Diseases of Saratoga County : communicated to the Medical Society of the State of New York / by James Lee.

  • Lee, James, 1818-1866.
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Diseases of Saratoga County : communicated to the Medical Society of the State of New York / by James Lee. 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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    during summer upon our sandy or gravelly soil, they are produc- tive of extreme droughts. The temperature ranges from a maximum of -\-9Q° Fahrenheit in summer, to a minimum of —26° in winter. The barometer exhibits a msan range 29.090 inches, along the valley of the Hudson, with a slight depression from this in the higher interior and northern portions. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agricultural pursuits, and reside in rural districts; although there are several villages containing from 1,000 to 6,000 inhabitants, where considerable manufacturing business is done. The geological developments of this county may be enume- rated and located as follows, viz : The flats and elevated plains of the Hudson and Mohawk rivers belong to the quarternary sys- tem, as described by our State geologists; and the high moun- tainous districts of the interior, northern and western portions belong to the primary system. The valley of the Mohawk, and that of the Hudson, below the mouth of the Hoosic river, are composed of deposit belonging to the alluvial division. These alluvions are composed of ooze, and contain portions of lime mixed with argilo-silicious and organic matter, which render the soil fertile and vegetable growths luxu- riant. In many portions of this division there is afforded an abundant supply of decomposing material and a consequently increased amount of miasmata is generated. The evil arising from this source has, however, been greatly remedied by the dig- ging of the Champlain canal throughout nearly the whole length of one of the divisions, and the Erie canal through the other. The completion of these two great public works has contribu- ted more towards ridding this county from miasmatic diseases than perhaps could have been accomplished by any direct effort towards a sanitary improvement of this locality, for with our pe- culiar facilities, they effect the most perfect drainage of our allu- vial districts; and although we are not entirely freed from the influeqce of marsh miasmata as an exciting cause of disease, the virulenc^ of those diseases depending upon this influence has been greatly mitigated. Limestone formations are found in abundance in the northern parts of the county, and alluvions from deposit are also to be noticed in their immediate vicinity. Alum and sulphate of alumina are found in small quantities in