The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-09-10
N0NsENsTOAL THEORIES,

The New York Commercial Bulletin. in some
well-intentioned remarks on the epidemic
afiliction of our city, suggests that tile COM
mercial classes and the whole people Of the
North ought to assume the responsibility and
burden of executing and enforcing such sani-
tary measures of prevention as will protect
the nation from the recurrence of such
calamities as bring universal distress and
loss to every portion of the country and the
people.
These views are alike benevolent and wise
That under the exclusive power to regulate
commerce. some national system Of sanitary
protection, of q uniform character, should be
substituted for the present system Of State
and municipal isolation and interruption of
the intercourse Of communities, appears to be
universally conceded. This national system
should be based on o thorough investigation
and detinitive conclusion as to the sources
causes and character Of the epidemics to which
the country Is subject A commission of
scientists, of persons who have investigated
the subject thoroughly and practically, not of
mere theorists, should be appointed and
authorized to exhaust every means of
ascertaining these leading facts and
questions upon which there is so great q va
riety Of opinions. conclusions and statements.
Such Investigations, too should be made
with a judicial exactitude, by pursu-
ing the Baconian mode of aifting well
all the facts, Of linking them together and
tracing the correlation of causes and
effects, expurgating their minds OF oil pro-
nounced opinions, and by the exercise of the
highest order of mental and moral courage
and patience. 1t would indeed involve Sc
rious reproach upon this age of science, Of
skill, thoroughness, and vigor of intel
lectual processes, If some satisfactory con-
illusions could not thus be reached by COM
mission composed as we have described.
This should be done before we embrace
such impracticable empiricism as that pro-
posed by the Bulletin, and Endorsed by the
Times Of this city, of the nation" undertake
ing to regrade this city and establish new
system Of drainage Nothing more erroneous
in fact and more impracticable in execution
has yet been suggested than what these two
papers have proposed. The ignorance of the
New York journal is pardonable; that of the
New Orleans paper is inconceivable and mex
cusable The former seeks to bolster itself
latter whose writer appears to have made his
observations Of the history Of yellow fever
and of the Typographical circumstances of our
city from point as remote from New Orleans
as New York.
The averment that the best built, best
paved and best drained portion of the city
lies in huge basin which becomes at certain
seasons the favorite home of epidemics,
where they are procreated and generated by
emanations from the soil or the accumula-
tons of filth, malodrous exhalations and ma
laria, is too preposterous for serious refuta-
ton. Every man, woman and child in this
city will stamp this averment as equally
false and absurd II the localities described
have exhibited a higher death rate than
others, the fact is that there exists therein
a larger unacclimated population than In the
others where the rate has been lower. Nor is
it true that this portion Of the city is natu-
raj basin, that it is not as well drained as
other parts of the city, or that the drainage
has had any effect whatever on the origin or
progress Of the disease.
The water which falls from the heavens
passes off as qui 3kly from this as from any