Report on the epidemics of Tennessee and Kentucky.

  • Sutton, William Loftus, 1797-1862.
Date:
1852
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on the epidemics of Tennessee and Kentucky. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    the carboniferous system, composed of 80 or 90 per cent, of carbon- ate of lime, with the residue of carbonate of magnesia, of alumina, and silica in various proportions. This rock is semi-crystallized, and extremely rich in fossil remains. It is covered to a greater or less depth by a bed of clay usually having salts of iron in combination. This clay again is covered by a layer of vegetable mould, constituting a soil of unrivalled fertility, in which the blue grass \_poa pratensisf~\ grows to the greatest perfection. The water used for drinking and cooking throughout this region is usually limestone water, contain- ing, generally, bicarbonates of lime and magnesia in solution. The temperature of three springs in Scott County, taken by immersing the thermometer in the spring, was 55° in two, and 56° in the third. The observation was made on July 15, the weather being both dry and hot. In the summer, most springs of the region have a higher temperature—in the winter, a lower. The geological formation above noticed embraces the counties of Kenton, Boone, Woodford, Scott, Oldham, Bourbon, Lincoln, Madi- son, which are noticed in this report. The city of Covington, Kenton County, is situated at and below the mouth of the Licking River. It is bounded on the east by Lick- ing River, on the north by the Ohio, west and south-west by a semi- circle of high hills. A large portion of the city is built upon very rolling ground. A great number of streets have recently been graded and paved. Consequently, many receptacles have been made, which, in wet weather, become more or less filled with water; and in hot dry weather are left nearly or quite uncovered. The Licking and the Ohio Rivers are bordered by a tolerably high bank, which is not overflowed. But the town of New Port, which is on the opposite side of the Licking, is sometimes overflowed. Along the high bank above mentioned, and between it and the water's edge, at low water, there is a broad strip covered with slimy dark mud, which becomes quite hard and dry by exposure to the summer's heat. Along the base of the hills to the west and south-west of the city, through a bottom vary- ing from one hundred to four hundred yards in width, runs Willow Run into the Ohio River. When the Ohio is high, water is backed up this stream and overflows the bottom, sometimes to the depth of two or three feet. Of course this leaves a deposit. A little to the west of the centre of the city, begins a piece of low ground, which stretches westwardly and north-westwardly nearly to Willow Run and quite to the Ohio. The soil here is black and sandy, and in wet weather is covered with water. In this division of the city are many springs of excellent limestone water. A few good wells are