Smyrna times., 1894-02-14
For the Smyrna Times
HEALTH AND HYGIENE.
MALARIA AND ITS CURE.

MALARlA AND ITS CURE,
Mr.. EDITOR.-Permit me to ask the /!
indulgence of the TIMES readers to
depression in this article from my usual
selection of subject for them. Here
tofOre while simply combining myself to
descriptive writing and mostly too, on
applied mechanics, or their next of kin
natural forces, but at this late day step
into the fields of empiricism and Gull at
least one flower for as l believe their
benefits A late writer says that with
all our precautions we nevertheless are
Creatures of our Climate" l would
if allowed, change the alliterative to
that of being creatures to climax"
l know of no other words that so GER
tainly voice the alarming death rate of
our large cities and that too of the
cities not built by hands-the country.
Last week Philadelphia death rate
reached nearly 600. Just think of it;
in two weeks a full regiment of human
beings answers to -call-over the
river. A slight chill, and straightway
the skill of the ablest physicians the
sun shines on comes to naught. l said
a slight chill, say so again, slighter
perhaps, than the rustic of the sun
kissed leaves fragrant with the breath
of the Mills. So slight that no atten-
ton is paid whatever to the oncoming
almost uncOnscious-creep.
Never were there more deadly perils
more real need for prompt action than
is this first sumption of malaria. Dur
ing recent years l have gone over
large portion of the South and all the
while observing closely as | went. l
do not believe that Southwestern
Georgia has its equal on the globe for
malaria germs, as obtains among the
dense pineries in that portion of the
Empire State. Or more exposed or
hazardous calling than that of the sap
gathers for the turpentine stills. They
live in the open air, and sleep beneath
the stars.
You might think that snuff and
quinine dominated the South as much
as the negro; no not so. If however u
concession must be made, quinine and
whiskey appears to be the solution for
malaria when the chills become des
perately chronic. Again, daring five
months of the summer of 1892 travell-
ed the entire eastern coast of Florida,
through the Indian River and Lake
Worth country and into the Ever
glades. Many days would be passed
in the water up to the waists with the
hot semi-trOpical sun beating down as
it can do in fair Florida during the
sOlstice. This implied exposure and
hardships to an unusual degrees, yet
this was gone safely through by simply
doing as the sap-gathers of Georgia and
the Seminoles of Florida did to ward
off malaria.
REMEDY FOR MALARIA.
They made no secret of it: simple cup
of black coffee to which was added the
juice of one lemon, fitted them to exist
and live under conditions that seemed
we'll nigh impossible. The effects of
this simple tonic out kings quinine in
his own stronghold. My own case is a
proof of it, their long and continued
| immunity from malaria attacks proves
vastly more the efficacy of it and causes
the simple precaution to become a
precious boon. / do not seek or ask
for an apology to any one, for seeking
to give counsel now that may perhaps
save a life if needed.
Many times you have in your com
Portable homes been entertained with
descriptions from my pen while death
stared the writer in the face the longer
he tarried in these out of the way
places. Sometimes I am willing to be-
lieve that the public is selfish. Ger
tainly you will say Republics are un-
gateful, and is not each one of US a
little Republic each one unto himself.
In conclusion let me say once again
that it makes no difference in view OF
the steadily increasing death rate all
over the country whether we are the
Creatures of Climate or Climax" one
thing be certain to do when that tired
feeling comes on see that the lemon
is of good size and of generous pro
portions and of the coffee let it be what
the Brazilians call good coffee "black
as night, bitter as death, and as hot as
hades." JAMES B. SCOTT.
Philadelphia, Feb. 1894.