New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-04-29
PVBLIC MEETINGS.
NATIONAL QUARANTINE AND SANITARY
CONVENTION

n
and Surgeons, corner of Fourth avenue and Twenty
third street The attendance at the opening was nm
tied. and at DO time during the day was the number
large. =, ;,,, ,e al
iourning account Of the Brooklyn wafer 'e''o'"'
non. - c. c
An invitation was received from the Governors OF
III. Aims House To the Convention TO VISIT me SishoH
and Bellevue Hospital next Saturdayc me sucJe.'
was discussed AZ length and land over t"r tr peeu'
o.p,nsnicatio ION was received from the New York
Coumon Council inviting the Convention to dinner
at the Metropolitan Hotel, ON Friday evening next
uhich was also laid over for the present
M JrrvrIEs of Boston, reported from the Basi-
mess Committee Recommending the consideration OF
,b. second and third points Of the report on enaran-
time viz: Have guarantees secured the OBJECTS i'r
which they were Intended 1t not, the reasons OF
Their failure" and third, "What reforms are re-
"quired TO make guarantees more eihcient ana less
Cumbersome ,
and the Secretary proceeded to read the report on
Quarantine The first part embracing a history OF
Quarantine was adopted by the Convention without
Discussion. The second part, as 10 the failure OF the
Quarantine systems then read. The report con
d.mrs the existing system of Quarantine ~ emphatic
language as almost entirely useless, and exceedingly
bu rdepsoine 10 the mercantile community
DIR McNuiTy of New-YOrk moved the adoption OF
that part of the report lie believed the Quarantine
system 70 be an unug gated evil, and only regretted
that the Committee had not recommended Us ehlne
abolition. lie hoped the matter would De luiy ois-
eussed. - :;
Dr. GUTHRIE of Tennessee stated that he was IN
Memphis in Tennessee, in lS)i-3 when they were
suffering from yellow fever. In 1874, when they han
no Quarantine, they had great many cases o yeho"
fever imported FROM New-Oreans but none originating
or epidemic in Memphis. The next year they ha1
Quarantine and yellow fever broke ont IN memphis,
notwithstanding. The poih was whe'neI ile QuIt-
anime had rendered them more or less liable 10 the
disease VicksbuTg and other river towns had had
similar experiences. On the whole, he thought that
Quarantine protective only north OF points wneIe
IIa va n hrf. hl~tn
Of the epidemic at Memphis, and It's causes.
Dr. McNULry was of opinion that Quarantine had
CAUSED ten deaths where II had saved one. 10 nave
prot;ctop against either disease or fire, II must he
y,tL,n the city ITSELF There need be more danger,
wilhproper internal sanitary regulations OF yellow
feye, spreading from Bellevue any other hospital IN
The city, than of tie spread Of typhus fever.
DIR. TUIBILL of New-YOrk thought the report was
of a rather dangerous character. In NewYUrk com
Inerce is King and commerce is always hghtng Quar-
antine For this COpventon with all ~ prestige TO
den,unce Quarantine would BE- Ike throwing spaik
into power magazine. BarbarOus and restrictive ~
our Quarantine has been he had no doubt II had re-
peatedly saved New-York and Brooklyn from the
Tavages Of yellow fever.
Dr. BELL of Brooklyn said yellow fever was intro
duced into Brooklyn by the Quarantine. II was CON
fined TO the Quarantine stOrchouses and goods and the
streets adjacent. There was not case which could
not be traced to infected cargoes. .
DIR. HARRIS of New-YOrk cOncurred generally Win
DR. Bell While he admitted that the yellow lever
from infested cargoes, yet he referred 10 cases IN
BROOKLYN Of unmistakable black vonit, where the
disease could have only came through the atmosphere
from Bay Ridge. As imperfect as were our Quaran-
tine regulations they prevented he city IRON oeng
swept by the contagon in 1856, by keeping injected
eargoes below. 49,, E,
only exposure was crossing the ferry when ship was
lying below which had been infested. He alluded to
this as one instance where the case was raceable to
infected shipping
DIR. HAKRis said that he frequently heard of the
barbarisn of our Quarantine SYSTEM IL was more
than barbarous. The Health officers were generally
selected from the rural districts, and not only had no
practical knowledge of yellow fever, but were gen
orally ignorant Of the literature upon the subject.
Each generally evolved improved Quarantine laws,
which were directed to the simple object OF Increased
fees 10 the Health officers Laughter lie who had
sufficient infuenc to get the office had sufficient TO
get the laws passed, and IA vessels were detained
Eghterage had to be resoed to- and was used Tor po
6tical purposes In 1856 the nearest infected vessel
from Governors Island three miles distant, and
vet there were nearly sixty there in as well yenti-
lated apartments could be desired on the South
Battery. To the ighterage system, he though, Gouu
b. traced the cases and the remedy he suggested was
the establishment of stOrehousc for infected caigoes
DIR. ALIEN. H. STEVENS offered the following resolu-
fion as an amendment Of the report;
conclusion yellow has been conveyed from one
person another j. The opinion Of this Convention Una, me
r sssS. quarantine ''''''' ''.'
he contagion of 1919 and 1890 which led hm the CON
eluson indicated in his resolution.
DR. GUTHRIE Of Memphis favored the resolution,
though he had known of on the Mississippi where
IL would seem that il had been communicated by per-
sonal contact. Yet the bulk Of his experience favored
the view taken by DIR. Stevens's resolution
II being announced that Prot. Geo. b. Wood was
pres. Mt il was moved and carried that he he invited
To take seat the platform and to participate IN the
proceedings OF the Convention. :,
DR. KEMP thought Or. Sevenss amendment would
be better in connection with the third point of the re-
port Of the Committee.
After some discussion, motion, DIR. stevens
amendment was laid ON the table and made the special
order for 10 Il. III. to-day.
DIR. ANDERSON OF Staten Island offered the following
resolutions:
Re.lsd That In the opinion Of this Convention the system
Of Quarantine hhe6 existed in the Por; OF New York. h.
Rs,l,nd tn, Ion n. port OF New-Yak all the restrictions
necessary securing the detention of actually infected
v~tsels isolated situation d1ns The ont nom me nsI OF
April 10 the hrst OF October
Dr. McBlBBrR of Baltimore stated that he had un-
der.tood this Convention TO be national and not
'.oeal one. [Applause.l
The PREsiDESr taking this view, declared the reso
luton TO be out OF order.
DIR. ANDERSON was willing 10 withdraw that part OF
the resolution 70 make il in order and make the spp
cation general, If It were desired.
Dr. BALDwIS OF New-Jersey criticized the report OF
the Committee. They had argued that Quarantine
was a failure, and hot necessary. The report sad
nothing in relation 10 small poX typhus fever, but
xas devoted TO showing that yellow fever was not cS
tagious Whatever might be the fact as TO yellow
fever a Quarantine was needed FOR typhus fever,
small pox &c The Committee should, in his opin-
on have devoted their attention 20 showing the faults
OF the Quarantine system
Dr. kkHP read the conclusions OF the IuhNehlloh III
1857 at Philadelphia 1880
lo"g discussion ensued on the manner ID "hch inc
repot should be taken up.
On motion the conclusions OF the committee that ." a
"judcious modification of the present unsopnd, III