New-York tribune., 1867-03-15
THE PVBLIC HEALTH.

-FuTuY CONDITION or THE 6TREETS-REPokF
or THE SANITARY sUPERINTENDENT-REroRT
or 1HE SANITARY COMMITTEE ON CHOLERA.
The Board of Health met yesterday afternoon,
President Schultz in the chair.
petition of the Sanitary Inspectors asking for an In
crease their salaries referred TO the Finance Com
mittee
communication received from the Inspectors OF
the lower Wards complaining OF the filthy condition Of
the strccts Robinson Barclay Dey, Liberty and Cedar
81 and Trimtyplace particularly referred TO- Tho
communication was referred TO Mr, James H. h'lnS'
the contractor for cleaning the streets.
President schultz offered the following preamble and
H th. the pier. used by the night scaense' are
RESOLVED That The public health demands that the said piers should be
The resolution was referred to the Street Department
REPORT SANITARY sUPERiSTESDENT.
Tho following Is the report OF Dr. Dalton, sanitary
oT1ics M1rHorOMIAs Boar o'}
To G> S,r,iary oCh, Metropolitan Board Of Health .
.por' Of ds Cite. of Ss%{o and brsos inspected fol
8 tenement house,. IS private dv.rnss manufactures. ,n,u
tions workshops and unsaf. building violations Of code
s Ia & S COW st5e and S.ant O iS waste
pipes and dr,lo. courts and area. 70 cellar, ,erG % ana % e
humber Of Inspections mad. 81
following complaint Unhealthy condition o. u tenement
houses private ssng unsafe building horse abe. slaughter
Easements 50 cessPOo IL streets and alleys S"ds"Ah and cutters
Tho following reports have been received Whole number sO posi-
tive. % 90 Tess a OS al TgPO notice. SIn % y ssH Saps
noden 26 number Of reports forwarded for orders nes, re
tn. aeng Ohoer, hsv relnsp.ed u building, premise.
g,rdUg Which special The Let Of the h section Of
The Health Law bad Preqs been .esd ana % pave TsPo%a % %
S been complied vim ny and ls no. sIDsd IS rta
ng ah Ie@a1 p9es. hs: Ave been s:%a & s0. ma G, y
O complied Nth TIE reports upon which tsss, were
SsS os, Total number Of orders sent to Inspectors for
q: s.al..5y c:@R.y q Il. roI return. n,
no, co1pEe With The Iocses latter directed BY
Msor RoNoh in charge Of tss Complaint oce
plaipi, last report all Of which has been
isrred Inspecting eor, for in',gaton aud report
RB 3 DatFos f1gSSsas S.eisJ sup,ra,,ua.u,
EPIDEMIC CBOfErA-RHPORT or SANITARY COMMITTEE
Dr. stone Chairman OF the Sanitary Committee, sub
mitted report reference 90 the advent Of Cholera
showing the necessity for immediate gemcnts being
made for suitable Quarantine landing The following Is
the report
The Sanitary Committee deem It 90 be, their duty 20
inform the Board Of Health that there IA just reason 20
believe that epidemic cholera will appear here during tho
months Of May June next whether the disease which
existed Last year left germs enough behind 20
crate fresh pesence this Spring, IA question that
Winter may II il hoped have destroyed them But on
the suppostlon that such may bo the fact shall still
be exposed TO constant importaions OF cholera from
Europe Cholera is not extinct In Europe. and accounts
have just reached us OF It's prevalence IN the island 81
be brought TO this country by some OF the immigrants who
will arrive I'm New-YOrk This notable fact. Mt least
deserves be presented TO the attention Of the Board
that no cholera appeared last year IN the Metropolitan
Health District until after the arrival OF vessels the
port with the disease on board Last year. decided 20
act upon the theory that cholera was communicable
through the excavations OF the patients and II they, by
any means were conveyed TO the land whether through
soilcd clothing the dirty bodies Of tho imngrans
gers and cleanse and dsnect their clothing pestence
would Dc avoided. The experience derived last year In
the OF disinfeCtants has wonderfully confirmed
belief in the truth OF our theory. II is we'll known that
efficient Quarantine establishment existed then In
J New-NOrk, docs t exist TIE patients
transferred TO the floating hospital or detained in huks or
| OF
for bathing or for disnfecting their luggage IL became
mperatiyely necessary, II We wished To exclude the
disease from the district and country. TO select some
place or shore with the proper convenenccs for puhca
ton when after short detention the immigrants light
be forwarded 10 their destination without carrying dis
ease with them. The Commissioners Of Quarantine,
Emigration and Health were Of mind on this subject.
and acted in concert The General Government was
applied for tho Of Sandy Hook then of Bedloes
examined but found unsuitable for the purpose
count Of It's being used as receptacle for dead aImas
not be thought Of because II was leased by the Town
not be used for Quarantine purposes. We then hired
some buildings at Seguns Point, near the Quarantine
preparing them for the purpose obliged by the de
csOD Of the Court 20 relinquish possession Ot them
lence, turned attention 20 fighting tho disease
wherever IL appeared and with what success has
now as at was then that much If not ALL the cholera
might have been prevented II had not been ntererod
20 clothing even that which has been packed away In
trunks believed to have The power OF communicating
the cholera whenever II meets with moisture and suitable
temperature. aDdt IS upon this supposlion that
plain the outbreaks Of the epidemic in pacesn the interior
remote from ports where the immigrants have landed
Proper dsinecOn Of this clothing would have destroyed
the poison aud have saved thousands OF lives. As ships
continued 90 with cholera the hnlks
Gus enough 10 accommodate the passengers and they
necessarily detained on the vessels In which they
arrived. The we'll were thus exposed 10 the Infection
and many died. On occasion, when the weather
tempeStuous the dead could not be transferred to the land
for burial and the community outraged at the
tace OF the well sick and dead all crowded in narrow
space within sight Of the shore without the power Of
which them
The ship keepers were pOweress 10 enforce order and
the excited passengers were munOus and threatened 20
set fire the ships escape 10 shore The attempt
was actually made on seyeralOccas0ns 10 burn the ships
and in constant fear that the passengers would
force their way RATS to the shore and disseminate tho
cholera, In their rashness destroy Themselves with the
vessels that imprisoned them The public cried out in
indignant tones that something should be done for
their rescue and the Board OF Health bese by anx
In one instance thePresden Of the Board was offered
the whole fortune OF father he would berae his only
health, thus detained board OF injected ship
and in constant danger Of taking the disease II Ia right
TO recall these horrors 20 dsgraceful to our civilization
for they will occur again. the coming season, unless
can obtain place on shore for the accommodation OF
passengers The Board Of Health is powerless and 80
are the Commissioners OF Quarantine and Emigration.
The whole matter has been referred TO the Legislature
and alone must be held responsible for the evils that
may follow from Indifference inefficient action We
cannot tell whether the expected cholera will be mild and
viii assume tho dimensions Of widespread and
h1TG destructive Hd Resence this we do know that If /.
Hew.York will be all but ruined strangers will avoid the
lDeceu Guy anu tne czenB VIII flee from ~, ana Ye5
VIII be saciced by the thousands where last year they
were lost by hundreds II IT should come the Board Of
Health will be looked to for help. People will cry
Why did you not usf Or If Won dld not posaess
the power why did you not say 50 IN tme in order that
might make preparatlonP We have no wish 20 incur
public Odium. especially If we have deserved IT, and
therefore feel IL TO be duty 70 raise an alarm
before the evil has arrived and call upon tho Legislature
10 awaken to their responsibility and establish place on
shore where immigrants can be quarantned in order 70
Legislature has not yet acted We would urge them TO
grasp and deal with the subject in broad aud generous
spirit and provide for tho public good There TO
an indifference manifested TO the warnings OF those
who, from their knowledge Of the disease, ought espe
cialy 10 DO listened 10. Thus resolution has been
offered In the Assembly that part OF Kings County
shall be used for quarantine purposes Such selfish legs