERSUS MALARIA.

ceedings and few of the most important
papers in full have been received by tele-
graph The paper of greatest scientific and
popular interest to the American people
is that read by Prof. Conrad Tomassi Cru
dell, of the University of Rome, Italy, and
entitled ''The Natural Production of
Malaria and the Means of Making Malarial
Countries Healthier
Prof. Crudell has devoted years to the
scientific study of malaria, and is without
doubt the highest living authority on the
subject. His conclusions are therefore en-
titled to great weight rerepudates utterly
the paludal theory of malaria-that is, that
malaria is exclusively produced by the pu-
trid emanations 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, remaining inert for years.
even for centuries, retaining its vi vitality,
however, and becoming active only when
certain necessary conditions are present
These conditions, the concurrence of which
is indispensable for the production of
malaria. are three innumber. viz. a tenn
perature which does not fall below 81. 80
+. a very moderate degree of permanent
humidity of the soil, and the direct action
6 tla Of ba air hp STR "a ot
earth containing the malarial terment.
Such being the factors i'll the case, what
can be done to remove one or more OF them,
and thus render malarious regions more sa-
lubrious i? In the first place, nature makes
localities healthy during certain seasons,
by talking away the factor of heat-there
being less malarial infection in winter than
in Summer. But this means is obviously
beyond the reach of man, nor is it at all
certain that it would be effective i'll this
country, if within his reach, for ever physi-
clan has noted the fact that, while malarial
diseases prevail to less degree in frosty
weather, yet old cases have relapses and
new cases occur even in mid-winter.
The second means of prevention consists
in depriving the ground of its moisture, by
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 froests which prevent
the rays of the sun reaching and drying
the soil Much hope was placed in the
eucalyptus tree as a means OF extracting
moisture from the ground, but the exper-
iencc with it, in Italy, at least, is not en-
couraging
The third method of purification is to
prevent the direct action Of the oxygen of
the air upon the infected strata of soil.
This has been successfully accomplished by
this system of overlaying which consists
in covering the infected ground with thick
LAYERS of unaffected earth, at the same
time employing thorough systems of sur
face and underground drainage. Regions
about Rome, heretofore malarious, have
been benefited by macadamizing and turf
ing the ground.
In districts where malaria prevails in
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. Prof CRU
dell has therefore been devoting the last
few years to a search for means to increase
the power of resistance of the human or
gansm to the attacks of malaria. Acknow-
ledgng the great value of quinine and
arsenic. as preventive and curative, he has
still sought to discover cheaper, harmless
and yet effective remedy, and this he be-
lieves he has found i'll the ordinary lemon.
He does not claim the discovery original
with himself, or indeed with any physician,
but candidly acknowledges the remedy to
be of popular origin, and with true sclen-
tific spirits seeks knowledge, not only III
the exact researches of the laboratory, but
also in the every day experience OF common
people. He advises that decoction OF
lemon be made as follows Cut up one
lemon, peel and all, into thin slices, put 1t
into three glassfuls of water and boli 1t
down to one glassful Strain the liquld
through linen, squeezing thoroughly the
remains of boiled lemon, and set it aside to
cool. Drink the whole amount when fast
ing AS the decoction possesses cathartic
properties the dose should not be repeated
too frequently, not more than once day,
or every other day, according toindividual
susceptibility.
Whether the decoction of lemon Will
prove to be of permanent value can only
be determined by experiment. 1t is claimed
for it that it is especially efficacious III the
chronic forms of malarial poisoning, which
are no longer relieved by quinine. AS the
remedy is cheap and imoeuous it VIII
probably receive almost universal trial, es-
pecially as it is recommended by such emil
nent authority 1t is to be borne i'll mind,
however. that malarial manifestations are
not exactly the same in different countries
and in different individuals, and that a
medicine curative III Italy may be less so
here. 1t is to be hoped that the subject
will receive such careful study that the eX-
act type of ma larial poisoning to which it