INFLUENCE OF WATER IN PRODUCTION OF DISEASE. 527 
power of paralyzing the sympathetic nerve, and the eflPect of 
the ammonia traceable to its intense power of exciting mus¬ 
cular contractions. Altogether, the discussion, and the replies 
it evoked from the author of the paper, were full of interest. 
The President, in offering some observations on the subject, 
warmly complimented Professor Halford upon the practical 
nature of his discoveries, and congratulated the University 
in that to the professor of its medical school belonged the 
credit of giving to the scientific world these most interesting 
facts.— Lancet, 
INFLUENCE OF WATER IN THE PRODUCTION 
OF DISEASE. 
Very many believe water is the medium by which ma¬ 
larious poison is conveyed into the system, and this is by no 
means an idea of recent origin. It is worthy of remark that 
both Hippocrates and Rhazes asserted fever and enlarged 
spleen were caused by drinking impure water. Linnaeus, in 
his thesis entitled ^Hypothesis Nova Febrium,^ announced 
the true cause of ague to be aqiia scilicet argillacea, or the 
use of water impregnated with organic matter while perco¬ 
lating through an argillaceous soil. Dr. Pidduck indeed 
states that he has succeeded in curing intermittents simply 
by interdicting the use of any but distilled water. Again, 
the inhabitants of most tropical or malarious countries firmly 
believe that water causes fever. Dr. McLelland remarks on 
the prevalence of this belief. Marshall states the Cinghalese 
attribute fever to impure water. Dr. Lyell tells us, the 
inhabitants of the Yusufzye believe fever to be caused by 
cold, and by water which has been rendered impure by 
passing over rice fields. The inhabitants of the malarious 
plains of Troy believe their diseases to arise from the water 
they are in the habit of drinking. In Albania the shepherds 
not only will not drink themselves, but are careful to prevent 
their flocks watering at other than knowm healthy streams. 
Mr.Cornish, in his ^Medical History of the Shervaroy Hills,’ 
states the inhabitants believe the w’ater below the mountains 
produces fever. Throughout Rajpootana, the belief that the 
cause of fever exists in the w^ater prevails very extensively, 
and particularly among the better classes of natives (VV. J. 
Moore, Surgeon, Marwar Political Agency, on Malaria).— 
Med, Times and Gazette, 
