The New Lenox malaria case / by J.F.A. Adams.

  • Adams, J. F. Alleyne (James Forster Alleyne), 1844-1914.
Date:
1883
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The New Lenox malaria case / by J.F.A. Adams. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    the disease. These were the chances in the atmos- phere produced by the conditions found there.” He cited a case at Bound Brook, N. J., where he hits lived till within a few months. A railroad built in 1874 dammed up a frond of seventy-five acres, convert- ing the adjacent lands into a morass. 'I'lie {ample around it were attacked with chill- anti fever. The dam was re it roved in 1880, and the pond drajned by ditching. The following year the number of cases greatly diminished. In 18HI another pond, a mile away, was also drained with a >imilar result, as re- gards chills and fever in its vicinity. Col George E. Waring, of Newport, it I., Sanitary Engineer and Engineer of Land Drainage: *’I dis- cover an adequate cause for the excessive prevalence of malarial fever. I am in accord with the physicians ns to the influence of the exposed bottom iu produ- cing malaria. I believe, in addition, that the raising of the water level in the neighborhood, saturating the soil near the surface, impeding the outflow of drains and of tributary streams, is an important factor iu produc- ing the disease.’’ For remedies, he mentioned two: — (1.) To excavate the entire soil, so as to make a reservoir with steep banks, and prevent the exposure of the bottom. (2.) The limple remedy — the removal of lint dam followed by proper drainage. If the dam were re- moved, he believed the effect of freshets would be cleansing. Gen. E. L. Viele, of New York. Consulting En- gineer: “There is ijo tbmht in my mind that the sole cause of the disease is the condition of things existing by reason of this dam. The former swamp might have induced cases of fever and ague, but would not have created an epidemic.” From bis own investigations he was satisfied that the gertn theory is correct. The dam saturated large areas of soil, causing decay of vegetation, and exposing decaying matter to the solar ra\s. In the beds so created the seeds of malarial diseases flourished.