Wilmington journal., 1876-07-07
[Communicated.] /
0HaHan anain

lates 10 bne appointment OF the Qual
t autine physician, is but another in
stance of the folly of tampering wit
,, matters of health for political pun
, poses. Previous to this alteration i
our quarantine laws the appointment
of the quarantine officer rested wher
1t properly belonged, with tho Roar.
of Commissioners of Navigation ane
PIlotage. When the change was mad
1t was for the purpose of taking ava,
this power from n Democratic Boar.
and giving it into the hands of Radi
cal Governor. It is true that this ap
pointing power could have been re
stored on no less than two different oc
casions by Democratic Legislatures
but our people were SO absorbed b,
legislation looking to immediate relic
from burdens apparent and tdngi6L
that wise precautions against the aoa
seen and insidious ravages of yellow
fever and other fearful epidemics were
allowed to go unprovided for. The
voice of warning was unheeded. At
this time we are at the judgment, dis
cretion and integrity of one man, as we
have been for years past. That the
Port Physician should have the pow or
without consultation and with no
responsibility to Commissioners to say
a0hen a vessel shall come up to our
wharves, is in direct defiance of all
principles of reason, and places ir
jeopardy the lives of onr citizens and
the property of our commerce.. Our
safety hes i'll rigid accountability
of the Port Physician to the Board of
Commissioners who should in all
c.se' of vessels arriving from in
fected ports, or ports suspected
| to be infected, be notified of
such arrivals Immediately. and upon
the written report of the Medical
Officer, decide upon the merits of the
case. This, in addition to the other
equally necessary precantion of sub
jecting all vessels fro II certain Lati-
tudes to peremtory Quarantine, will
throw around us Safeguards. through
,, which, we may reasonably hope to
escape from the fearful Iavages of
Yellow Fever, and also put down this
animal panic about Epidemics. Ex-
perience has demonstrated the wisdom
of these regulations, AID to carry
them out. it is necessary that the Med
ical Officer should reside in the mid At
of the people who are mostly inter
ested. and where he can continually
be consulted by the Board, and act
promptly and without ocoasioning any
delay.
A reference to the present Laws on
this subject, will pnt an end to all dis
cussion looking to immediate relief.
Inasmuch, however. as our lives may
depend upon the cleanliness of our
city. it behooves us to ut once see that
ures be inaugurated and enforced ty
our authorities. We can, by united
effort in this direction, perhaps, guard
against the spread of this epidemic
should it make its appearance.
Remarks Upon the Weather.
No public-spirited citizen, male or
female, will neglect the present op-
portunity to comment upon the state
of the weather. The duty of saying
that it is extremely warm, either in
direct phrase or by some less accurate
form of speech which commends itself
to the speaks as more emphatic, is
pretty nearly the only duty which is
universally attended to just now.
There is variety, however, even in
the sameness of these remarks, and |
the student of human nature may |
learn much from the varying ways in
which different persons agree in the |
general opinion that it is warm
weather. The mood and the intellect
ual habit of each speaker may be
guessed pretty accurately from his
way of telling the news of the heat.
Persons who indulge in loose COM |
parsons, and have vague ways of
thinking, say that ''it's as hot as
blazes," or that ''it's like an oven,"
little thinking that in saying so they |
reveal their own bad habits of inacu |
rate observation and imperfect ex- |
preston.
Philosophically-incli men ex-
plain why it is SO hot, as one of them |
did yesterday evening on the wharf,
with a quid of rosin between his teeth. |
His explanation impressed his hearer-
ers as accurate but unsatisfactory
when he said that the extrema heat
was, in his opinion. due to the pres
ence of an unusual amout of caloric in
the atmosphere. Refining upon this,
we may direct attention to the fact
that heat is a mode of motion, and
guess that perhaps the present prev
alence of motion may perhaps be the
resnlt of convention and Congression-
al proceedings, which consist largely
Of motions, as every one knows. Per
haps, $50, the friction in Congress
over the appropriation bills, or that
which has attended the efforts of both
political parties 10 agree upon TreSl-
Dental candidates. may have somei
thing to do with it.
Whatever the cause may be, we
have the authority Of every individual
member Of society for the fact that
"the heated term" has begun.
Thanks! Thanks!
We received by express from Lnurin-
burg yesterday morning a box of
beautiful peaches, large, luciOns and
delightfully."- favored. Friend Mc1n
tosh will please accept our grateful
thanks for his timely remembrance OF
us. We learn that Mr.. Mcintosh finds
a ready market at Laurinburg for all
his orchard will yield which is good
60. kbo Grr hnf haH for ma