New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-07-14
AN IMPERATIVE NECESSITY.

The mooripg of the Hosptalship in the lower
bsy. two or three weeks since, has removed the
,ublic apprehension as TO the introduction OF I'M
ported diseases into this city for the present Sum
mer. The necessity of more complete Quarantine
arrangements, however, is not done away with,
and those who give any attention to the subject,
are impatient for some action on the part OF the
Commissioners for the removal of the Hospitals
permanent Lazaretto is mperatively demanded,
and another year should not be permitted to elapse
without final provision being made for it, If it Is
within the range Of possibilities.
The Inconvenience of the present arrangement
is shown by recent incident. A ship from Liv'
erpool arrived below and was boarded at the usual
station BY the Health Officer of the port. She had
on board large number Of immigrant passengers,
all of whom were in good health, with single ex'
eeutiop. One woman, who had been i'll with fever
nearly the whole voyage, was in an extremely low
condition, which, it was evident to the physician
would terminate in death in few hours. Had the
fever been one Of an infectious or contagious char
aeter it would have been the duty Of the physician
to send the patent immediately to tho Floating
Hesyasl. As il was not, to have transferred her
from the ship to q steamboat. and, after pas
SAGE Of nine miles, from the steamboat to
the hospital would have bet n tseIpose her TO IN
necessary and severe suffering. According to the
arrangement made for the disposition OF sick
immigrants she shoald have beea sent to Wards
Island; bot to this there was precisely the same
objection--that the change and the journey would
be an &C: little short of positive cruelty to one
already in moribund condition. She was accord.
ipaly sent 10 Castle Garden where in the course Of
q few houss she expired.
This case, we understand, has given rise to some
correspondence between the Commissioners of
Emigration and the Health Officer and Physic.
iaI at Quarantine. The Commissioners complain
that the patient was sent to Castle Garden rather
than to the Floating HOSPITAL. The Health Officer
asserts, and it seems with great reason, that he
had no alternative. The question between them
is rather ono Of diagnoss than anything else. Il
the extreme illness of the patient was simply o
case of excessive fever, which, though fatal to the
subject, could not be, as it had not been In long
voysge on q crowded ship, dangerous to any one
else, then mere humanity dictated that she should
be- saved tho exposure aud suffering Of being
transported either to the Hospital Ship or
Wards Island. Such wss the conclusion of the
Quarantine physician, and as it is not easy to
COL ceye of bis being wrong as to the disease and
condition of the patient, 90 be had no alternative
but to make tho disposition'he did Of her. On the
other hand, it's not at all strange that the Commits.
soners should be disposed to guard with great care
ag ainst any precedent which may lead to- the use
of Castle Garden for hospital purposes. Nor could
any exigency arise whereby it would be- liable to
be used in an exceptional and extreme case of this
sort were proper Quarantine provided, instead Of
the Hospitals being, as they now are, twenty miles
apart, with the boarding ground of the Health Off
Ger half way between them.