The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-31
THE YELLOW FEVER COMMITTEES.

A10 A11AVU 1nvAA SSA
The yellow fever committees Of the Senate
md House met yesterday In joint session,
and organized By selecting 6enator Eustis %
chairman. Both committees are large ana
are composed Of gentlemen Of high reputation
for ability, and they are, besides, attended py
4 corps OF experts appointed 10 assist them ID
their labors. The question they are called
upon to consider Ii one Of vital Importance 20
this section 81 the country, and the result
Of their labors will be looked forward TO
with exceeding interest by all classes Oh our
people. The scope Of inquiry laid out ID the
resolutions under which these committees are
acting includes every unsettled and disputed
scientific and otherwise connected
with yellow fever: but we do not suppose
there IA a member Of either OF these coinmlt-
teee, or any professional man connected with
them. who has the remotest idea Of extending
the inquiry they are required to make further
than IA necessary for the purposes Of intelll-
gent and practical legislation. IL
would be palpably absurd for such an inquisi-
ton d. this TO attempt an investigation OF the
causes Of yellow fever, the origin and such
other mysteries Of the disease, which are as
yet mere matters Of theory with scientific
men, and which will remain such until they
are solved by scientific research. Tho ut
most these committees could do by this sort
of inquiry would be TO elicit theory and
hypothesis from every professional man put
on the witness stand, but to leave the whole
question, at last, where Il is now. with science
to solve az best II may. or course oil time
spent In such investigation will be but time
thrown away.
There "a, however, a practical inquiry these
committees can make, which they are emil
nently qualified to make, and which we as
sumo theyjwill contine themselves to- The
only Legislation that can grow out OF this In
vestlgation is q quarantine law. OF the me-
cessIty for such law, Of the character OF u,
and % whom its execution shall be entrusted
in order to make Il efficient. are the questions
these committees are specially charged to In
vestiRate and report the results TO Congress.
For all practical purposes Of Legislation,
then, this inquiry might well be confined to
the simple question. syellow fever endemic
In any portion Of the United States2 That is,
does II originate in this country from local
causes, or is II invariably Imported from
tropical countriee2 Fortunately, this is a
question which can be determined by actual
facts, AZ susceptible Of proof as any other
occurrences that come under human observa-
ton, and which can be satisfactorily and con-
clusively settled only by testimony elected
under the strictest application Of the
laws OF evidence In the determination
Of this question, opinions and theories, no
40 ftxyo
will be worth very little, unless they are
backed by facts, and these substantiated by
the most irrefragable and unimpeachable EVIL
dence.
The solution Of this question is the utm ost
those engaged In this investigation can hope
to achieve; but IN doing this they will neces-
sarily elicita vast deal Of information, which
will be OF infinite value to science In
the settlement OF those questions which
belong exclusively to Its domain, and
which can be finally settled only by
its researches and processes. The scope
or such an investigation will not be by any
means limited one. Facts which have been
discovered or determined by scientific ex-
periments, such as those pursued by Dr.
Jones, are as real and as susceptible OF de-
monstration as the incidents connected with
the arrival Of the Souder ut this port, and are
as worthy Of consideration. Where theorist
professional or layman, has such facts to
justify his opinions he should be heard, but
not otherwise. Such an inquiry rs this
a congressional committee, composed
mainly Of lawyers, as this Is, who
are familiar with the laws OF evi
dence, and are capable Of correctly valuine
whatever testimony is submitted to them. Ii
eminently qualified to make, and the conclu
sion Il may arrive at is entitled to more con
sideratlon than the theory or opinion Of any
medical man, based on premises not estab
lished by positive proof. The stricter ant
more exacting the committee may be In re
gard to the character Of the evidence, the more
valuable, because the more reliable, will b
the results attained.