What Is Malaria?: and Why Is it Most Intense in Hot Climates? an Enquiry Into the Nature and Cause of the So-Called Marsh Poison, With Remarks on the Principles to Be Observed for the Preservation of Health in Tropical Climates and Malarious Districts

What Is Malaria?: And Why Is It Most Intense In Hot Climates? An Enquiry Into The Nature And Cause Of The So-Called Marsh Poison, With Remarks On The Principles To Be Observed For The Preservation Of Health In Tropical Climates And Malarious Districts by Charles Frederick Oldham surveys the origins and consequences of malaria in a wide geographic and historical frame. Written in 1871, the volume challenges the then-dominant marsh-poison theory and argues that malaria results primarily from environmental heat-related chill and rapid temperature changes that disrupt the body's heat balance, rather than from a discrete poisonous emanation. Oldham collates clinical observations from India, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, and subject matter ranges from the seasonal and topographic distribution of fevers to the influence of climate, vegetation, irrigation, and human habitation on disease. He examines competing theories (vegetable decay, waterborne contaminants, electrical and geological hypotheses), discusses associated diseases (dysentery, hepatitis, pneumonia, rheumatism), and emphasizes hygienic measures—proper shelter, clothing, ventilation, and climate-related relocation—as practical health-preserving strategies in malarious regions. The Preface contextualizes the work as a systematic enquiry into the nature and cause of malaria and lays out the health principles for tropical climates and malarious districts.