New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-08-22
LECTURE on QUARANTINE.

Prof Guthrie Of the Memphis Tenn, Medical Col
lege delivered lecture the above subject on
"Wednesday evening la t. at Newark, n. j., before the
Newark Medical Association an active and energetic
society principally composed of the working portion
of the profession of that city and 1t affords US great
pleasure that the day is coming when the sub
ject of Quarantine will be discussed in NewJersey
outside of politics. and when it will be placed upon its
proper basis-that of facts AMI experiences; and 1t Is
much 10 tie credit Of the above Association
that they have given TO the citizens OF the largest and
in sanitary quarantine matters, most interested
city-Newsrk-the opportunity TO listen To the Ueio
remarks Of 30 able exponent of the subject as Dr.
Guthrie.
The lecturer after cursory glance at the history of
medicine when yet in It's infancy, and overwhelmed
with fsncful notions and absurd theories, gave his
definition of medicine in its present state as common
sense applied to science" All true science must be
based on acts. He proposed to array class OF SIMPLE
facts against theories aud dogmas. Ii any one found
his theories cut sthwar by such array, let him quarrel
with the facts and meet them with counterfacts not
theories.
The old theory that yellow fever is contagious, is
now almost entirely abandoned by physicians VINO
have given the most attention to the subject. one
reason why this theory however still fingers IN the
minds Of some Of the venerable fathers OF the probes
sion and finds ciedeuce among many non-proiesslonai
men, il the confusion often made between the terms
econtagion" and " Infection" There is al important
distiI oton between BOTH
Confooion is applied to diseases that may be CON-
mulcaed by actual contact or proximity equivalent
to contact Infection applied to diseases that do not
REQUIRE actual contact for propagation from the SICK to
the well. This class lnieotousl originate IN atnios-
pheric poisops the inhalaton of which may produce
the disease The only contagious diseases are syphs,
gon.rrnea itch, eryspelas, hospital gangene, morbid
poisOps found in the dead bodies OF anmss or IN GER
tain scrd vegetables, morbid secretions OF animal
BODIES vaccine and small pox which is the only fever
commando ble by contact;
The yellow and var GUS other feyers the cssiera,
whooping cough Influenza, &c, are all "yecl,o"s,
atm
them are contagious. "Fomites Ia term applied TO
substances containing contagious eihuVa, as Wooien
goods feather cotton oedtiag furniture Neil may
impregnate masnatlc atmosphere, ana thns propa-
oaie the yellow fever and other non'contaglous DIS
To ilustrate the fact that yellow fever is not cons
gous the lecturer gave cstsed account anu ns.oly
Of this disease in Mempeis, Tenn; Memphis Is ABOVE
the latitude of yellow fever; no cases nave peSn
known 10 originate there. Passengers boats from
New Orleans, Natehez, &c, affected WIN yemO~ w
boarding horses ard hotels, but no nsan: e mas oc-
cured Ia which a single case OF yellow lever mas
been produced by coming IN contact with tne slvh'
the diving Or the dead taken from yellow FEVER poa'S.
In the wears IS53-45, LAP cases, of which large
number died were sent frou the boats to the hospital
hut no instances occurred OF nurse or other person at
the hospital taking the disease In 1912 raseu as al
endemic In certain parts OF Memphis Ii first appear
ed in that year the ID of Aug on the stesner iogo
mar. the fourth day after the Harry hil, nom Ne"
Orleans had landed near her to dhcharge a Saigo VI
"a 10 the lth of August The Hill having several cases
Of veov fever on board returned again on the 18th,
from New Orleans and discharged another cargo ol IRON
near tie Ipgomar and fiat boat SiA Gays after Tue
srriy al az the Ill., several cases occurred on oosf1 tne
Ingomar and the flat boat In order 10 purity 'he ii'
her furniture chairs, sofas covered VITA cloth, NC
we've removed 10 a cabinet shop TO be cleansed'
few days after placing the furniture IN .ne caone'
shop peyeral cases of yellow lever occurred -
knnvn 20 have been in contact with or IN profanity 10
the boat furniture. About the 2h OF Sep'eoef .ne
disease assumed epidemic form, CERTAIN Pa's % 'u
city becoming infected Ii IS supposed tuat tnc ftu
Inv feye- poison was communicated by the Harry nv!
TO an atmosphere already miasmatc, ana suscePioo
of a poisonous impregnatlon. Thus the lecturer ue-
duoed fOm the data given that the yelo" ieVeI
arose from contact, but could generahy Do uavou
the bedding furniture and other articles from
vessels commonly called fomites, or gre" o"' VI
the atmospheric influences named.
In al CAGES, where the disease cannot De raoeu "
fonaites /; always occurs under certain s,dosPhco,
meteorological and terrestrial conditions. These are
high state Of temperature moisture and vegetaton' OF
lis decomposing remains. -
In New Orleans, NatcheZ, NicksbuVg Snu o'ne.
places these conditions always exist during ths no,
season ard hence there the disease IS ofsnstea anu
no quarantine is of any avail Above certain degree
Of north latitude these conditions do not generay eN
ist Though such may be the at one time or ener
VET there are often sufficient concentrated morba u
Anencas IN spread the disease when once lighted Dy
tbs snark Of fomites Hence the necessity OF quaran-
tine In such localities is more urgent than where inc
disease originates. o...;o
great deal in the protective value OF Quarantine
tho lecturer concluded, depends upon the propeS secc