The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-11-19

Such facts should be carefully recorded, to-
gether with the corroboratiye evidence, the
| ultimate object being the establishment
| of truths upon which the theory and
practice Of prevention of future cpl
denies must rest. Should the contributions
of money be sufficient, or Congress so di-
rect, the Commission may be enlarged for
the purpose OF extending the line OF in
quiry, as far as practicable and useful, into
| the nature and causes OF and the conditions
governing the disease itself. After COM
pIeting your work in New Orleans you will
visit as many as possible Of the cities and
towns in which the yeiIow-fever prevails,
before the 10Th OF November next, on which
day the American Pubic-Health Associa-
| ton will convene to discuss the facts which
you shall have gathered and which you will
submit, prior to that time, in preliminary
report to the Surgeon-G General of the United
States Marine-Hospital Service"
The commissioners at the beginning d.
Yided their work, and each took separate
| field. They have now to consolidate their
facts, and the work is a heavy one. To add
| to the complication, trunk containing i'm
pOrtant papers sent on here from the South
was mlscarried; at least it had OF reached
this city yesterday.
[The trunk has since been found
DR.. Cochran said yesterday that their re.
port would be very lengthy one. He re-
garded the investigation as Just begun. In
his opinion, vast deal OF work yet remains
to be done.
DR.. Bemiss said they had enough matter
to entertain the Convention for week.
DR.. Howard arrived late last evening.
| DR.. Harris, the president OF the Public
Health Association, teIegrapbed yesterday
that he would be here to-day.
THE VIEWS OF THE COMMISSIONERS.
The following is 4 correct statement Of
the views of the Yellow-Fe ever Commission
as given by DR.. Cochran:
"Thev are convinced, in the first place,
that yellow-feyer is not indigenous in the
atmosphere in any part Of the United
States, and that in New Orleans it was i'm
| ported. Whatever doubt there was in the
case Of New Orleans, there was no doubt
but that it was carried from New Orleans
to every other place. The disease does not
seem to be prevented from prevailing cpl
demically either by distance from the sea or
distance above the sea level, as, under
favorable circumstances ior its dissemina-
ton, it might prevail in any part OF the
United States.
"Hcretofore seaboard quarantines, as far
as the Gulf OF Mexico is concerned, and
making exceptions this year in the case OF
Texas, have been inadequate to prevent the
introduction OF lhe disease. The difficult
ties OF inland quarantine are so many and
so great in the case OF places on the Missis-
siDpi river, or in the case OF towns having eX-
tensive railroad connection, as to be almost
practically impossible; and, in view OF this
state OF facts, it seems 10 he the opinion OF
the commission that the only reasonable pro.
lection to keep the yellow-fever from the
country is to be found in Il system OF national
quarantine under the direction oil the United
States Government"
DR.. Cochran is satisfied that unsanitary
local conditions have much less to do with
the propagation Of the disease than is com
monty supposed, having found the highest,
dryest, and best. built parts OF several cities
to have suffered more than sections under
the influence OF malaria and filth, and haV'
ing seen intensely malarial places suffer fal
less than others almost free from malaria
Diseases
As before stated, the Commission vii
make no recommendations to the Public
Health Association. Only the facts gath
cred by them will be presented, and these
will be open for discussion.
Many papers from other sources suggest
ing remedies will be presented.
WHAT THE MEMBERS HAVE TO SAY.
The expression OF opinion among dele
gates nov here is in favor OF the Genera
Government controlling the quarantine "a;
suege.ted by DR.. Cochran), to make 1t eli
fective for preventing the introduction O.
these horrible scourges, yet to be intelt
gently administered, so as to Interfere Will
commerce as little rs possible.
The work of the Commission will un
doubtedly be attended with great practica
results. Its members have laborcd faith
fully and intelligent!y. They have received
efficient aid from the citizens and authorl
ties of the places they have Inspected; th'
city OF Memphis having expended more
than 81 900 in securing the information re
quircd by the Commission.
All this has been done without aid from
the Government, and has been provided fo
by private subscription OF Mrs. Thompson
and others.
PERSONAL.
Among those here or expected are Sur
geon John S. Billings, of Washington, ant
Surgeon McEarlane, OF Fort Hamilton. rep
roScntinr the army: DR.. McCOun and DR.