New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-06-03
THE HEALTH REPUTATION OF THIS CITY.

THE HEALTH REPUTATION OF THIS CITY
The admitted rivalry of other ports has
drawn away from New Orleans much o:
the trade which mad been assigned her by
nature. 1t is as negligent Esau was Gu.
chred out of his patrimony by the more
astute Jacob.
Among the incidental advantages O:
original position New Orleans could alone
deal IN the commodities Of sugar, cotton
and tobacco grown in her valley. She
could alone import the foreign and East.
ern goods consumed in the prairie portion
Ct the same interior. During this period
New Orleans suffered from the reputation
OF destructive epidemics almost peculiar
to her port and then regarded as Of peri
odlcal recurrence. 1t was obvious that il
merchants would deal in the cotton. sugar
and tobacco Of the West, or conduct the
lmportations of the West, they must come
to New Orleans to do SO. They therefore
took the risk OF residence here for them
selves and families.
With the change OF trade referred to,
the most Of this business once peculiar to
New Orleans, may be transacted else
where, in cities OF undoubted salubrity,
and at much less expense of subsistence.
New Orleans has still advantages for
commerce superior to those Of other port
cities, but period has arrived when the
established reputation OF a city for good
health and average duration of human
life has become an important item in her
schedule Of attractions.
The death rate Of New Orleans has been
immensely reduced by the elevation Of
our lots, the general drainage OF the city,
and especially by the sanitary measures
adopted within the past ten or twelve
years. The most important question to
the property holders and business men is,
can the health reputation Of New Orleans
be still further improved? The diseases
from which most is to be apprehended
here are the intermittent and typhoid
fevers, and the yellow fever, whether of
domestic or imported origin
The imposition Of a time quarantine
must interfere greatly with the summer
commerce between New Orleans and the
tropicelports A time quarantine can not
exterminate the causes of infection in the
vessel detained, while it throws the trop-
ical trade into the Atlantic coast ports
by the increased interval Of a more ez-
tended voyage, end the additional facilities
which such ports offer for the transfer and
transit Of such trade. It is not unreason-
able to suppose that when q city reposes
upon the idea that time quarantine is
protection, it will relax its attention to
domestic sanitary protection. Just as a
State relying on its frontier forts and SEN
tinels, becomes Indifferent TO the drill and
discipline Of the home guards
The modern system of protecting the
city has consisted, first, in an extremely
rigid cleaning Of the streets and house
premises; second, in disinfecting not only
ships, but dwellings and squares in which
yellow fever had existed or was appre-
hended, or in carrying vaccination wher-
ever it would be permitted. In this con-
nection New Orleans will claim the honor
Of introducing a new feature in ouaran-
tine. It has been found that the owners
IF steam vessels plying between this port
and others liable to infectious disease are
80 anxious to diminish the detention in
our port that they are willing to enforce
IN their vessels any rules Of hygiene which
he health authorities Of our city may
propose. It is known also that whatever
regulations are prescribed to be obeyed
IN board ship are executed more rigidly
han any other code whatever. The new
principle, ther, is that the quarantine
commences in the foreign port and con-
inues throughout the voyage here. The
7essel thus arrives perfectly clean, and
will have undergone the very process Of
publication now required to be per-
ormed in port. It is thus The vessel
viii be pumped clear Of bilge water in
he port Of Havana or Vera Cruz, and
egularly on her voyage. All passengers
viii be inspected sound on board by
MEDICAL authority. The hold having
,een cleared and disinfected before stow
ng the cargo, the clothing Of passengers
nd other articles capable, according to
ny theory, Of communicating disease,
viii be opened, aired and subjected to ap-
'ropriate agencies for preventing the
Of disease through con-
agion. It is under stood that active
1easures are now in progress for organ
ling this system Of foreign and transit |
uarantine. It is now hoped that the |
ealth reputation Of our city may be
without material delay to the
or travel resorting to our port.
his will require an energetic experiment |
f the system stated.
The cleanliness Of the city is, then, the |
reat safeguard, since if infectious dis
ase be introduced either by railroad or
hip the health authorities will be ready |
} receive it. They will isolate the case |
ae dwelling-the square.
There is one great necessity, under this
ystem Of preparation. It is free water.
requires that water should flow through |
be streets. It demands that water
hould be given without price or limit Of