The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-03
THE PROPOSED COMMISSION.

President Hayes yesterday suggested that
some steps should be taken to inquire into
the cause of yellow fever and (pe remedy to
4 be applied to It's cure. As soofT az the Senate
4 was prepared for business three separate
resolutions bearing upon the subject were III |
+ troduced- by Mr. Lamar, Of Mississippi, |
!. another by Mr. Harris, Of Tennessee, and Q
third Ey Mr.. Eusts, Of Louisiana Os the
! nature Of the first two resolutions We are
briefly informed, but nothing Is as yet known
OF the plan they propose by which the origisl,
. nature and cure OF yellow~tever may pc IN
quired into and probably oermined. sWith
Senator Eustis' proposition the readers pl
! the DEMOCRAT are made familiar by speclii
dispatch from our Washington correspondent
Senator Eustis proposes, IN brief, That O
Commission Of ten, five from each House. pc
appointed TO thoroughly Investigate the whole
! subject With this view the commission Is to
be authorized to select such scientific experts
in yellow fever practice as 1t may deem
proper and to spare neither labor nor expense
In pursuing the subject for which II was
created. %
While any movement in the direction Of an
Investigation into the cause Of yellow fsver Is
In the proper direction, and while the plan
proposed by Senator Eustis possesses I'M
doubted merit, it seems 10 us that it does not
go as public investigation OF the KIND
should to the root of the matter. 1t Is known
that the views of our prominent medical men
are widely divergent upon the subject. OF
yellow fever, and experience has taught
us that tho individual physician Is Tot dis
posed to give over his precOnceived notions
as to the origin, nature and proper remedies
for the disease. II has appeared In SO many
different phases and has originated IN SO
many ways that at last the faculty admit
that thoy know really nothing Of it, that: Its
causes and character are merely hypothetical,
and that little or no practical advance has
been made In It's treatment fora CENTURY past
And yet each fever physician has .s 4 wn
theory and will not forego it for the very
good reason that there is no positiveSi emon-
stration that it is Incorrect. Bccanse:of this
fever commissions, composed 81 medic. men
have thus far proved abortive. There has
/. been reluctance to lay aside Individual
views that has proved fatal to the object Of
the Investigation. Each naturally lcs'ks for
evidence To sustain hia own theory, ard can
not accept tho testimony offered ands basc
fair and impartial conclusion upon it, i
But while. for tho cause assigned 20 com
poses. will not. we fear, fully meet tht; public
demand and expectation it will go4far. TO-
wards it. It is the best plan yet proposed,
and must result in great benefit to thi:: inme-
diate section and th3 country at laisge It
will accumulate all the facts connected with
the recent epidemic. md will probabr. settle
the dispute as to the efficacy Of quarantine
regulations It may do still more; but even
IN, 4. a, :: IL will
have done much for tho public health and
welfare Therefore, Senator Eustis'a propo-
sition will meet a very general approval We
are assured that IL will be adopted ny Con-
gress.
While Congress Ia in the mood tho. DEMO
Graf would suggest to Senator Eussis that
he might add to the merits If his resolution
by extending the scope OF the investigation.
What is wanted is u knowledge Of the atrpos-
pheric or other conditions under which, yellow
fever germinates: whether it is enGemic or
imported. For the purpose Of establishing
these important facts the DEMOCRAT has
already made Il suggestion to whichAhe con
sideration of the Senator IS now invited. This
Ia the selection of an international commits
sion, to sit in New Oteans and Havana, and
inquire into the origin Of yellow fev,r. Let
the President Of the United States becmpow
cred to invite each Of the ruling p9wcrs Of
Europe and America to appoint n certain
number Of their most celebrated psysiciiste
and savants, in connection with n similar
number appointed by the Presehntsto form
such commission and fully Investigates thu
subject.
The United States can well afford to-: pay
the Axpcnses incident "a such inquiry: In view
of the almost certain benefits 20 result from
It, Such an invitation would hc cordially
received and acted upon. In all probability
and the conclusions Of aconmssion thus con
stituted would carry with them the: respect
which pre-eminent ability and acknowledged
force always command. They would estab
lish a guide. a rule. IN authority upprL sub,
iect of vital consequence that woulE not be