The New York herald., 1878-01-14
@ u A r A N TT N T..
The Health Officers. Report to the
Quarantine Commissioners.
YELLOW JACK.
Rayages of the Disease and the Way II Was
Fought Away from Our Doors.

Tho following Is tho report OF Dr. Vanderpocl, tho
Health Olcer Of tho port to the Quarantine Comms.
sion:-
HEALTH OFFICERS DEPARrMExr,l
QUARANTINE, ,. j.. Jan. 10, 1873 I
General JAMES McQUADE President Of tho Commits
sioners oil QUARANTINE
SiR-Ihe past year has been remarkably free from
the introduction Of contagious anu transmissibc DIS
eases by way o But seven cases OF smallpox, all
ers have occurred. This disease. IKE all others OF
contagious character. has It's periods OF Qui>
csccnce, which cannot be wholly attributed to
prophy tactic causes, to reappcar with renewed
activity. Both the city and the port have
ieit this happy influence during the pas. year. Tor
tue number OF cases OF smallpox occurring has been
less than Tor generation past during any year,
while the continued and thorough system II vacci-
nation pursued by the Board OF Health Will account
largely Tor this so tar 1t influences the city sun
tho unexplained TACT that smallpox has It's cycles OF
activity and repose must be invoked for further cx-
panaton The great falling of IN emigration has
propoitonatey lesscned the possibilities OF the DIS
The arrival OF vessels having had cases OF yellow
fever during the passage or on ther arrival at port
an event much OF the timc oil weekly occurrence
during at least i've mouths OF inc year little or no
significance Is given TO tho occurrence and vessels
are given us unrestrancd pratlque IL sickness
had occurred. The knowledge that the germs of yell
low fever cannot propagate alter the appearance or
frost happily trees the community from all anxiety
and vessels IRON restraint Tho class of vessels in
which this mostly occurs those engaged in tho
South American and cJcc trade, the latter OF which,
solicited SO strenuously by other ports needs All of
fostering care 10 retain here It's centre of
activity During the period wien tho trans
mission of yellow lever Is TO DO iearod, and
when the examination OF suspected vessels Is made.
|, lI3 vessels were at tue stuton IN Lower Bay or
this number IS3 arrived from ports known 10 DO in-
fcctcd; "A vessels arrived from such ports having
sickness during their STAY there, passage
rival here; ls0 cases OF yellow lever occurred upon
them when IN an Injected port, OF wnom 80 dic1; IL
on passage, OF whom IL died; % III quAran-
tine, oi whom l3 died OF OF the IL
) wero morbund on arrival at hospital; there were
~ cases in hospital 20 OF which were yellow fever,
excluding the above mentioned would leave is cases.
among whom were deaths, II being about tue ordinary
percentage Tor the hospital The remaining death was
from ChaSres lever
coScEAlSG INFORMATION
An embarrassment under which the department
labors and probably must continue so to 90, is the
difficulty OF obtaining auy roliablc information from
the Southern ports OF country during The early
periods oil yellow fever epidemic TINS was felt IN
tho early days year OF the Savannah pcstilencc
aud s more TINS year " the hrst stages OF tho
Fernandina outbreak. There Is disposi, part
OF the local boards OF health IN all the Southern cities
to conceal the knowledge ot cases OF yellow lcvc:
until the disease epidemic character iaar
ing It may unlavoraby Affect communication with
other points. Tho examination OF the death records
Of Charleston and Savannah. which received
only during the following winters, show the occur
renee OF cases, OF which no mention Is made during
The summer True, there Is ielt even ny
tho most experienced physicians embsrrass-
ment III deciding whether any single SPORADIC
case may be yellow lever or pcrnicious rcmittent
icvcr, Tor there are many features common 10 these
two Diseases. S careful observation and the speedy
recurrence OF other cases should soon dispc uny
certainty This uncertainty necessarily cmbarrasscs
my action. Fur unless have positive Information by
the arrival OF sickness the publication by the local
boards OF health OF such sickness l do not feel
warranted In contraveniEg or obstructing CON-
mcrciai relations. TINS was ielt particularly
with regard 10 the opdemic at FcrnancinA
during the past summer. The contradictory 70.
ports which cmauated IRON tho Board prevented rs
decisive action as would otherwise have been taken.
Tho two cases Of yellow fever which appeared IN tho
city arose from this cause on tho day OF tho nrrLrai
Of tho vessel the joint boards OF health OF JacksOpya
and Fcrnanjina scut telcgrsphic despatch the
country declaring that Tho sickness then prevailing as
Fcrnandipn wins not yellow fever St, as prccau-
tonary ucasure every person on the vessel linus.
tcrel and pass ii before the physician ut nuarantne
The sickness developed IN eacn Of the two on the day
alter the arrival OF tho vessel. Win ali well on board
ana tho positive assertion OF tho boards OF health
did not iocl warranted IN OBTAINING the vessel for OBJ
servati0n.
WHEN FEVER ~ EPIDEMIC
II Is well Tor the public 10 understand that yellow
ovcr inciely becomes epidemic BY tho appearance OF
sporadic cases In community. Other conditions
must also consp;re to elect the result Tho disease
rarely gains permanent lodsmen! unless II starts
from the water edge and has the fouiness OF biiges
or stay nj wator oil docks an initial point. havo
always icit more eonccrn with rcicrchce 10 tho
vessel AMI us contents than for tho persons
It transported as means Of propagstiiy tho
disease. So too, tho sporadic cases, which
may come by rail, need occasion little real
anxiety Experience has shown that the germs
oil yellow lover, unlike those oi scarlet fcver dipi
tncra &c., urc peculiarly susceptible 10 the action vi
decided disiniccton aud local cleanliness. Cases,
therefore, reaching TINS community IN the above man
ner u carefully Isolated tue surroundings clean and
the clothing thoroughly disin!ected, 90 not become
a indus Tor the propagation OF disease No case OF
fever has tar appeared from these sporadic
On the princ oil quaran aud its hygiene
Intions have nothing new 10 add to my paper on
'Quarantinc the General Principles Affecting Its
Organizaton,o published In the early part OF 1874
Ia eo1ciasion desire TO express my sentiments OF
Confidence IN the abty and 'aithiulness, and thanks
Tor hearty cooperation OF each OF my deputies Drs
5. OAKLEY vANDERPoEL,
Health Onicer OF the Port oi New York.