The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-08-06
40 the inhabitants of the City Of New York
and OF Staten Island.

and its vicinity met at the Nautilus Hall on the eve
o, tne "a OF June last for the purpose Of taking
consideration the present state of the Quarantine
Hospital and buildings and their influence upon the
n~ oo ane prosperity Of Staten leland At this meet
chairman and the following resolutions among Others
mediate neighborhood ofthe Marine Hospital and Quar-
muthe grounds, and In the surrounding districts and
OF New York have completsx destroysd ths original ds
sign and object Of establishing this institution
antine and health station
l Ihatlt Is no longer prudent or proper that the
o quarantine establishment be continued ct its pre-
sent locations and that be recommended to the proper
authorities to repovs the to some more proper sit
nation, without delny
18th That committee of safety to consist of fifteen,
eapponted to Garry these resolutions into effect by all
awful mes>ns with power to add to their numbers to
Contributions for the advancement of these OBJ
Jecs md to call meetings Of the county whenever in
their Judgment, such meetings may be required %
The committee Of safety appointed In the preceding
business and il has greatly added to it's numbers II
has subdvided itself into several subcommittee for
she more orderly transacting of business and it now
mods regular stated meetings, ut which the sub-com
mlttees report from time to time.
The members of the committee Of safety deeming the
poranoe to the citizens of Staten Island generally and
also the city of New York. have thought it proper in
tho motives which have induced very considerable
portion OF the Inhabitants Of the island to take active
measures to the speedy removal of the quaran
tine establishment and hospitals from Staten Island
The necessity Of quarantine establishments and Of
pnary laws has been universally recognized in modern
times among civilized nations. particularly In those
having extended commerce with different quarters of
Toe globe and, as necessary consequence of this
commercial Intercourse with those chimes where the
yellow fever, the mapox the cholera and other in
!ectious pesental contagious diseases congenal
In lS5 the Legislature this State having appointed
special committee to examine the quarantine laws of
the port OF New York and report thereon the
Legislature said committee presented their report in
January, 1915 with the different conclusions at which
they arrived after aborous examination One of the
conclusions Of the committees is in thislapguage That
MT fha NauvE nrk
cessary but should be made perfect human skill
can devise and enforced ny medical science manly en-
to commerce. as is consistent with a wise
caution for the public health" Some of the other
illusions at which this intelligent aud industrious
mttoe arrived be cited proof Of the necessity
OF strict quarapn. regulations in the of New YORK
lhey report That the yellow fever has been brought
the city of New York In her shipping either by the
founess Of the vessel the sickness Of board
dsmaged cargo. or clothes from those who had died
with the yellow fever or from Of these
bnedn That the yellow fever may bs brought to the
port OF New York on ship board when the tenn
perature at New York is about 80 degrees Of Fahren
heits thermometer, from sokly port within the
pics, and not be perceived until after her arrival
perhaps not until after she has broken bulk" "That
the small in the city and state Of New York princi
Pay ignates from foreign may be lessened
by quarantine regulations"
The State Of New York passed quarantine laws az
early as 1874! and the colony New York as early as
Is:s An act TO prevent the bringing in and spreading
OF INFECTIOUS aistemp.rs in this coony passed March
2ath l76s, prohibits vessels having contagious dis
tempers IN board coming the city than Bedlows
ofinectious disempers in this State passed May Attn
l7% desgnates Bedow's Island a race of quarantine
the mayor of New York may direct An act to amend
the act entitled act to prevent the bringing In and
OF injections dsemPsrs in this State" passed
Governors island for the purpose of erecting buildings
thereon, for the objects of the health law By
prevent the bringing in and spreading of infectious dis
eases in the State passed April 1896 provision il
made for the erection of lazretto upon Nutten Go-
vernor's some other island An act for the estxb
Nshment and support Of lazareto passed March 30h
1897 appropriaes ST. to the building of lazsreo
Governors Island An act to provide against infec-
tious and pestentia diseases passed 3Oth 1895
subjects vessss to quarautne it places passengers
the buildings on Bedows Island. and for building Ia
zareto In such place shall hereafter be designated
Thepresent Quaradtine or Marine Hospital on staten
Island, established by act Of the Legislature
titled an act to amend act entitled act to pro
vide against infectious and pestentia diseases
ed 25th 1899 This act authorizes and directs
the purchase OF land upon Staten Island and appro-
PIRATES money for the erection Of marine hospital.
But, though quarantine is necessary, 1t must
be evident, from the very nature OF the institu.
ton, that . lax, careless quarantine ia than
great number of sick patients, are the fool Of dis.
ease, and when kept in contact or in continual inter-
with crowded and populous districts they become
the meanNof spreading disease and ruin through the
land instead Of serving the useful purpose Of proven
ton Tho term quarantine has two signincationst Is
infected suspected of Infection Is compelled to for
bear all intercourse with the shore with persons from
the land excepting in very limited and under
great precautions The term denotes that secluded
or retired place where the sick, coming from foreign
lands kept under proper restrictions until all susp
cions Of disease removed The point of non-inter
course is regarded as so important that in almost all
countries persons breaking the quarantine regulations
are subject to heavy penalties and In places
sons escaping from the quarantine limits suffer death
felons.
Admitting then, the necessity Of quarantine establish
neut and Of sanitary laws under the restrictions and
regulations alluded to- the question that arises and
when concerns us IN the present inquiry is-whether
Island are calculated to answer the originally
proposed in the foundation Of that establishment or
whether the other hand they have not become from
achange Of circumstances utterly inadequate as means
of preventing the spread of disease and rather cacu
cial city like New York and the surrounding country
are naturally exposed? Avery brief statement of facts
since the establishment of the quarantine ON staten
Island will convince of the necessity Of correspond
Ing change in the location Of the quarantine At the
Island the population of this island about 900
souls the population of the city Of New York. about
the population Of this island numbers about 10000.
aud is constantly increasing; that Of the city of
New York and It's immediate vicinity, Is about half
million Of human beings Formerly the commune ation
between Staten Island and the city Of New York.
tremsy rare comparatively difficult often requiring Sc
and sail boats AZ present, there an hourly inter-
between the two places from six O'Clock in the
morning, until half after O'Clock In the evening,
and the "trip Ia performed in twenty-five minutes BY
steamboats, and may, and DOUBT, will be performed
In a shorter time, the distance is only So loo miles
The whole of the bay side of the island where formerly
house scarcely be seen, IL covered with
houses and country and the neighbor
hood vi the quarantine grounds IL quito populous
Still notwithstanding the great difference in population
ard in the Intercourse between Staten Island and New
York. We ind that the late Or. Hosack, Of New York
In letter dated November 10th, 1906, directed 10
the Board OF Health, and which Is cited In the
above mentioned report to tho Legislature uses
this Language .-'' The intercourse, might say the
unlimited intercourse, which has existed between
the quarantine ground and this city by night as
we'll by day sufficiently for the pestience Of
last season aud will venture to predict that
less Legislature enacts law which will make 1t
cessary TO quarantine captains OF vessels the super
cargoes the seamen their bedding clothing, &c well
az vessels themselves shall be from
danger and that the growing commerce of city
will be sacrificed to the repetition Of this IDLE
lsmty What would the doctor say now, were he
spectator Of the present state of things But II any
person to entertain doubt of the untness Of the
present site for quarantine let him take Of the
steamboats, plying between the city Of New York and
that part Of the island Immediately adjoining the quar-
anne grounds and the hospitals erected for yellow e
aud small patients let him observe the crowded