Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-05
WHICH IS THE HeALTHlEsT?
WHIT 10 i1e TEAL ri1''
A Tidewater Doctor Speaks for His Sec
tion Of the State.

To the Editor Of he Dispatch:
In your issue of March 9Th there is an
article from DIR. Evans, of Loudoun coun-
ty, mainly upon the subject of Centena-
rianism.S In it he states that the peo-
ple dwelling in our Virginia mountains
live longer than any people in the world"
He also quotes from Appleton's Higher
Geography THE mountainous regions
of Virginia for healthfulness is unsurpass-
ed in any other portion of the globe"
IL will no doubt be regarded by many rs
utterly absurd that any one living in Tide
water Virginia. the land of chills and
fevers," should take issue with the above
statements.
By reference to the United States census
report for 1870 you will find that the ave-
rage of life in Eastern Virginia is greater
than in any other portion OF the United
States.
THE AVERAGE OF LIFK GREATER THERE.
Yes, sir; notwithstanding that we are
subject 10 the so-much- dreaded malaria"
the average Of life is greater here than In
the far-famed healthy Virginia mountains.
IT'S true that we do have bilious-fevers
and chills. which afilict us frequently from
August till frost, but as soon as Jack
Frost" shows his hoary head the bilious
feyers disappear. and then with the eX-
enlarged livers) we enjoy good health, and
have during the winter but little pneumo-
MA and rheumatism, and are entirely free
from the much and constantly dreaded
typhoid-feyer. have been practiclng
physician for forty-two years, and during
that time have only seen typhold-fever pre-
vail in four families. and then out OF thir-
ty-odd cases there were only three deaths.
1t is true that have cases of pneumonia,
4. ID
typhoid form, but only four times in forty
two years have seen it affect almost all IN
a family. Frequently / have passed
through summer and fall and not attend
a half-dozen cases Of bilious-fever, and
during some winters and spring see three
or four cases of pneumonia and fewer still
OF rheumatism. / would not disguise the
fact that those who live here and those
who settle among us are tablet chills and
that they are very disagreeable and afiiic-
tive but very generally not dangerous.
Sometimes chills assume the congestlve
form, but that Is the rare exception. L
cannot call to mind more than two cases
of that character in the last eight or ten
years.
ONLY TEN DOLLARS IN ELEVEN YEARS.
There is q gentleman in this neighbor-
who settled here with his family eleven
wears ago who stated to me that in the
eleven years his doctors bills had not
amounted to $40. He said he regarded
this part of the State. as the hsalthiest
within his knowledge. Another gentle
man who was raised near Frederickstown,
Maryland, who came to Virginia IN early
life and made his home in King and Queen
had this experience. He left home In the
fall to visit his relatives in Maryland,
and when he reached the home of one,
learned that some members of his family
were i'll with typhoid-fever and that 1t
would be impossible for them TO enter
tain him. He then inquired, about
another relative and learned that
members of his family were sick
with the same grave disease, and so
also with another family that he had ex'
pected to visit. Under the circumstances
he had nothing to do but retrace his steps
to his home in old Tidewater Virginia, and
was glad to get there and said: - appre-
ciate my home in old Virginia more than
ever before. and am glad to know that l
live where there is not the constant lear OF
that terrible disease typhoid-fever. say
rather than be liable TO that disease give
me the chills forever"
RHEUMATIsM A RARITY THERE.
ASH said before, rheumatism is rare dis
ease, especially the acute intiammatory
type. We are less liable to consumption than
perhaps any portion of the United States:
/ cannot now call to mind a single case OF
consumption among the whites in an area
of eight or ten miles. l have on hand
three cases among negroes.
Now, Mr.. Editor, with this statement OF
facts think may venture to call in ques-
ton the claim of superior healthfulness OF
the mountain regions over Iidewater Viz
GINA.
Bilious-fevers and chills seem to be a
safety-valve and give us comparative ex-
emption from many of the moro serious
diseases to which flesh is heir to.
b. III. WALKER. NJ ID.