The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-05-13

| l.
aware Of IT, and knew that 1t the last token
send 10 his wife and children His breathing ceased
placing my hand upon the noble heart found 1t still
POEMS or HoME AND ABROAD. by w. p. Tom
linson. Hilton 4 Co.
This collection though exhibiting certain facility Of
vershoation, Is wanting poetic inspiration The
lines inscribed TO Thad Stevens are perhaps the best
in the volume; but what theme for poetic Hightt
The InhumanAties OF Quarantine-some
Extracts from Our Present Laws.
TO THE EDITOR or TIN HERALD.
New YoRx, April 90 1864
Dangerous a. the cholera appears 70 bc 10 this
community still greater danger threatens namely,
tho barbities OF obsolete quarantine When in 1881
the cholera left India for tour Of Europe and America
after having travelled Asa-there proposals
~ Of old in regard to the plague for denying onry to
all vessels ockmg up infected houses and dropping food
at the DOORS which the inmates take up by
chnery and from the conscrvatoss u the public health
to the superintendent OF the parish sshoo the prevail
| log spirit that Of ISOLATION rcpulson. In Eu-
rope strong guards a troops and sss bodies Of police
stationed the rnpsvts keep back tho cholera
In this country, addition TO the transcripts of old
European laws against to plague health officers OF
unlimited powers, committee OF Congress was ap-
pointed To devise ways and TO the end But
the disease rode all such attempted rcstrainsbd
| defiance to- all such antiquatcd heresies
1
some OF the wisdom they had gained by the teachings
Of 1892 Instead of lighting the ar active of
intervention adopted by means Of internal hygiene
Clean ness of tho inside OF the platter proven
| 10 be the only efectua means or prevention. But in
New York the oid laws continued their fatal sourse,
| and had faithful Administrations The crowded black
holes Of Calcutta atoat wcro here then, now and
after their arrival well persons were Kept IN them to the
DEATH removed TO scarcely less crowded and fxtai
quarters which IL In now proposed 10 revive the law TO
the contrary notwithstanding Among the unfortunate
| persons thus detained in 1913 the epidemic prevailed
mid winter, while the people of New York appa
rently consoed themselves that the sacrifice of thor
ssnd unfortunate cmigrnnts Staten Island would
them from the terrible fruits Of internal filth and wretch
edness Early in the spring of the following year the
cholera true nature collected first fruits the
Five Points Thence It rapidly extended to other places
a like condition The experience Of 1854 rs transcript
Of that Of 1882 and 1S4S.
In 1852 the Quarantine Commissioners Of the General
Board of HEALTH in England declared that "the nves
legations lead them TO the inevitable conclusion that
whether cholera be contagious or not, quarantine has
had influence whatever IN checking s progress and
that wherever in the Of that pestileDce through
out Europe quarantine put In force measure of
| prevention IL speedily abandoned useless and
| even mischevous." Tho Royal College OF Physicians
also asccrtaned "that all attempts 10 stay It's progress
| by military cordons and guarantees have failed"
But the experience of others who had opportunities
greater and fatal than that had applied 10
| US, awaited different means OF manifestation. Tho
denominations Of our quarantine wore not fully mani
fest until 1856 under its app eaton to yellow fever and
their na result In the destruction Of the buildings
years later. However CRIMINAL the conduct OF tho " Sc
hospitals and detention depot being scarcely less
dangerous to their surroundings than infected vessels
The wretchcd inmates Of these buildings 70
be without danger TO the multitude by q terrible ordeai
| but the lesson upon tho public mind made deep I'm.
preston That No disease spread by the Liberty Of per
rgdly secluded lest II soad, surprise 10
tho ignorant ana standing witness To the iocs of
| bygone ag'.
Aftcr eve years agitation and unusual freedom from
diseases previously supposed to have been kept out by
| quarantine, new Law was devsed-thc law OF 1868
iLis law was carefully drawn ny QUE who had had exen
sivo opportunity for investigating guarantees and the
| diseases to which they were deemed applicable. The
scientific world had everywhere accepted the proposition
,l.tt I'm nd nf in
aDtiDe, except FOR vaccination when they had been
posed To smallpox was OF benefit TO community
while II was immensely dangerous and even barbarous
| TO the detained The said law provides
Chat the Quarantine establishment shall consist off;
| ]. Warehouses, wet docks and wharvos 2 Anchorage
for vessels Floating hospital 4 Boarding station
3. Buryng ground o. icsidcnoo for officers and men.
'The an borags for vessels under quarantine shall lbs
in tho lower bay distant than two mIos from
the nearest shore and within 10 be DESIGNATED by
buoys by the Quarantine Commissioners and Health
| Ofbcer.
The floating hospital shall be constructed with special
reference 10 the purposes ~ hospital and with
pacity Fuffclent To accommodate onehundfed patients
"Frcm the LIST day Of April to tho lat day 81 Noyen.
her tho floating hospital shall be anchored In the lower
bay not e- than two miles distant from tho nearest por
ton the Quarantine ANCHORAGE and from the nearest
shore
Of the vessel ut present used floating hospital
such other vessel may hereafter b. provided to los
chored In such proximity the floating hospital and to
the channel a. will afford greatest despatch board
ing and directing vessels n soon a. practicable after
arrival and shall be provided with all necessary appur
tenances for personal cleanliness aud the publication Of
personal baggag'.
''DrrEsrros .Pcr,ons with insuaicion, evidence Of
effective vacDatoo and knosD 20 have been recently
exposed 60 gmail-pox, shall be- vaccnated
practicable, and Obtained until the vaccinia shall have
taEcn eject No other well persons shall bc detained IN
quarantine any longer than necessary ~ secure ceanli
uC-A
"For the purpose or sanitary measures merchandise
vessels clothing dunnage &C. subject TO quarantine
for isnfcction but arrival OF infected vessels all
web persons shah have their freedom poesibc
consistently with the foeg ling regulations rk per
shall De immediately transferred 70 the floating
pta other hospltas Appropriated for their recep.
Ion and sse v,'r =. umaen P'"ea ana sa" ~ 70
shall persons sick with different diseases be put the
| hospital "
II rs perfectly NANTES, from the fore ding that tho
detention 81 we'll persons In quarantine NJ at present
prictsci In November last s clearly against the Law,
and an persons aggrevei entitled 10 hearing
opnraI 60 the Commissioners OF Quarantine Bcsdes tho
uscessbess 81 the detention 10 say nothing of tho dan
ger The detained waA fully proven even recently a.
In November ne OF the Aalan,as p,sacngefs cholcrn
existed the time nt WARTS sssd among
| VINO had connection whatosef 1ith the Atannts, or
with any pcrson or thing from that vessel No one from
the Aaianta permitted 20 20 ~ Wards Island or from
that place the ATLANTA The incident wa simply In
keeping With he natural history Of cholera and nothing
else.
IT. IN the faithful execution 81 the quarantine
they are, cholera enters New York, aoc0rdnr 10 rron
ably cnteraned expectations the cause VII b, found 10
cosisi local causca IN conjunction With atmospheric
conditions and the only 10 prevent u u the removal
cause.-the sphere OF the Metropolitan Board Of
Health and not Of the Comni isonors OF Quarantine IL
| has been truly said by John SIMON, In his annual
report the Commissioners Of Sewers 81 London, 1854.
that the spec nc migrating power oi cholera whatever
IL nature has the faculty Of Injecting districts ia
ner detrimental 10 life only when then atmosphere u
fragght with certain products susceptible under IL In
nGcuce Of undergoing poisonous transformation.
Through the unpolluted atmosphere 81 ccany csirct'
n Nivra,rs silently without blow that whicn II can
klnfe into poison lies thorc To the fOsl. damp
breath Of low lying cities comes Ike spark N pOr
A., Here h contained that which il can quickly msxo
destructive .oaked into soil siagnAn, in water, grim
ing the pavement tantng the arhe slow roltsnn~s.
of uurefnoycd orcrcment ~ which tn irt coutart of
TINS foreign fernent brings the OCCASION Of changing intl
/, new and mare resdy combinations
JneIssnisness In the stsersge Of Passsn-
ger Ship.
TO THE EDITOR TIE HfRALD.
II very easy talk 10 sbeef az siesrags pAs~enxsc
and their hihy i~bs while a the tins thoss VII