Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-01-27
Malaria md Surface Water.

Whom MUSICIANS tell their patients
IN the cities that the germs OF CERTAIN
diseases are introduced into the system III
drinking water they are frequently IT,
minded that typhoid-fever is common
disease not only in the lower rural regions
hut in the mountains. But the answer Is
nat sufficient. The Charleston News ana
Courier. which has devoted much space 10
This subject. recently quoted from an aFu-
Gle by Dr. Lewis In the Sanitarian Magd-
zine the testimony of number or physl-
clans in North Carolina, going 10 sho"
that the germs of malaral diseases IN the
low country are usually introduced INTO
the system through the medium of drink
ing water obtained from shallow wells
and springs. and going to show also that
con1plcte. or nearly complete. immunity
from such diseases can be insured by the
use Of water from cisterns, artesian
wells. and deep-driven wells. II this SIM
ple and cheap method can be relied upon
TO effect the object had in view by these
physicians. then the people Of the dis
tricts supposed TO be peculiarly liable TO
diseases Of the kind mentioned may con-
graduate themselves.
There is much testimony quoted from
persons competent to express an intelli-
gent opinion. Hon. George II. Brown, Jr.,
Of Washington. Beaufort county, says his
family use clstern water altogether, and
never call in a physician for sickness such
as is under consideration now. Mr.. David
Pender, Of Edgecombe county, writes as
follows
IN 1859 1 built a comfortable home in
Tarboro and for eight years my family
frequently had chlls and fever DR.. Pitt
man, our family physician, stated to me
that the use OF cistern water was the only
cure for our Ills. 1 had cistern made
Immediately, and for more than fifteen
years we had no fever whatever"
Mr.. Pender adds that six years ago he
rented his house TO "a family. who report
that they have had no fever during the
SIX years Mr.. John II. shackelford
writes:
AT my mills we worked 20 hands. and
used we'll and spring water, and had a
great many cases Of typhoid-fever and
dysentery l had a 90-foot driven well
put down and got good water. Have had
little or no sickness since"
Mr.. 5. Heilbroner. Of Tarboro'. writes:
prior 10 1891 my family used drinking
water from wells not over % feet deep.
We had malaria every year and had three
cases of typhoid-fever. In the fan Of ls9l
] built cistern. and since that time
scarcely any of my numerous family have
had chill Ny doctors bills from that
source are comparatively nothing"
Mr.. J. NJ. Thompson. OF Brunswick
county, writes:
II have been living in my present quar-
ters nearly thirty years have used
cistGrn water. and have never had n case
Of fever in my family Of nine grown chill
dren. while those IN the house twenty
feet from mine and others IN the same
block using pump water from pipes luu-
ming down ten or fifteen feet have attacks
Of malarial-fever every summer There
are only four ciSterns in this town and 10
my knowledge there has never been a case
Of malarial-fevcr in any Of the houses
where they are"
Such testimony ought to suffice to settle
the question. But we must add the test.-
mony Of Dr. Lewis as to the depth Of the
driven wells. lie writes:
There IS no special virtue in a driven
well per Sc beyond keeping out the sur
face washings. but 70 is the depth 70
which II is driven that confers the vir-
tue"
To us this testimony seems conclusive.
We leave 1t to the doctors TO say whether
it is or not.