Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-07-25
QUARANTINE QUESTION.
Unnecessary Delay and Absurd OppO-
sitiOn by Certain Pfrtles-The
Howard Association lister.

New Orleans, and again urged the i'm.
p%ortsnce Of establishing quarantine
against boats from that city. That this
would be at least an evidence, if not a
guarantee, of security to::Memphis, no
intelligent citizen can doubt. This prop
%osition to establish quarantine was OPP
posed by the health officer, DR..
Erskine, and by DR.. Brown, sec.
rotary Of the board Of health. The
petition causing the city council to
reject the proposition Of DR.. Mitchell,
president of the board Of health, was
signed by thirtY.four physicians, some
OF whom never saw q case Of yellow
fever, and others even now deny that
Memphis was visited by yellow fever in
1873. We are frank to say that at the
time this opposition was made it was not
known that yellow fever existed in New
Orleans. While in the opinion Of some
this ignorance might serve to excuse
these doctors in their course, nothing
would pardon such folly we're the bust.
ness interesu Of Memphis to be prostra-
ted by the introduction of the fearful
plague. Steamers from New Orleans
almost daily reach this port, and yet
there is never an inquiry about
or examination made Of any boat.
Will this be continued much longer in
the face of the fact that yellow fever ex-
lists in New Orleans aud there is such
communication between that city and
Memphis2 Are the interests-the vital
interests-of Memphis to be submitted
to the rroneous policy of the board Of
. health, whose members did not know
yellow fever existed 10 New Orleans un-
til Informed by the LEDGER 2 1t is not
probable that yellow fever will reach
Memphis. but it is in New Orleans, and
this fact should Of itself compel the in.
j auguration of quarantine, which the best
OF medical authorities approve and re-
> commend. The health officer at present
is unable to know whether or not yellow
lever cases are on New Orleans
! steamers. A quarantine at Presi.
dents Island would not only enable
| him to demonstrate the fact that there is
no yellow fever here, but also to guar.
8 antee that it will not be introduced from
4 New Orleans. As stated in yesterday
LEDGER, hr. Bannon, clerk Of the
h steamer Commonwealth, died with vel
5 low fever in St. Louis shortly after thai
boat reached there from New Orleans
Y This was photographed from St. Louis t
g Cincinnati and doubtless to other points
There are persons always anxious Il
n circulate reports, and the only way, il
n addition to the knowledge Of the peopll
here, to circumvent such unfounded ru
+. mors is to have a we'll regulated an,
IF properly conducted quarantine. A Ne'
Orleans telegram, yesterday, which ap
pears in the morning papers, states tia
there we're fourteen cases Of yellow feve
> there, seven having proved fatal. Tn
cases we're sp lsmodic, they say, and NJ
q tears we're entertained that it would con
IN tinue or spread, as the board Of he III
hope to check the disease. The lette
referred to in yesterdays LEDGER is a
Al follows:
NEW ORLEANS, July +. 1873.
I'D j. H. Smith. Secretary Howard Association
a, Memphis, Tenn;
=. DEAR SIR-As in your recent letter I
ue me you expressed u desire to be KEEP
posted in regard to any appearance O
yellow fever here, | write TO let you knee
t. that to day | was applied 10 for a goo
nurse for that disease, the party apply
ing having been referred to me b
DR.. Chopin, the president of GU
board of health. / then made in
~ quiries at he dQuarte s to learn the fact
in the matter, and heard that it was Ut
mistskable tever, and that there wer
four cases just around the conner fror
the one l WAS inquiring about, all {
whom were convhlescing. There arr
including these, some six cases, all i
&c a1jacent houses on the same block, whic
I'd have just appeared, and into which, as t
IS their origin, etc the board of health ar
or now inquiring. The result of this il
quiry ! will let you know.
nu You will probably hear las you hav
a already heard) very alarming report
ln from the cases / have mentioned; bt
w. you have the facts, which are very "a
removed from anything At all dangerou
=, so far as a serious sickness or epidemi
is concerned.
re- Yours truly, T. X. SoUrHMAYD,
RI Sec'y Howard Association.