Evening star., 1898-08-06
CAMP ALGER.
as to NeresxifS for
Thoroughly Dfsinfectfug IL.

""SSesuonr as to Necessity for
Thoroughly Dfsfnfecting IL,
Among the communications received by
The Star In regard to Camp Alger is one
from Joseph Ambrose Thompson of Alex
andria, in which he says:
Your editorial is to the point but from
whatever source the germs were imported.
why were some preventative measures not
adopted? The germ would hardly have
connected with the well water supply; the
weather was too dry. A man infected.
whether it developed or not and careless
of sanitation" with the assistance of the
sun and wind. not to mention flies. could
distribute germs over a large area. When
you Know that the disease from which z
person died many decades ago can be
traced in the pollen of the flowers over the
grave, you can readily realize how germs
can spread. Yellow fever germs have been
carried 100 miles by fog. We cannot but
notice with serious apprehension that at
fort Myer the eNcrement of patients lis
disinfected before ii goes into the Poto-
mac river" and l think it is your duty
representing 10000 subscribers (anG shad
e2ters), TO investigate this matter and see
that this District is not made the victim Of
further calamity through somebody's neg
lect or blundcr." If they use a strong So
luton of acid, thoroughly done. it may be
effective at a great cost, but l think thor
oughly Incorporated with unslacked lime
then incinerated, would reduce all risks
The owners of the late camp should be
urged to grow sunfiowers tHelianthus an
nuus)- 1t may do some good, for the
medical profession of today cannot gain
say the old woman's adage. Plant sun
flowers TO drive OFF malaria" nor the sup
posed mythical superstition in Africa of
burning the plant to drive of disease ana
the devil for the alkaloid of the sunfiow-
er tHelantha) used internally possesses un-
doubted medicinal properties to prevent all
KINDS OF malaria dnter, remittent and yell
~.
pen give suggestion rather than await
developments"
"Died Cured"
Another letter is as follows:
A few years ago the writer spent some
weeks in a primitive part of Italy, where
blood letting was still held to be a cure
al. A sick child was bled till the mother
timidly protested. The doctor assured her
that one more application of the cups
would insure recovery. In spite of this,
the next morning when the doctor came
The mother sobbed out that her baby was
dead.
Madam said the doctor. be comfort
ed by knowing that your child died cured"
Much in the present situation recalls that
consolation. Camp Ager water was pro-
nounced pure. Typhoid was called maIa-
ria. The hurriedly equipped. crowded
hospitals are almost ideal Manassas is
more bracing than the Pennsylvania hills,
and walk of forty miles or SO is not
long for boys with malaria to say the
least, about them, and arms infiamed
with vaccination. A boy was brought into
the city today by his friends far gone with
inanition. Yesterday his comrade dropped
dead at his side. But one says there has
been over eating, another decides that the
men would be better for exercise" Our
sick and wounded languish in Cuba or
return in ships that recall the old sIavers
Sut 1t is no ones fault In fact. the Ra-
be comforted for their needlessy lost ones
since they die cured"