The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-10-19
TIE FELLOW FEVER CONTROVERSY.
The Sanitary Committee Review General
McDowelrS Lettsr--why tho Health Au-
tacrities Desired to Disinfect Governors
Ialand-A Dignided and Able De-
fence Of the Beard Of Health.


Island-A Digniied and Able De-
fence Of the Board Of Health.
The following report OF the Sanitary Committee
Irwin Mcdowell, declining TO comply with tn
request OF the health authorities to eyacuate Go,
crnor's Island, was read and adopted IN open ses
sion OF the Board OF Health yesrerday:-
HEALTH prrAarAESr, soi MORT sTREaT, NEW Yorg.,
To rHH BOARD OF raE HEALTH DrrARrirs r.. '9''
aFsTLrMEN-rhe Sanitary Cor1mit,ee 10 whom was n
report This communication seems 10 have been write
ander Of the and dalies % hi
10 the outbreak OF yellow fever Governors Island In n
oapous lone aud oen frsooss assepns. Ths ws
seems g regard the interest which this Board
construed unjuslabie nterfcrencc with Inc duties
so in oa e aat @ NJ Of hs acts Of al
viii the Board from Tie Suspicion Of hasn
tey hss hitherto been siended to Il And IA oce
The discovery BY ocsrs d this Board that an nfec
Sas disease that had been prevailing in the garrison
NO little enxte the part Of members Of The
had traced overnors island the SEASON had been
hot and ry and evidently favorable to the spread OF the
DISEASE should the limits OF the island aud gain
ns gs or @ ese os Nsm
York. TO limit its and II possible, extermnatc II
has had recognize Gle iacs ha has authority
80 soa @ or
oa tla. Island that ha. no knogeaGs he ckness
eomnsnasat Sr BY psDs ramos y dealing ,sersIOrc
Ss been as s as o1 ss ~ S.
who from tho isand Who Waiting TIE
S for y se
as s = sny Sssn "
Ia inc management sr % me sca upon The island IN the
psssnce this only advise with Se misrv s sne
the asres Of the public New York. and q 70 shs
commented upon in this casoa, were, believe
saved much seSnsss and have cd
minshed the danger Of this city. They follows:
THE REMOVAL OF the SICK TO THE WEST BANK HOS
the sick we're accordingly The uuon ,h,s
sar Ss not pSg 0nS for ~ ss .sk
has control OF quarantine hospitals than those
The COMMISSIONER q Quarantine. '''As sA'is'S VAN
1nr nExovAL OF THE eAEnIsos RESIDENTS WITH
rgEcAUTIoN OF LEAVING UPON IsL AND
oLoInIse now WORN. ALL BxDDfsa, Rro.
universal in the professon that the ysi-
low poison is conveyed from place place tho
a Of TAKEN r S
w" ws s 3. q a
locality, and might much sickness many lives
with proper care Of their
o % point
principles well abshed sanitary scencc but lis
ne United states Army \ has also received emphatic
dosemsnt q he CHIEF officer Of the Medical Dspstnent
and yellow the United States Army 10 1857, p
upon basis 'ss
he he 81 ss %
nsSss 70 soyiss u IN 81 essa sSAanus be
sy r , s q On this aa, sss s reports herr
2nnoer OF cases occurred curing ioe7at Galveston at
troops pes,encc, each the greater por-
on o. those % I On the
country escaped almost wholly at New IBERIA, Rouge
ohristian &C. the being moved aser he disease
s S .w acrs s
the disease had fairy broken out among the troops the
nearly all thus moved escaped
sr mas o q sn nss
audfcd persons have been an of about
population OF this latter forty died The
oay . @ sS s % s o. inc
70 form ice The period at which hat remedy VIII applied
ats vicinity showshat The poison has
active until the Las. days q October and Frequently late
II the experience Of medical officers OF the United
fever, Of any value if the explicit INSTRUCTIONS Of The
d amy wf asn s
yellow fever At that post certainty its srs recogn
ton yss mot sD 0ny an duty but would have been
can be no doubt TINT had such transfer the troops
BedIoss or Davids Island or to some other isoa octy
prevented the The spread tie
y h city asys se1 ea se & Ts Re- mar a.
10 some inland community which might not wish to recevs
hated than on overnors Island frivolous REQUIRE
notice. and could not have been with due sense o. the
Ives health and comfort are entrusted
gHx DESTRUCTION OF THH suILprf'Gs KNOWN AS ''rur
oAMPwoMEN's oUARTERs' AND THE "Kow," SITUATED
these buildings are spoken Of by Assistant surgeon Guild
in his report yellow fever on Governors Island IN 1856
Of old dapdated frame rnnments occupied BY soldiers
families and fanliary known as Rotten row. again he
Suspicious Of giving rise % this disease q n.o L that
she q building. with many Inmates and afori. more
nth than all the rest Of the island bestcs an inspection
and construction Ssy arc not ali adapted for the soiort
become The centres Of niec,on Of yellow fever cholera and
similar Diseases az their history shows they belong 10 caas
unfit residence OF troops and liable become
sy &c ya snsr woas r
with Its poison and II closed and removed 70 another district
chemical dsnfectan.s may useful publication Of
sa NORM ana s 20 ~ that
end prove the economical remedy The cellars in
died p and thesr grounds so lons occupied BY cass Of
camp followers anS =" me zeal o. Infectious d
The question asked buildings are TO he des.
roved, why should not Castle william ITSELF where the
have oeen quertered. have the rcAmensrn
To be governed opinion Of the sanitary condition OF
Castle William by the candid JUDGMENT q board Of
surgeons OIL Desiere In the interests
OF humanity If OF the arDy would be better destroy
th building than 70 continue q use quarters for
enlisted In the public service This board of officers
convened In New York during the prevalence Of cholera
Governors Island In 1851 AMI the following Is their
port Castle William tfeport Epidemic Cholera,
&C., Ia the United States Army during 1861" 81 alt
Is also 1ngy recommended by the board that Castle
william be discontinued barracks for recruits and
and permanent barracks sufficient TO
from $40 70 ECO men, be erected without delay. II il the
opinion Of the medical officers that the castle suitable
Tor barracks being damp and cold. giving rise rheat
sm and cyscnery and tho records of tic past that
for succession Of infectious diseases
among the recruits occupyjnE Castle William"
In reply to the statement tat the only
nlcating the disease 20 the through the visits Of the
committee OF this Board 10 the and Ii IL only
remark that there abundant proof that but for those
the true nature OF malignant fever that had already
vailed nearly among tho fens, would
been discovered, would any been
taken to Its progress When remembered TINT
similar visits to that island in he earlier history city,
have the lives Of eminent physicians engaged 10
vice Of former boards of health will be apparent such
sits and investigations could have been from
b Ugh of duty TO the public.
In reviewing the history OF contagious and infectious dis