The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-10-02
Theories of Quarantine.
WHAT A LEARNED PHYSICIAN SAYS OF THE
BANNERS AGAINST YELLOW FEVER.

WHAT LEARNED PHYSICIAN SAYS OF THE
BARRIERS AGAINST YELLOW FEVER.
DR.. John NJ. Woodwork, Surgeon
General of the United States Marine
Service, has addressed letter to the
editor of the Medical Record, giving his
views regarding internal quarantine and
how it could be made effective in the
way of preventing the spread of yellow
fever. The following is an extract from
his letter
Evidence warrants the assertion that
yellow fever poison is transported by things,
and not by persons, considered apart from
their clothing As examples bearing upon
this evidence, | may mention several eases
which occurred during the present epidem-
ic~A ynnng woman. resilient of Gincin-
natl, was there attacked by the fever and
died. Previous to her attack, baggage or
goods brought from the infected city OF
New Orleans had been stored in the house
where She lived. Tue children of the Por-
ter family residing upon the bank of the
Mississippi, about two miles from Cairo
found skitf which had been used by refu-
gees from the Infected cities, and carried it
to their home for repair Three or four
days afterward all of the children who were
around she boat were stricken with the
yellow Iever in one day AT Gallipolis,
Ohio, none have had the yellow fever but
those who visited or came near the infected
steam boat and her barges anchored in the
river near that place, and there have been
twenty-five cases and nine deaths up to the
18th inst. On the other hand, yellow fever
patients have been treated, and In some
instances are now under treatment, in the
Marine hospitals at St. Louis, Cairo, Louis
vile and Cincinnati, without communica-
ting the disease, the simple prrcaution
HAVING n isl oil hipor
and other effects Immediately upon receiv-
ing the patients. 1t is a well-known fact
that the unacclimated attendants upon the
yellow-fever patients at the New York
quarantine do not contract the disease; this
Is also true of other quarantines. DR.. Van
derpool disinfeets the clothing by fire, so
there shall be no mistake about its thor
oughness.
Now, if the premises be true, the conclu-
sion indicates a simplified quarantine not
of persons, but of things-the clothing up
on the person, baggage in boxes, trunks,
valises, handbags. The diSinfection
should be effectuated just outside an liz
tected city, at the commencement rather
than at the end of journey. When the
yellow fever breaks out among the resident
population of city or town, all unacclima-
re persons should be prohibited from en-
tering the infected place. and the unaccli- |
mated residents should be removed to tenn
porary CAMPS on the highest available
ground. at least two miles outside the in |
fected locality. But there should be estab-
lished an intermediate station where the |
clothing and other effects OF the fleeing
people shall be thoroughly disinfected be- |
fore they are permitted TO enter the camp |
Such a simplified internal quarantine as |
here indicated might be carried out if a |
central office or head were clothed with au- |
thority; but in my opinion the millennium |
will have come when the authorities of all |
the cities and towns OF the several States |
think and act like in this matter. Check
ing the spread of transportable and pre-
ventable disease is one OF the contingencies /
that our forefathers appear not TO have TAX
en- into account when they established our
c ptHftbtls lErlaBs government.
Very respectfully yours,
JOHN NJ. WoODwoRTH,
Surgeon-Gener1l United States Marine Hos
pital Service.
WAsHISGToN CITY. Sept. Is, 1873.