The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1873-09-25
VOL LII.
oUARANTTNEs.

no doubt quarantines to keep out conta-
gious diseases from places, exposed BY in
tercommunication, are often useful, and
they have been more or less resoTted to in
different countries from tine immemorial.
But their usefulness for the purpose Of
preventing the outbreak or spread Of yellow
fever. we think very doubtful, while the in
eonveniences, resulting thereby, arc numer-
Gus and certain. That yellow fever is not
contagious, we feel well assured from posi-
tive experience, and We think no well in
formed physician will assert the con-
trary. Certainly large majority
of the medical faculty agree in this,
that it IS not contagious II,
then. it is atmospheric, the result of
impure air, how are quarantines to be Of
any servicel You cannot shut out the air
of heaven, or the wind currents, which
may convey it from one locality to another.
The best security, il not the only one,
against yellow fever, or any other fever,
is to preserve cleanliness in all our towns
and cities, and to see that no local cause
exists to engender impurity and poison the
surrounding atmosphere. All places should
be well drained, and no standing or stag
nant water be allowed to remain, and
no rank vegetation be suffered to
accumulate and decay. Cleanliness in
every respect, in the streets and lanes,
in the Yards and kitchens and back houses,
and everywhere, is the great preventive Of
sickness of all sorts. This should be at
tended to at all times to be e1fectual. In
many cities and towns this is neglected un-
til disease makes its appearance, and then
they go to work to clean up, which is
about the worse thing they could do; for
the stirring up of filth, and even of the
fresh soil, at that time, to be exposed to the
action Of the damp nights and the hot
sun, is calculated to injure rather than
improve matters After disease has
commenced, it is better to let things alone.
If our theory Of yellow fever be correct,
what is the use of quarantine? Where is
the benefit Can it be shown or proven
that quarantine at any place, at any time,
ever kept out the yellow feverl 1t Is a well
established fact that it never spreads and
becomes epidemic in a really healthy locality.
1t cannot flourish in apure air. No case of
yellow fever ever originated in healthy
city or healthy neighborhood. Cases oc-
cur in such places, but the disease was con
tracted elsewhere in every instance-it was
in their systems when they left their re-
spective homes to seek u purer air,
and they alone are the sufferers
the disease does not extend to 9th
ers, who have not been exposed to
the same atmospheric poison. If
so, is it worth while to quarantine to
keep all such persons out of our limits until
the fever is at an end Is it humane, is it
honorable, Is Is even profitable Surely,
not the last. The interruption to the bust
ness, and travel of the country by these
quarantines is seriously felt, and is often
productive of great loss. The injury they
do is positive and certain, and the good
arising from them is of the most doubtful
character; in fact, we are inclined to be
lieve there is no good in them, and that
the sooner they are dispensed with the bet
ter for all. We express these views frank
ly and honestly, blaming nobody, and the
public can take them for what they are
worth. We believe, in time, quarantines
for yellow fever viii be entirely dispensed
with.