, 1875-07-10
SMALL POX.
From the Trim. Chrmicle.)

Va
these colonies-under reminders from
the Colonial Ohice-interested them
selves in vaccination, one might take
them, in the matter of epidemics, to be
f~ataIists. "Itis the will of God How
can man prevail against it? It is i'm
pious to try, and useless. 1t will have
it's way 4; no barriers can stop it and it
will work itself off. Meanwhile, you and
I have nothing to fear" Such would
almost seem to be the thoughts of the
leading authorities in these islands, to
Judge from their inaction. The merchants
are strongly opposed to quarantine to
anything which will interfere with trade /;
the Steamboat Agents are still more IN
easy at the suggestion. The medical men
say-Do not spread alarm! And the ig-
norant masses, f~atalists de fond, naturally
acquiesce in a policy which leaves them
perfect liberty of movement. We know
even some popular leaders ,-when stop
page Of intercourse, perfect isolation Of
early cases are urged, to prevent the con-
tagion from spreading, preserve thousands
from a l0athsome, tedious and dangerous
sickness,-who declared strongly against
any such thing. Consequences be hang
ed, SO a principle is saved'-was their
motto. Yet if in any, it is in communi-
ties such as ours that the superior authori-
ties enlightened by the accumulated ex-
perience and wisdom of ages, are required,
by the law of public safety, to act arbitra-
rily on occasions of common danger to the
results of which the ignorant majority are
grossly blind. We had a fearful lesson
three years ago of the consequences OF a
laisser-alIer system, and Jamaica for the
last tWelvemonth has been receiving pref
ty much such another. After repeated
assurances the island is healthy and al
lusions to the late epidemic,' we read by
to-day's exchanges it still fingers in the
island. And now we learn it has reached
Ponce at the west end of Porto Rico, the
government of which island, less regard
full of the remonstrances OF ignorance or
immediate business interests than those of
our freer societies, acts promptly in what
it rightly conceives the true interests of
all. And st. Thomas, which has so much
to lose by the importation of an epidemic
is no less careful to shut out the invader
than the Spanish island government to
conine it to the single district it has as
vet alone shown itselfin We recommend
ed this latter action here, but our logic
was thrown away. Now, Ponce is shut
off from communication with the rest of
the island in the hope of combining the
disease to that town and saving the rest Of
the large island of 6 or 100000 people from
the scourge. "Since small pox declared
itself in Ponce, there has been a strict
quarantine established in the whole ISL
and against that place both by sea and
land. No vessel from Ponce or touching
that port is allowed pratique in any port
of the island, nor is any person allowed to
leave the town." A hard rule for Ponce
no doubt, but Ponce's neglect has let in
the enemy, and he must not be allowed to
90 any further if the authorities know it.
They may fail to carry out a strict non-in-
~tercourse rule for a sufficient time, but
the effort is praiseworthy, and we hope
will succeed in combining the disorder to
it's present narrow limits. Could we
carry out such q rule in this town
It would be difficult, especially in
opposition to an ignorant and very short
sightedly selfish public opinion, but
it would be the right thing to do, at
ter having failed to restrict the first few
cases, by a strict isolation, to the families
in which it had made its appearance
This should first be done, and might save