The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-07-31


ed out and the nuisance removed for the
time. It is wise plan to put every month or
so quantity Of quicklime into the spring OF
A very simple test for drinking water is to
fill quart bottle half full of the suspected
water and shake well-if the air contained IN
the bottle has then an offensive odor, the wa
It is said that a well drains an area OF sur
face equal to circle whose diameter Is three
times the depth OF the well.
While this may be true, 1t must be also true
that the surface water in gaining access to the
tent, else our wells would almost without eX
ception become cesspools.
1twould be improper to leave this sublecl
without stating that the clearness and appar
ent purity of water and its pleasantness tc
the taste are no guarantee OF It's wholesome
ness, in fact rather the reverse Is the case
The popularity of q we'll or spring is poin,
against it, since animal impurities are accom-
panied by chlorides, which give pleasant
taste to the water. Some observer recon-
mends the addition Of about teaspoonful o
common salt to the gallon Of water In order
TO render II palatabS.
"DRAUGHTs OF AIR ARE ARROWS OF DEATH
The location and construction Of the dwell
liugs have very important influence upor
the health Of q community. Many OF oul
houses, loosely built and draughty as they ART
favor the development Of coughs and colds
"Draughts Of airare arrows OF death" is an Ole
and true saying.
In looking ior the causes of disease in 6
house we must not forget the possibility
This though very rare sometimes occurs.
There Is one point of great importance II
the location OF house, which we must no
overlook, namely, the moisture contained
in the soil. A damp soil with an impermea'
especially consumption.
Hence while such location is unhealthy
for all 1t is especially so for those who have
strong hereditary or acquired tendency te
cases of disease uf specific origin that there
may be local cause, and should learn the
history Of the place as far as possible, wha1
deaths have occurred and from what diseases
We should also examine the water supply
and its relation to cesspools, drains, and pri
vies.
coNsANGUINEoUs MARRIAGES JUSTLY CON
DEMNED.
There are certain diseases as syphilis, con
sumption, gout, scrofula, insanity, &C., which
are markedly hereditary, and by knowing o
guard against them by taking special precau
lions at certain ages when this hereditary In
fluence seems most marked. Thus IN infancy
we will see hereditary syphilis developed
scrofula up to the tenth year, consumption IN
youth and early adult life, gout at fifty, &C
These hereditary diseases bring up the ques
ton Of fconsanguineous marriages. These nave
been held in disrepute for long time. 1t be
now much discussed whether such marriages
are Of themselves injurious to offspring, OF
whether they are only so by intensifyiag ex-
listing family taints. Let either hypothesis 1f
be correct It Is sill true that there are so few
families with q faultless health record, that
these marriages are quite Justly. condemned
We are rarely asked as to the proprtety,
from q sanitary standpoint, Of proposed
marriage, but we may be in position to ex-
ert some influence, and the following rules
/. "No marriage should occur between per-
sons having the same hereditary tendency to
disease, and this Is especially important in
marriages between relatives.
2. IA girl should not marry under the age oi
twenty.
well-marked constitutional syphilis, or haV-
ing q strong consumptive taint, or tendency
al a1l." %en'"i unS0anoneSS' 'n0"'0 n0' "'Af'' "'
CONTAGIOUS AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES
SHOULD BE ISOLATED.
It is necessary for the welfare Of commu'
nifty, when contagious or infectious diseases
make their appearance, that proper isolation
diseases are those which are caused by spe-
cifc virus or poison. This poison consists IN
the great majority OF cases, OF minute living
beings, called Germs or Bacteria. Their ac-
the yeast plant, which when introduced into
q suitable substance multiplfes with amazing
rapidity, and at the same time changes entire.
ly the composition Of the soil IN which 1t
grows.
These infectious diseases ale such as ty-
phoid, typhus and yellow fevers. cholera,
diphther1a, smallpox, scarlet fever, &c.
Some are contagious as scarlet fever, diph-
theria, whooping cough &C.; and do for these
should be practiced for all. Isolation means
not only tie separation Of the sick from the
well, but also prehibt hon OF the use OF sus.
pected dwellings, drinking water. &C., until
The best preventive against the entrance
of Germs is cleanliness. Where they have en-
tered, heat, sunlight, fresh air, and Of drugs
Corrosive Sublimate, Sulphate OF IRON or Cop.
peras, Lime, the fumes of burning Sui
phur, &C., are all good disinfectants. 1t is up-
necessary to give the details Of their employ
ment. for the advice OF physician can al
ways be had, and that for special cases is
directions. II our people will have an eff:
Client board of health appointed, who will
look after the sanitary condition OF our
streets, lots, and houses, who will stop all
public nuisanees, and who will In case OF q
tious disease, use the proper measures Of iso..
lation and disinfection, great forward
move will have been accomplished.
SOME OF THE RESULTS OF MEDICAL INvEs-
TIGATIoN INTO THE CAUSES AND PRE-
vENTIoN OF DISEASE.
We pass now to the consideration Of the
second part Of our subject-namely, what
medical Investigation has accomplished in
special diseases In regard to their prevention.
Liberal quotations have been made from
Loomis' Practical Medicine. Peppers System
Of Medicine, and other standard works In
this part Of our subject
The first disease which comes to mind is
Smallpox. The preventive treatment OF this
disease, following the discovery Of the 1mmor.
tai Jenner. will always be among the greatest
OF medical science.
eff modern traveller could find himself
to the streets Of the city OF Lon
don. as they appeared In the early part OF the
present century, 1t Is probable that no pecul.
iarities OF architecture, dress or behavior,
would be to him so strikingly conspicuous as
the enormous number Of pock-marked Wis
ages which he would encounter at tevery turn
The day is probably not far distant when
small pox will be stamped out in all civilized
to note the successive steps that
were taken before the final discovery was
reached In l7l7 Lady Montagu, the wife ol
an English ambassador; writing rom J. ADRIAN ,.
lation was in vogue, said, They take the
here for diversion; have tried 1t
on my dear little son; am going to bring
this useful invention into fashion IN Eng.
the fashion. 1t was practiced by introducing
the pus from smallpox pustule, beneath the
skin Of one who had been prepared by diet,
&C., for the safe development Of the disease.
stages OF small pox more rapidly, was attend
ed by few pustules, and rarely Terminated "a
tally.
EDWARD JENNER, THE FATHER oE PRE-.
yENTIyE MEDICINE.
In l776 Edward Jenner, an English country
physician, observed that persons employed In
dairies In some of the northern counties, who
suffered from certain form Of ulcer on their
hands, did not contract smallpox when ex-
posed TO 1t. These ulcers resembled pustules
on the udder OF the COW. Jenner took matter
from ana of these nnstules and introduced IL