The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1885-09-23
oEcAYlNa WOOD DANGEROUS.
L. DsioioriOu, Influence on the IrOalth-.
ssysNi Experiments
lRaaI,ASy Engi.sr.l

sevsrni Experiments
lsaaitaEy Engi1er.l
tits generally admitted that the Vi.
Ginity Of large quantities Of decaying
wood Is dangerous 10 health, but the
evidence rs 10 this Is scnnty, and by
no means definite, nor have We
anything but more or less prob.
able theories as to how disease Is
produced III this way. Yellow foyer,
typhoid fever, and various forms Of
nalarial fever have been attributed TO
this cauSe-not that rotting wood Is SUP.
posed to DO alone sufIitient to produce
them, butthat their specific causes seem
10 flourish and increase when intro.
dnccd where It Is present in largo guam
titles.
II Is a fact that, in a number OF in
stances, tho prevalence Of yellow foyer
in Epidemic form has been connected
with tho presence VI decaying timber in
or beneath piers and wharYcs, or Of
masses Of rotting sha ings, chlrS, saw
dust, otc. This WIS the case In Proyi.
denCO, Baltimore, New York city, and
horlolk, and the presence Of rotten
timiGrs or planhng in yelloW.ieyCr
ships has been noted 70 often that by
many II Is thought to DO something
moro than mere coincidence.
Collections Of damp and decaying
sRwduSt haze boon III a number OF in.
stances charged with the production OF
malarial disease, and in some Of the
northwestern states, and especially in
Michigan, the evils from this cause
have boon tho subject Of discussion by
sanitary officials Decaylng wood pave.
ments or sidewalks have teen suspected
Of causing malariRl a oCtiOns in Mem.
ibis, in Washington, and elsewhere, al.
though the relation between cause and
eject docs not appear to have been
clearly estAJlinhed.
We do know, however, that green
wood contains a very considerable
amount OF albuminoid matter, which
u Ords food to micro organisms which
dc Ompose II, producing phenomena OF
putrefnction md giving risg to more or
lgss olEUnsive Odors Professor Brewer
Of New Haven has reported tho results
Of a numDOr Of experiments on the 70
suits OF soaking green woods Of aFious
kind In cold water, and thus removing
tho Rlbuminbid matter.
That green lumber contains some.
thing which greatly taVors its decay,
md which may be removed by long.
continued solEing in water, was vol
known many years ago, and gave rise
to tho process Of water seasoning, In
which tho planEs we're SUNK In large
lo1ies OF water and kept i'm.
nCrsOd for from six months to
year, when they wero raised
piled in tho air, and thoroughly dried.
flooring lumber thus treated is little Ii.
ablC to decay, for tho simple reason that
1t contains little or nothing that is it
for the food Of the micro organisms and
fungi that cause decay. he albuminoId
material which may TO thus extracted
from wood appears to support tho life
OF various micro organisms which, so
Jar rs We know, arc not directly or in
directly in urious to health. No can
only infer that It viii also support the
life OF other organisms which may DO in.
.nrions-the germs Of specific disease
and conclude that II is sufficiently prob
aIle that this Is tho case, to warrant the
giving Of special attention to this sub.
lcct in Investigations MS to tho cause O.
the local prevalence Of certain diseases.