The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1885-02-12
LEMONS VS.. MALARIA.
The Remedy Advised by Distingu uished
Scientist of Rome.

The eight, session of the Interna-
tional Medical Congress has Just been
Held in Copenhagen. The paper of
the greatest scientific and popular in
terest to the American people is that
read by Professor Conrad Tomassi Cru
deli. of the University of Rome. Italy,
and entitled 1.-The natural production
of malaria and the means of making
malarial countries healthier"
Professor Crudeli has devoted years
to the scientific study of malaria, and
is without doubt the highest living arl-
thority on the subject. His conclusions
are, therefore, entitled to great weight.
He repudiates utterly the paludal the
ory of malaria-that is, that malaria is
exclusively produced by the putrid en-
anations of swamps and marshes. On
the contrary, he finds that it is pro-
duced in soils of the most varied COM
putrefaction whatever, a<1 is due to
the presence of a specific living vege-
table germ. This germ may exist in
soils without poisoning the atmosphere,
remaining inert for years, even for GEN.
turies, retaining its vitality, however,
and becoming active only when certain
necessary conditions are present.
These conditions, the concurrence of
which is indispensable for the produc-
ton of malaria, are three in nu ber,
viz: A temperature which does not
fall far below 67.5 degrees Fahrenheit,
a very moderate degree of permanent
humidity of the soil, and the direct ac-
ton of the oxygen of the air upon the
strata of earth containing the malarial
fcrment.
Such being the factors in the case,
what can be done to remove one or
more of them, and thus render malari-
GUS regions more salubrious? In the
first place nature makes localities
healthy during certain seasons by TAX
ing away the factor of heat-there be-
ing 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 eff
fective in this country if within his
reach, for every physician has noted
the fact, that, while malarial diseases
prevail to less degree in frosty wealth
er, yet old cases have rclapses and
new cases occur even in midwinter.
The second means of prevention con-
sists 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 forests which prevent the rays of
the sun reaching and drying the soil.
Much hope was placed in the eucalyp-
tus tree as means of extracting
moisture from the ground, but the eX-
perience with it. for Italy at least, is
not encouraging.
The third method of puriication is
to prevent the direct action of the oxy-
gen of the air upon the infected strata
of soil. This has been successfully
accomplished by the system of over
laying, which consists in covering the
infected ground with thick layers of
uninfected earth, at the same ttne en-
ploying thorough systems of surface
and underground drainage. Regions
about Rome heretofore malarious have
been benefited by macadamizing and
turning the ground.
LII
a pernicious form it is difficult to carry
out large works of improvement, such
as the forced cultivation of the soil,
because of the sickness of the laborers.
Professor Crudeii has, therefore, been
devoting the last few Years to a search
for means to increase the power of re-
sistance of the human organism to the
attacks Of malaria. Acknowledging
the great value of Guinine and arsenic,
as preventative and curative, he has
still sought to discover a cheaper,
harmless and yet effective remedy, and
this he believes he has found in the or
binary lemon. He does not claim the
discovery as original with himself. or
indeed with any physician, but candid
ly acknowledges the remedy to be of
popular origin. and with true scientific
spirit seeks knowledge. not only in the
exact researches of the laboratory, but
also in the everyday experience of
common people. He advises that a de-
coction 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, squeez-
ing thoroughly the remains of the boil
ed lemon, and set it aside to cool.
Drink the whole amount when fasting.
As the decoction possesses cathartic
the dose should not be re-
peated too frequently. not more than
once day. or every other day, accord
ing to individual susceptibility.