The Washington critic., 1889-04-17


THE CRiTfc under this head. Letters
should in all cases be as brief as possible.
The Aiiantus.
HAeERsTowN, MD, April 15.-Edhor
Critic. Since discussion about the Allan
tus has sprung up, l cbeerfully give to an
impartial CRITIc my stock OF Information
on the subject:
For some years families residing In the
neighborhood Of these trees have been at
tackled with peculiar sore throat during
the period of bloom. In some cases the
patients were confined TO bed and physi-
clan attended them for several weeks.
In our neighborhood there were four
families seriously affected with aggravated
sore throats, resisting all treatment until
the ailantus ceased TO bloom.
Three friends visiting us in June were
suddenly affected with sore throat, violent
influenza and later with an irritating cough.
They were In good health upon their
arrival, but were sick for thrco weeks. One,
remarkably healthy child, had, ia addi-
tion to the foregoing symptoms, frequent
cramps In the stomach. She was so
weakened by the sickness caused by allan
tus blossoms that she was in delicate health
for the remainder Of the summer.
The attendant physician recognized the
sore throat at once as the peculiar affection
induced by blooming ailantus. lie said
he could do nothing but advise complaint
against these trees.
Two ladies Of my acquaintance who had
never before experienced any symptoms Of
ha 40 ot, l,.v
had full course Of II while spending the
month of June in the vicinity of an aildntus
A member Of yet another family has been
confined TO her bed for more than a week
and unable TO swallow for several days In
consequence Of irritable condition of throat
and stomach, resulting from ailantus bios
SONS. She was never sick excepting for
these three weeks annually.
A hay-fever patient in our town had her
first symptoms In June for successive
years. AT length she could no longer re-
cover from the loss OF rest, deadly nausea
and enfeebling influenza caused annually by
neighbours ailantus, and she has become a
chronic victim to hay-fever.
was told by resident Of Boonsboro,
Nd, that the physicians OF that place were
puzzled to account for the number of con-
sumptives in certain part of town. Be
lieving there must be some local cause, they
proceeded to make Investigations. In each
case where there was not hereditary ten
dency to pulmonary disease the patient said
he first had a mysterious sickness annually
in June. A sore throat and tickling cough
accompanied the sickness. AS time wore
on the cough continued throughout the
summer, and he did not recover from his
enfeebled condition.
A number Of ailantus trees grew In this
section Of the town, and the doctors found
that the time OF sickness corresponded with
the period when the ailantus bloomed.
A few more statements convinced them
that the ailantus should be declared a
public nuisance This was done, and the
authorities cut down these trees so preju-
dicial to health.
My informant said that no new cases of
consumption had been found In that healthy
mountain town since the destruction of the
ailantus. CIV.
The Suburban "Craze.,
WASHINGTON, April 17.--Editor Critic:
In reply to the query Of 'Anti-Suburban
Craze" in yesterdays CRITIC as to where
the people are to come from who are to
occupy all the suburban divisions, woold
say that 1t is highly improbable that all the
subdivisions will be occupied. The better
ones will be, as the better land In the city
will be occupied, and the rest left unsettled
for years. The effect Of the suburban
craze has been to open up property for men
Of moderate means who want to build q
home costing from 81 800 To 1000 and who
cannot do so within the city limits. 1t will
be found that 1t is largely from this class
that the suburban population is being re-
cruited. G.