336 Italian Malaria. 
Art. XIII.—On the Malaria of the Campagna di Roma. 
Translated and communicated by Prof. Griscom. 
At a period when so much is written, and felt of the prevalence of 
epidemic diseases, and while in the United States, there are many 
districts which are subject to the periodical visitation of epidemic 
fevers, and our own country as well as others, is liable throughout 
its whole extent to the formidable march of pestilence, and while 
philosophy is still so much baffled in its attempts to trace the intimate 
connection between meteoric and terrestrial influences, and the physi- 
ological changes of the human system, it is the part of wisdom to 
pursue the investigation, by a careful and industrious collection of 
facts. ‘To the want of a sufficient acquaintance with the various 
phenomena attendant upon atmospheric changes, taken in connec- 
tion with topographical peculiarities, and habits of life, must be at- 
tributed the darkness which still invests the various departments of 
pathological science. Knowledge, solid, practical and useful, makes 
but slow progress; but that it does make a progress, no one who 
compares the present state of chemistry, mechanics and astronomy, 
and the arts dependent upon them with their condition in the time 
of Lord Bacon, can hesitate for amoment to admit. The discovery 
of the circulation of the blood, of the constituent principles of at- 
mospheric air, and of the nature of some of the changes which take 
place in respiration, together with the light which has been shed upon 
some other of the vital functions, must be regarded as important steps 
in inductive philosophy. ‘These advances, together with the very 
extended knowledge of the composition and properties of matter 
which has been attained within the last half century, through the 
labors of Franklin, Black, Scheele, Priestley, Lavoisier, Davy and 
others, and the activity which at present prevails among men of sci- 
ence, encourage the belief that discoveries may yet be made which 
‘ will lead to the detection of the real nature of the causes of Malaria, 
and elevate the dignity of medical philosophy by the application of 
remedies to this subtle and pervading poison. If the following essay 
SUR LE MALARIA DE LE CAMPAGNE DE RoME, taken from the Biblio- 
theque Universelle, of Geneva and constituting a portion of Fragmens 
dun voyage en Italie (Morgenblatt, 1831) is deemed appropriate to 
the American Journal, its insertion is respectfully submitted.—G. 
“‘ Every body has heard of the bad air which exerts its pernicious 
affluence in the latter part of summer, and which depopulates Rome 
