New-York tribune., 1866-04-23
QUARANTHNEs.
Correspondence Of The N. Y. Tribune.
GENOA. March. 1868.

The f)llies committed by governments in the Middle
Ages Of themselves prove very little more than the gnor-
ance and corruption OF the times Their quarantine regu
8tions were inhuman and Ineffective like their method
OF supprssing hereses but this does not prove thss
quorae and the isolation OF the sick should DO disre
garlod.
Retaining both ideas as precautions whchwe owe 70
the poor and exposed classes, we should temper them "a
our wisest science and our most CHRISTIAN niorahty.
Iazaretto is word Of terror modern French rdtsoH
de- sGnte is only less fearful There Is most Imperative
duty ia society reform altogether and wholly its pro-
visions for men detained durance only because they are
supposed to have in the presence of migrating dis.
ease Give them know that they will be as safe and
wereated if they wero III entire liberty and nan taef
disgust will disappear.
MEDIEVAL QUARANTIyEs.
One of tho follies OF medieval rulers, which is mos
dated upon BIZ those who oppose quarantnes Is thas
they never combined efforts 20 improve the sanitary
dton Of their cities with their spasmodc efforts 70 exc
cude the disease Experience and observation teach ~
that epidemics usually result from the combination OF aQ
imported eloment with unheahfl conditions within
cities Medieval governments overlooked this, and tas
first vehement opponents OF quarantnes were those VINO
clearly that fifth degradation, Ignorance and stupid
sanitary laws powerful propagators OF pestence
THE GBNoEsE PLAGUE.
Tho pest Of 1879 which destroyed 10000 lives In
Genoa called the attention Of Facio, Genoese noble
man and physician who deserved greater fame than hhs
obtained the folly OF trusting 10 prohbitye measures
and he boldly assumed that the pest sprung out OF the an
healthfu condition of the city The popular creduy q
those times attributed to the agency OF the devil througn
bad men, the Introduction Of pest and 50 late as the sevsn
wchcraft Faco showed the absurdy of this view, an9
asked tho Genoese to consider the sanitary condition Of
the city T.,
Italy from the crowded state of the population In ioI
100 900 people crowded into half the space now oc'
cupied by that number Even within this small circle,
great part of the space and that comprising the moss
salubrlous positions taken up BY eonyentuai ana
monastic institutions The habits of the lower ciasses
were too filthy for description The south Italian villages
of our time will give idea Of it, but no writer IN
English would dare TO describe either literally. Is nc
wonder therefore that the estimates of untmey dcasna
dyrtpO fau
amount 10 the awful aggregate OF half a million.
Fscio called attention to this state Of things; We
hc said, OCCUPY ourselves In foryihg asnss n, ss
fatal will We refuse TO that our filthy quarters preed
pestilence that poverty ignorance and super'oH p''
pagate disease"
This error is no longer possible in time, and IL our
cities remain filthy and pestilentia IL is due TO humse
rood oersssness and not at all to ignorance Oh sns
dangers of such sanitary sins.
THE LAzARETTo SYSTEM.
The azaretto system gave rise TO even greater efro
and abuses. There is now connected with the Roy&
Ship at the Foceoutsde the was-a quadrangulaa
building which in medieval times served for lazarett0.
1t sands,n the lowest position the The rooms
are about feet in hight and then about ter
feet sSuar6 La these rooms the sck were placed sever
in one ROOM and after ten days OF pesenee the whold
building reeked with disgusting odors just so soon a.
person suspected of being afflicted With the premons
tory symptoms Of the plague he was torn nom his friends
and thrust into this house of death Often the patient
had sign OF plague but once introduced INTO th hor.
ribe pest-house he sckened and died. Whether feW
men OF iron survived this history does not tell; out
tells us that death reigned supreme this ghasty
dominion.
Such an error as is at the bottom Of this system
ought not to prevail IL does not Under this enc
hghtened Government, thought it exists in France.
No man should ever be taken 70 a public hospital
against his will, unless be is insane II he Is sick Of
contagious disease isolate his house and leave him every
facility or successfully fighting the disease or dying N
peace. -
1t is only question Of spending a little more money.
When is sent to die in hospital, because II VIII
only cost % cents day to kill him there and SO day 70
ata nj
against human life 1t Is invasion OF personal liberty
warranted by no necessity and inevitably more or lees
fatal.
To collect diseased men in one building is TO make in
pestlclce that building more unhealthy and
thus furnish center and source for the disease Our
safety lies in isoating, from each Other each
case. But the moral effect upon the patient OF being
thrown into place resoundng with the groans OF the
dying is terrible TO who has been accustomed %
being surrounded by the scenery and moral atmosphere oe
home-to being nursed by loving hands and cheered BY
familiar accents This transit cheerless walls, associa
tons that speak only of human agonies and the profess
sona care of paid service is too terrible to be described
HOSPITAL VERSUS HOME.
There ia serious difficulty in isoating houses where
cholera prevails 1t done last year with the best Of
results in half the cities ofItaly
When people arrive at ports sick Of the disease, 1t 10
wise precsuton to treat them in house OF heatA;
but call il SUCH and make it such; the word lazarstts
reeks with disgusting and pestientia memories, and
should not be domesticated in American speech
OFFICIAL DISHONESTY.
Another evil which has grown up in despotc countss
in connection with quarantine scarcely less reprehen.
sibo than those mentioned hDOVe- reIer W Ouactna
lying with regard to the presence and extent OF the dis
ease IL is always reported IN ocal gazettes IN some
thing like this order: First week. "No cases OF cholera
Secondweek "No cases of true cholera. Third week,
GA few isolated cases of sporadic cholera" Fourth
week the people know all about it, and correct figures
are given, sometimes hundred cases day.
This does not calm the popular MIND IL IL ycn-
eray so maniestly nsncere that the public disrustft
and become only restless for this stupid official false
hood In default OF true figures rumo doubles or treoes
them and rumor has the field Let the facts be carefuy
collected and regularly made public, and the people
famarize themselves gradually 10 the presence OF th6
disease and adopt those sanitary precautions which arc
The divinity of fsehood is founded in all matters Of
human life a stupendous error; in none more 80 IA
in that of which write Iyou wish TO avoid panic
let the truth be known the disease gradually develops
itself IL takes time-some weeks, usuaiiy-Ioi caoo.s
10 dise itself over considerable city, and IN that tme
peopIe will learn dismiss idle fears, and esumase Ias
danger at its true value. ...,..
ON this point too the theory advocate has pecuhes
adantaton TO America. We not governed-we govern
the cooperation of the body of the people, not simply
the patronizng soctude OF the great that We need ~
sacure In Europe, the educated and governing cass
s.i think and speak of human herd TO be looked ass
We have unfortunately destitute people but ,ne "
operation OF the humbest citizen is worth an
effort TO secure ard cannot cooperate wthon. ma
confidence and far possible equal eomp'e'ea''' '"
information reg@ding the facts -, ,,u ..,n~xs
Charge sanitary police with accurate and fu reports
of the facts and publish them daily Let s.s.suesM S
digest them and tell Just what they SHOW anu w
have taken the first stops toward comhion euo'' " NV
the danger. ...,.. Cat. ses
The truth ia never 20 alsrmingzas ignofancei iaou
safer than official les Ii cholera Is IN Canads
renort H. 10 N is in our harbor house OF hea Ia
has crossed tho lines and encamped IN our ss 10 s.
tbasa f,,,s he known Popular good sense 70 saie