The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-08-01


NEW YORK, July n. tseo.
TO THE EDrr0H or THE HHRALD:-
have observed ttas you have lent your powerful
aid to expose the many abuses and sbsurdites ~ at
present connected with the quarantine regulations
Tor thM port Those abuses and absurdittes, how
ever, are growing TO such alarming extent tnst
take the liberty OF furnishing you and through you
an Interested public, with some facts In regard to
TINS matter which think are not generally known
may add that am now speaking Of subject
which am pretty well qualified TO treat Of In sp-
preaching this subject End two great interests to
deal wIth-nrst, and most important, that OF the
public, and second that Of tho shippers and import
Ing merchants a. class; Of course the iaster form
part OF che former but they have special pecnnlary
interest besides The objects OF quarantine are as
take 1t. hrst to guard at any time Of the year,
against allowing free and unrestrained disembarka-
tons Of either passengers. crew freight from YES
sells arriving from ports known by Official report to
be infected by contagious diseases; second, that
during summer months while such diseases are
more likely to exist abroad and spread at home,
mora stringent oversghs ought to be exersed TO pre-
vent the INTRODUCTION spread Of Infections disease
On this latter point however, Law muc less stress
than Ia generally conceded to IT, as epidemics az
rule. just ~ frequently occur Ia winter ~ summer.
Lat now proceed to ascertain how far the exist
ing quarantine any OF the objects before sta
Vessels Of al classes arriving from ports infected
with smallpox are Of course subject to qnarantn G.
and all passengers are forcibly vaconated. leave
1t to any medical man, except the one Interested
in the ono. dollar per head for this brutal
operation. what good purpose thIs indiscriminate
outrage serves tine fair skin of the tender maiden,
blushing tho while, u exposed to view; nor Is the
white hair OF the aged spared. II no case OF che
" disembark at once. II any cases do exist they
are sent to Quarantine Hospital, and the rest are
allowed 70 land Here comes up the question,
any Of the latter, apparently we'll not the precau
ton Of vaccination farcef ! think IL Is; because
have been already anoculafed; those thar have not
II the poison exists In their SYSTEM viii suffer even
tuay from the disease and as readily communicate
il Others II they had not been PEELED TO De-
consePthe unwilling instruments OF contributing the
suM OF one dollar to the pethOrtc pockets OF the
that vccinaon, where the SUBJECTS OF it are allowed
to discmbark Immediately after the operation, IT, as
measure OF prevention, absurd, brutal and unne-
cessary.
Vessels from ports subject to epidemcs Of yellow
fever are, of course subject to quarantine at all sea-
Out The IN the So
or exists on board or not In this ana all other eDL
demical or infectious diseases with the exception OF
the smallpox. science has not yet discovered any
noculaiing process. And how Is quarantine enforced
BY spreading broadcast over all parts OF the States
the passengers without taking any precaution what
ever except the utter farce OF furnigany the
Aud forgot when used the word "farce' charge
OF twenty-five dollars for what Is, tntrinslcaliy
worth about as many cents. But another idlOtcaI
idea Il cannot term 1t by q mlider phrase) is tnat
while the passengers are allowed to land lmme-
diatey on arrival without examination, the crew
Kept in strict quarantinea very great hardship
for those poor fellows, who may have been away
months from their families and are burning
with lmpatience TO see the dear ones at home. Of
course II there did exist any epidemic IN the port or
ports touched at. the passengers enlbarKng from
those ports are those who ought TO be Kept IN strict
est surveillance they having lived III the Infected
district ana become subject to the conditions which
produced the epidemic or under which it was I0s-
tered. AS far as facts are concerned, what l have
stated can substantlate AS for my arguments or
deductions they are liable to criticism. Under the
latter head, "Yellow Fever" there were in quaran
tine few days ago three steamers-the Columbia,
from Havana; the south America, IRON ST. Thomas,
and the City OF Mexico from Vera Cruz and Havana.
The passengers were allowed to land from all Of the
threeon arrival without examination. Their crews
were kept in strict quarantine for some four or five
days afterwards.
An effective quarantine, in my conception, would
have strict regard TO special reports OF consular
agents abroad as to the sanitary state Of their
spectiye ports. OF course 1t may be said that their
bill Of health covers this. This 1t does II you
carry clean bill i'll the season you are quaraDtined
all the same If You carry a bad one out OF the
season you are not quarantined. strict and where
consular reports advise danger, an especially strict
examination by the boarding officer OF all passen
gers and Grey on board, written statement TO oe
afterwards Sworn TO by doctor, captain or purser OF
vessel OF Cases Of sickness on the voyage or at least
qt Cases which would by preference S2me gpdeg
physicians charge and not under o SURGEONS, and
where each OF the foregoing reports resulted favora
bly, In sanitary point OF VIEW taxing care that they
are carried out honestly--In such case would ap-
prehend very little danger to result from imported
Infection.
There are many reports OF the reasons why all this
quarantine hpmbug goes on, such as lighterage,
towage, fefe iasrded fees, DC. or this l have no
personal knoNedse MS think !! rather strange
do business down there Perhaps Hose employed
on board these favored craft have bee rendered I'M