Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-09-10
HEALTH MATTERS.
MEETING OF THE BOARD
YESTERDAY - MAYOR
) Brr PRESENT. moo
They are Opposed TO the Estab-
Iishment ola Quarantine, Etc.

A called meeting Of the board Of health
was held yesterday at the Office OF toe
secretary, DIR. w. E. Rogers, corner Of
Main and Madison streets. Present:
The president, DIR. Irwin Drs. A. X.
Taylor, Brown, KnOde, 0tey, Sims and
Pittman. His honor, Mayor ofsnd and
DR.. j. NJ. Keller, physician in charge OF
the city hospital, were present by invita-
ton, TO give such counsel and advice AS
they might deem proper.
The president called the board to order,
and stated that they had assembled at
the suggestion Of the mayor to ascertain
if it was necessary to take further meas
ures for the prevention Of the introduc-
ton Of yellow fever in this city.
p The secretary, DR.. Rogers, made q
statement relating to the action taken by
the mayor and himself in reference to
the steamer Mohawk, on Sunday last,
which was approved of by the board.
The mayor being called upon, stated
that he thought it necessary, and it
seemed to be the desire OF the citizens,
that a quarantine should be established.
He had made inquiry, and found that a
boat could be obtained for q small sum,
that would answer the purpose. be
thought also that the railroads should be
guarded in such manner as the board saw
FL. He would endeavor to carry out any
measures suggested by the board, with
all the energy he could command.
DIR. Irwin made q statement in refer
ence to the fever here in 1856! No case
occurred among the citizens. When pa
tients were sent to the hospital there was
O danger in clothing, bedding and
goods than from the patients. He was
opposed to a quarantine unless it were
done effectually.
DR.. Pittman thought that to make it
effective every avenue must be stopped,
and that it was a useless expense. he
was of opinion that the measures hereto
fore adopted would answer every pur-
pose, and if the patients landing here
were conducted to the hospital there
should be danger.
DIR. A. K. Taylor was strongly in favor
of an active quarantine. To take the
disease through the city was a dangerous
experiment, and he did not feel disposed
to risk it. He thought money could not
be better spent than in preventing the
disease from coming here.
DR.. Brown was opposed TO a quaran-
tine. He thought that it was use
less unless the quarantine was eX-
tended TO the railroads, and even then
he was opposed to it out and out.
II the disease was in the atmosphere no
quarantine could prevent its introduce
ton. DR.. Knode said il was a well
known fact that the disease was preva-
lent in New Orleans and other southern
cities, and was making steady progress.
He thought that the board should look
carefully into this matter before coming
to a conclusion. He was strongly in
favor Of a rigid quarantine. The people
looked TO the board for protection, and if
it was given them the board would have
done their duty.
DR.. Sims was opposed to the quaran-
tine.
DIR. Brown could not see why the board
should be so much alarmed. Now in
1850 yellow fever was Of local origin.
For forty years patients with the disease
had been landed here and it had not
spread.
DIR. Taylor still urged the measure, and
said that the board should do all in their
power, and perform their duty then if
the disease came the skirts of this board
would be clear.
DR.. Keller stated that there was in the
hospital over one hundred patients, and
he did not think it would be iudiciOus to
send patients having yellow fever TO that
place. While he was perfectly willing
to treat them if sent, he thought they
should be treated in quarantine.
DIR. A. x. Taylor offered the following f:
ReSOIUed, That all boats coming up
the river from an infested port be placed
under quarantine regulations that the
mayor and aldermen be requested to es-
tabiish some point on the river below for
~, vArr,,Ea e chat fhfg ranrrHofInn hn non-
tinued until all danger of an epidemic
yellow fever is over; and the mayor and
aldermen be requested to enforce the
ordinance on quarantine.
The resolution was lost by the follow
ing vote. Yeas-TaylOr, KnOde and
Otey. Nays-Sim, Brown and Pitt
mantle president voting nay.
WhereupOn the board adjourned to
meet to-day at the secretary's Office at
II am.
The action of the board of health in
this matter will no doubt seem strange
to the citizens, and in u opinion well il
may. The reasons given by the majority
Of them against establishing sqUaran-
tine we confess do not appear satisfac-
tory. If it does no good iU . certainly
do no harm. The necessary measures
can be taken at a very small expense,
and a quarantine established that will
show that the board are at least DESTROYS
of taking all the p]recaution in their
power to prevent the introduction OF
that almost invariably fatal malady in
our now comparatively healthy commu-
nifty. God knows we have passed
through scenes enough Of death and de-
vastatiOn within the past two years
without having another variety Of an
epidemic. The board meets again to.
day, when 1t is to be hoped that the mat.
Ter will be recOEsidered and 8 sufficient
quarantine established, such as they
now have at VicksbuTg and st. Louis
Look TO it, gentlemen. The citizens
look TO you to protect them in this mat,
ter. "An ounce of prevention is worth
a pound Of cure"