The theory and practice of hygiene (Notter and Firth) / by J. Lane Notter ... and W. H. Horrocks.

  • Notter, J. L. (James Lane), 1843-1923.
Date:
1900
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The theory and practice of hygiene (Notter and Firth) / by J. Lane Notter ... and W. H. Horrocks. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    30 in 100,000. The total solids were 71-4 parts in 100,000. In another case of the same kind, the total solids were 83 parts in 100,000; the calcium carbonate was 31, the calcium sulphate 16, and the sodium chloride 20 parts per 100,000. Iron, in quantities sufficient to give a slight chalybeate taste, often pro- duces slight dyspepsia, constipation, headache, and general malaise. Custom sometimes partly removes these effects. Malarial Fevers.—Water from marshes has been long considered to produce fever in those who drink it, and the same belief exists now among the inhabitants of marshy countries, who assert that marsh waters can produce fever. Even Hippocrates in his time noticed that the spleens of those who drank water of this kind became enlarged and hard. It is difficult to state exactly the role water plays in disseminating the poison of malaria, as those who suffer are otherwise exposed to malarious influences : still there is evidence to show that cases have occurred which can only be accounted for by using water derived from marsh lands and malarious soils. On making some inquiries of the inhabitants of the highly malarious plains of Troy during the Crimean war, Parkes found the villagers univer- sally stated, that those who drank marsh water had fever at all times of the year, while those who drank pure water only got ague during the late summer and autumnal months. The same belief is prevalent in India. In the Wynaad district in Madras it is notorious that the water produces fever and afiections of the spleen. Instances are known where villages are placed under the same conditions as to marsh air, yet in some of them fevers are prevalent, in others not; the only difference being, that the latter are supplied with pure water, the former Avith marsh or nullah Avater full of vegetable debris. In one village there were two sources of supply—a tank fed by surface and marsh water, and a spring ; those only who drank the tank water got fever. In a village (TuUiwaree) no one used to escape the fever; a well Avas dug, the fever disappeared, and, during fourteen years, had not returned. Another village (Tambatz) Avas also notoriously unhealthy ; here also a Avell Avas dug, and the inhabitants became healthy. Nothing can Avell be stronger than the positive and negative evidence here given. Moore also noted his opinion of malarious disease being thus produced; and Commaille has since stated, that in INIarseilles paroxysmal fevers, formerly unknoAvn, have made their appearance, since the supply to the city has been taken from the canal of Marseilles. In reference also to this point, ToAvnsend, the Sanitary Commissioner for the Central Provinces _ in India, states in one of his reports that the natives have a current opinion that the use of river and tank water in the rainy season (when the Avater ahvays contains much vegetable matter) will almost certainly produce fever {i.e., ague), and he believes that there are many circumstances supporting this vieAV. In this Avay the prevalence of ague in dry elevated spots is often, he thinks, to be explained. He mentions also that the people who use the Avater of streams draining forest lands and rice fields suffer niorc severely from fever (ague) than the inhabitants of the open plain draAving their water from a soil on Avhich Avheat groAvs. In the former case there is far more vegetable matter in the water. The Upper Godavery tract is said to be the most aguish in the province, yet there is not an acre of marshy ground; the people use the Avater of the Godavery, Avhich drains more dense forest'land than any river in India. In the belt of marshy land and forest stretching along the base of the