The New York herald., 1877-01-11
QUARANTINE.

ANNUAL REPORT OF HEALTH OFFICER vANDKH-
PoEL-How NEW YORK KEPT YELLOW FEvEn
OUTSIDE.
The following is the report Of the Health Omccr for
the port Of New York for 1876 addressed to W. L. b.
Steers, chairman Commissioners of Quarantine:-
The experience of tho past year has developed some
That the principles which we're established i've seasons
since with reference to the treatment OF vessels 10
quarantine have been again amply vindicatcd In
season unusual from the number of places in which
yellow fever prevailed as an epidemic as well as li
he month of May from February until the latter part
of October, still not properly authenucated Case
reached the city by way OF inc sea- nor was steamer
sailing vessel SO Tes'"'nou 10 W o'''"'~ AS' '~sN
sailing - .,,. v,o,,
yeow fever las prevailed moro or less IN an cpl
demic form during the past season at the following
ports:-Brunsw,ck, Ga Bahia, Barracoa; Caioarion.
snnzas New Orleans, Pernambuco, Para, Rio Janero,
Santos, Sagua.la-grandc, Savannah, Ga vera Cruz'
Trinidad de Cuba Wilmington n. g. Geo .s..,, o,,v.s
between the 18th OF May and the lotn ot octopsr,
ninety.nine which had the disease on board, either
while IN porC ON the passage after their arrival
here Three hundred and nity-ave cases OF yellow
fever have been mus reported Two hundred and
thirtv nine al the port OF departure, sxty-seven
The passage hther aud thlrty-nine IN this port.
SICKNESS IN TIE PORT.
with the exception OF the month OF May, patients
were at the hospital from January until the latter part
OF October sixty been treated there; ps stated
above thrty-n OF these were yellow ievcr; the re-
ma eli her OF malaral fever, whlcn 10
,ts SO nearly resembles yellow lever that time
is required observation 10 determine tho precise
else OF urgent cases. which It was dcemeo
best for the safety OF patient that he be taken al
once from the vessel instead OF proceeding to the
city ., .,s
showing q favorable percentage OF recovery, which
must great degree he attributed to the AIRY ano
healthy location Of tho hospital Cases OF yellow
iover were tho hospital every month with the ex'
ception May and almost continuously rom June 10
srln phn q
cnce the harbor for longer period than Ior many
years past , ,r =. p-,nsr,cr sovor
nah and Charleston, all lying within a point from
which steamers could complete the passage WITHIN the
average time assigned as the nGuoaon perUu " sns
should be made whereby the commerce rom those
ports should remain unrestricted
II was directed that passengers DC taken on YES.
sells coming from those ports This left mo to deal
with the crew and cargo only. Full hyglenc prccau.
tions were suggested to the steamers plying between
Savannah and New York, which ON their part were
coMxuXIcArIoN WITH IyPEcrED PORTS.
Tho usual course pursued with reference 10 the
vessel and cargo as with al vessels coming from IN.
tcctcd ports The vessels made their trips during the
whole epidemic with their accustomed regular;ty In
deed for reasons be stated extra vessels were
placed upon the route. So lar from New York being
loser she gamer in commercial aspect from the
fever epidemic at Savannah She tho only port on
tho Atlantic coast which permitted free commercial
intercourse with the injected city W'n rdn,o"
while Philadelphia an entire embargo was ad upon
all communication by way OF the sea me agent 0!
tho Philadelphia and Savannah line complained "that
not only was all intercourse interdicted, but the
authorities would Leithcr allow his steamer then at
philadelphia Quarantine TO dlscnaree NOE uepar' oF
II seems scarcely credible after the full light Of
recent experience SO suicidal policy %
upon tho vessel no decision could have been adopted
which would likely cause the epidemic 10 appear
| Experience has fully shown that but the indus oi
fOmtes allowed to remain unmoescd In the hold of
vessel will rapidly develop as soon to make the vos
sci pest ship; Whereas II tho cargo IS speedily re-
moved ana The vessel thoroughly cleanscd danger 10
| reduced to Its minimum factor.
The consequences Of this embargo was, that not only
| was an excess OF cotton gent from Savannah to this
port as compared with previous years during the same
period, but all the vessels trading from Cnareston
Wilmington anu even Norfolk, were tasked TO their
utmost carrying capucity. Sanitary measures ana COM
need therefore be antagonslic, and In tha
| instance the former AIDED tho latter
Though nearly thousand deaths from yellow fever
occurred in Savannah no well authenticated case
reached the city OF New York, except those Of two
| sickness from vessels occurred In New YORK ana
Brooklyn which were supposed TO be yellow iever but
which the accompanying history failed 10 substanti.
ate Isolated cases Of malignant malaria tever and
yellow resemble each other in SO maL OF their
manifestations that nothing but the most experienced
diagnosis eau command confidence. The previous his
tory as well as the subsequent stages OF recovery
IN ali cases OF sickness suspected OF being able TO be
transmitted, all precautionary ana repressIve meas
urcs should be employed, the public should not DC
necdessy alarmed until the nature oi the Sickness
definitely determined.
OTHER CONTAGIOUS SICKNESS
Fewer cases OF ship lever and smallpox have arrived
than for many previous years. This IS chiefly attrb-
utable the great falling of In emigration, ana con-
sequcnty the smaller percentage OF persons liable to
be Injected. Two OF fever have becn taken TO
Wards Island. ten Of smallpox TO kivershc
Hospital on Blackwes Island.
l dosire in conclusion TO renew my expressions ol
confidence the faithfulness and ability OF Deputy
Health oGacers Thompson and Mccartney; sy.,or,
| s. OAKLEY VANDERPOEL,
| Health OIlcer OF the Port OF New York.
| QUARAxTISE, Dec. 81, 1876