The Express.
London, England, 1852-10-08 00:00:00

THE QUARANTINE LAWS.

(Mai th. Daily Nem.)

Tim subject of Quarantine Laws is ono that is
men discussed by governments on its own merits.
Thus laws took their origin in error and ignorance,
sad ere maintained by self-interest and political
jealousy. Three. years ago we were rejoicir gin the
Cr:of their speedy abolition. The French
y of Medicine Lad pronounced s: them
in Frame, and the Board of Health in land had
pablisimel • mass of evidence to sbew utter
west powerd_ to obtain the objects tbey had in
view. were times when Liberalism wee Jab'-
. lent, sad men were Makin forward to the grapeet
of enamelled's hem all apprenrive Isghistismßut
a chases has new awe was the political dream.
Lihsrtrithought andsessoknolormweeletsin France,
sad legiond has chuni- her Whig ministry for a
Comonative one. Weher there is anything in
the metal oondition of Conservatism thatloads to a
bad in contagion, or that Conservatives Seel that
all restriction is a proper thing, wo will net attempt
to decide, but it is certain that despoils rearantento
are all believers in high mistagioss thesehe of dis-
ease, and the efficacy and value of Miss Lem.
The reactiona.ry. movements en the essdnent, and the
change of ministry in this coonotipy have is sem-
queues suspended any improvements wkly might
have been made incur Quarantine Regelatises.
No one will be surprised to find the
sel go-
vernment again putting Quarantine into
force with regard to cholera. By l= a
er signed
C. C. GREVILLE, it is directed that all ships
coming from the Baltic and North Seas be subject to
inspection, and should cholera be found on board,
such ships are to be suhjicted to Quarantine Regula-
tions. Although this Quarantine is to be confined to
those yawls alone having cholera on board, it will
be well to inquire what good can bo expected
to attend such a practice. All Quarantine Regulations
proceed upon the supposition that certain diseases are
contagious, and the present letter of course amuses
that cholera is a contagions disease. Without
wishing to enter upon the discussion of the questlen
of the contagiousness or non-contagionsases of
cholera, wo would point to the incoosisteney between
this view and that which has always boss aged cm
by the Board of Health. By all possible mesas
in its power, has this body been striving
to indoctrinate the people of England with
the fact that cholera is not contagions, and if this be-
lief is general amongst persons affected by or in con-
tact with, a truly contagions disease, we will
any Quarantine Regulations to prevent the
spread of such a malady. Surely, there ought to be
reciprocity of practice in this matter, and people at
sea ought not to be told the disease is one thing, and
those on the shore that it is another. But suppose
the Board of Health and all her other Majesty's sera
vents should agree, that cholera is a contagions dio-
cese, are they sure that Quarantine in ships will pm-
vent its importation into this country. Was the
poison of a contagious disease a tangible thing that
could be shut up in a box till it was killed,
then Quarantine might do some good, but we
have abundant evidence to show that with
truly contagious diseases, each as small pm, se
amount or Quarantine can prevent the diffusion of
the poismons matter. It may be conveyed in l.tters,
in clothes, in hooks, nay the atmosphere alone will
waft it along, and it bids defiance to all Quarantine
Laws.
In the spread however of all contagion, it amid
bo recollected that the poison is only me sir-
cumstance necessary to the production el &sass in
the human body. To grow plants from a seed, yen
must have, as well as your seed, a certain condition
of the atmosphere, and a certain condition of the
soil. This is also the case with contagions diseases.
Io order for the poison to take effect you must have
an atmosphere to convey it, and a body predisposed
to develop disease. Now, in many seasons of the
year, the atmosphere will not convey contagion, and,
if it did, the human bodies with which it came in
contact might not be predisposed to receive it, but
where the atmosphere is charged with the poison,
and the body is ready to receive it, there no Quaran-
tine Laws seem capable of arresting the disease.
But though Quarantine Laws can do little or no-
thing to restrain the diffusion of a poisonous oonta-
gion, sanitary regulations may do much towards pre.
venting the p 'don of the human body to
take the disease. ships to begin with, are fre-
quently so filthy, and so little attention is paid to
their sanitary arrangements, that they are often the
most powerfol promoters of the spread of contagions
disorders. So bad are our merchant ships in this
respect that their inhabitants are twice as liable
to fatal contagions disease as the most thickly
populated courts of our over-crowded towns.
However bad may be the condition of we
towns, the returns of the mortality on board am
ships show that there are worse sanitary condition!
on the sea than exist any where on the land. If
our government is in earnest about arresting the
importation ol contagious diseases, it must first take
saw that our ships are fit residences of harem
Wins, and not dens of filth ready to give life to the
seeds of contagion, and spread disease on every sheet
at which they touch.
Again let inquiry be instituted in our towns as to
the spots in which contagions diseases break out. Is
there a single instance where cholera, or typhus, or
mallet fever has broken out in a clean well vanilla
base, in a broad, open, well drained street, and
speed from such a spot P If such an instance is
Fawn, we must give up all hopes of sanitary reform :
but it is not, and a knowledge of the fact
ought to lead our government and the local autho-
rities in every town to exert themselves in removing
for ever the abominations which invite death and
pestilence, and which are great blots en our
civilisation, and drawbacks on our happiness and
well-being as • nation. Remove the causes of a
dame and contagionliarrying atmosphere and the
predisposition of the inhabitants of our towns to re-
ceive disease. Then we may feel convinced that no
pestilence will visit our shores.

We are glad to find that this is a view taken by
our merchants and men of business. A letter of ex-
rulation, signed by Mr. BALLET, chairman of the
hitnber of Commerce of Manchester, has been written
to the government, requesting them to withdraw the
Quarantine Regulations which have just been lamed,
on account of the vexatious interruptions which they
produce to business. Surely the merchants of Man-
skeeter have as great an interest in keeping out
haters as any other people, but they have the con-
viction of the utter uselessness of Quarantine Regula-
tions to effect their object, and they appeal against
them as interfering with the operations of commerce
sad the interests of trade. It is calculated that our
Quarantine Laws cost 2,000,0001. annually; and this
sun has been actually lost without advancing one
step the removal of the causes of the disease which
it is intended to prevent. How much wiser would
be to-aped sow of this money—for the whole
wwY ha men than is needed—in making those
changes in oar sanitary condition which would
render Quarantine Laws unnecessary P

DEER STALKING IN GLENTIDDICIL—His Serene
Higbee*. the Prince Edward of 8110 Weimar, the Earl of
Muth, Lord Arthur Lennox, Lords !leery and George
Gordon Lennox, and the lion. Captain 'Pillion, who were
at Olenliddich a few days since, had excellent sport at dem
stalking; 14 stags were brought down, some of which were
of considerable size. The Sari of Merck was, as usual, very
names', haying killed fire of them in two days.—Edirs.
burgh Adoertimr.