The relation of ground water to disease / by Baldwin Latham.

  • Latham, Baldwin.
Date:
[1890]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The relation of ground water to disease / by Baldwin Latham. 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.

    5/18 (page 5)
    these particular periods of low water greater than at any other time. It is well known that heat and cold limit the area of particular diseases, and that the temperature of the ground has also an essential bearing in the causation of disease. Heat has also a tendency to reduce ground water, and, on the other hand, intense cold has a similar effect, as in time of frost the surface waters are frozen and percolation is stopped. We must also bear in mind in the study of this question that light and darkness have a material effect on disease. The healthiest monthsjof the year are those in which the sun is for the shortest period below the horizon ; the unhealthy periods are those in which there is the longest period of dark- ness. It has been well said that “ disease walketh in darkness,” and this is true both naturally and literally, for at present we know little of the causa- tion of disease. The period of greatest darkness is also that of the greatest amount of percolation, as it is found that many diseases increase during the percolation period and decline as percolation ceases, so there is a parallelism between the periods of darkness and percolation. It is well known that in malarious countries, malaria is most active at night, and districts which can be traversed with impunity in daylight become dangerous after sunset. Wo have also the experience furnished by Arctic Expeditions. When H.M.Pt A 'Sisicince was 94 days in winter darkness in the Arctic regions in the Ex- pedition of 1850-51, when the health of its crew is compared with the Alert in the last Arctic Expedition which was 142 days in Arctic darkness, it was found that scurvy was very much more rife in the ship the longest ex- posed to the influence of darkness, although both vessels were on an equality with regard to provisions and other matters. Dr, Macnamara has observed in India that cholera cases were always most numerous when the sky was overcast, and in this country it has been ob- served that more deaths take place while the sun is below the horizon than when it is above the horizon. We must, therefore, in studying this question make allowance for the periods of darkness, and must eliminate this as a probable source of error in judging of the influences of ground. When the question of epidemic disease is studied, it will be found that the black death of the 14th century, and the sweating sickness) of the IGth century, the plague of the 17th century, in modern times cholera, typhoid fever, scarlet fever, dysentery, diphtheria, all follow the same track, having the same season- able fluctuations. We may, therefore, look to some common cause which favours the development of those particular diseases. In studying the question of disease, we must also bear in mind that the conditions which affect mankind also influence the health of cattle. When this is more generally known, probably greater attention will be paid to the study of this question as the means of preventing loss amongst the stock of the country, even if the health of mankind is neglected, but it is curious that in an enlightened country like England, in which sanitary science has had its origin, that a Minister of Agriculture, who looks after the health of the stock, should be appointed before we have a Minister of Public Ilealtli. Disease affects every section of the people. It is however, more potent