The New York herald., 1867-02-26
QU A r A N TIN &.
An Omcinl Account Of the Present Situation.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.
New YoRK, Feb IS, 1857.
Several articles have recently appeared in leading
journals of this city and Brooklyn relative to the Quar-
antne bill now pending in the Assembly, containing
statements and which show that the purposes
scope of the bill very little understood, and that
much misapprehcnsion exists as to what is now being
done towards constructing the permanent quarantine
establishment
As these articles calculated TO create the impression
that attempt being made to reesabsh quarantine
in dangerous proximity to thckly populated local.
y, ask brief space in your columns in behalf OF the
Of Quarantine to state few facts which
/ trust, will make the Quarantine question" better
understood and tend to alay public anxiety.
At the session Of 1868 the Legislature passed an act
designed to secure the complete removal Of quarantine
from its former location staten Island and the
struction Of quarantine establishment below the
Naows The act defined specifically Of what this estab
lishment should consist; and reference to ita terms
viii show that place for the detention of passengers
who had been exposed TO disease but were not actually
SICK constituted no part OF It, Under the former sys
such passengers landed and detained upon the
quarantine grounds adjacent 70 the Marine Hospital
until by proper lapse Of time, it was ascertained that
they might safely proceed to the city But this act di
reced the sale OF the whole of these grounds including
those belonging 70 the State at Scguins Point and In
effect prohibited their further for quarantine pur
poses The State was thus left without either a place
for the detention OF such passengers while under quar-
antne landing and boarding station for nse by the
health Office except that which would be afforded by
the Of the hospital ship The latter difficulty. how
ever, removed at the following session. by amend
ing the OF 1S63 authorize portion of the
Marine Hospital grounds to be reserved from sale and
used tor landing and boarding station until perma-
nent quarantine station should be provided. To meet
all the other requirements of quarantine resort then
had to the Of hulks and vessels and their has
been continued from that time down to the present
But each season has demonstrated that however well
adapted they may be for hospitals they cannot
supply the necessity for having place on land for
o vel. 5 who Sesn
TO disease, where they may be landed imme-
diately upon their arrival and secure
sary 70 ward OF disease. This was painfully manifest
during the prevaeEce Of cholcra in the summer Of 1866
Of Quarantine 70 earnestly urge upon the LEGISLATURE in
their reports Just sqbmssd the pecc sty OF providing
ae ri Sfss sSS sss3 sss;n \ sS :;sS ,e and
meeting this neoemity It provides for taking site
ss 5. for
ing new landing and boarding station in the same
Manner to bc used in place Of the located al
the old quarantine grounds
The sale Of the present one is recommended by the
Board Of Commissioners charged with the sale Of those
grounds updr the act Of 1885, for reasons which seem
The opposition 70 the bi & confined to these two pro-
visions aud arises in part from the fact that does not
designate particular locality where these sites shall
be selected and part from the fact that mpres
sion prevails that the bill is designed to provide for the
precision is enrclyD erroneous, has been already
shown In fact the bill strictly prohibits the sending Of
sick person TO the proposed place OF detention Tne
other ground Of objection considered with reference to
the parties presenting II furnishes the very strongest
which be presented in favor Of passing
bill in its present shape The people OF Long leland
protest AGAINST locating the place Of detention" that
island Coney Island similar protest against its be.
ing located Staten Island comes from the people there
Isolated points be found suitable for the purpose
either Of those islands. II must be located somewhere
and must be Of these islands II 1t Is right 10 say
in the bill that II shall not be Staten Island is
equally right and just to declare that shall be
Coney Island Long Island and h all these Islands are
excluded is useless to confer the asked tor
to board of competent officers Is proposed In the
BILL II this Is not done New York Is likely 10 still
longer under the disgrace which has attached to her
quarantine system for years past.
The opponents OF the bill AJAX why carry out the
provisions OF the act OF 1885, and 0hen should
. quarantine establishmcnt West Bank. Thai
act simply authorized the erection Of hos
pital there. II made provision for erecting
structure TO be used place for thu
pal now being erected there rapidly the ele
ments viii permit, and IL is confidently hoped that moi
many months will elapee before will be ready for
Another sruoture doubtless might be upon tht
shoal at suitable distance from the hospital b.
used place for the temporary detention OF those
parcntiy we'll but who may carry with them the seed
OF disease But II would be work OF considerable time
TO erect such . structure, and It would require NOR
money than the Legislature would probably now b
pressing necessity In view Of the probable reappearanc
Of cholera, that such place Of detention be at
provided II will be secured by the passage OF this bill
In Its present shape and then both the sick and the vel
Il viii be provided for HENRY W. JOHNSON
Counsel to the Commissioners of Quarantine.