1893-1894 - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

ArrKNDix. 203
the medium of the drinking water. We believe that there is much evidence
to jn-ove that persons drinking water, from cisterns especially, and
also from wells bored or driven below the impervious layer of clay or
marl, are less subject to malarial diseases than those drinking from shallow
wells.
"If this fact can be demonstrated upon 'homespun' evidence by a
statement in detail of the experience of our own people, which would
make a deeper impression than that from foreign parts, we hope by disseminating
this evidence widely among the residents of the malarious
regions of our State to so augment the use of the purer waters as to revolutionize
their health records.
" We believe it can be done, Ijut we must have a detailed statement of
the evidence. For example, something after this sort: 'Up to
date my family used water from a well (describe well) and we had
cases of malarial disease (or our doctor's bill, for malarial diseases chiefly,
was ). Since that time we have been drinking cistern (or driven
well) water, and the attacks of malaria (or doctor's bill) have been so
and so.'
"Your name has been handed to the undersigned asjone who has proba-
])ly had such an experience.
Will you not, in the interest of the health
of your neighbors and the material prosperity of oui- State, promptly
transmit it? — to
"Yours truly,
To this thirty -seven replies were received.
"RICH'D H.
LEAVIS,
''Secretdvij:'
In order to give a general idea of the drift of the letters from both
sources I have classified them under the following heads :
Medical.
Favorable 10 22
Unfevorable 1 4
Indifferent, but generally favorable rather than otherwise-- 31 11
Lay.
LETTERS FROM rilYSICI.^NS.
In order to save space the irrelevant portions of the letters following
have been omitted:
Dr. Will J. Gilbert, Mill Prong, Rohmm county:
"Your circular received. Very glad indeed to see the interest taken
in drinking water as medium of malarial disease. I have been in the
north-eastern portion of Robeson county for the last five years. First
two years had much malarial trouble to treat; since then, up to present
time, have had comparatively none, due entirely to the use of driren
veils, ranging from twenty to thirty feet in depth.
Among many instances