Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-02-26
Precautions..Against the Plague.

Surgeon General Woodwork, of the
United States Marine Hospital Service.
has addressed communication on the
plague in Russia to the Chairman of
the Congressional Committee on Epi.
demic Diseases, the purport of which
is to invite that body to consider the
propriety Of legislation that may ena-
bic the Government to maintain two
medical officers in Europe as scientific
outposts to watch the westward advance
Of this Asiatc scourge and guard
against its introduction here on the ad-
mitted theory that it is easier to keep
it out of a country than to control it
when it has gained foothold. AS we
pointed out manv days since-and as
the Surgeon General now repeats-the
Mennonite immigration and our trade
with some Mediterranean and Black
Sea ports are facts which make it fully
possible that our quarantine authorities
may have to deal with this disease next
Summer, and any suggestion made witt.
view to protect the country from 50,
terrible calamity as this visitation
might prove is worthy the most careful
consideration. Germany, Austria and
France have sent medical officers d.
rectly to the plague province in Russia
to observe the disease there, and al, oI
course, with view to its possible march
westward next Summer England has
requested of Russia permission to send
physicians to study the disease for the
same reason. If the plague reaches
Western Europe generally, it will GER
tainly cross the Atlantic. and as all the
Governments Of Western Europe are
acting on the assumption that it will
reach them, it is not borrowing trouble
for US to look out in time. Russian
bulletins. of recent date, declare that
the plague is now actually under con-
troll, that there have been no new cases
since January l3. and that sharp frosts
iu the valley of the Volga have put an
end to the epidemic. LII TO be hoped
thus is true, but the fact that it ba>
been so declared in Russian bullet, n
Is not guarantee on that point. Blu
even if the immediate spread Of the
disease is arrested the anaiogies of the
march Of the epidemIcs 10 that part OF
the world lead naturally to the appre-
hension that this Winter Suppression is
mere rebate, temporary ~ its affecr
and that the return OF Summer will re-
yive the malady Plaques GU former
OCCASIONS, as we'll as cholera. have act
ed that way in Eastern Russia. o.
this occasion The energetic action pro-
posed by the Government may ma >e
difference. DR.. Botkin's sketch Of a
plan for stamping out the disease Was
adopte by a Ministerial Council on
the 18th ultimo, and sanitary COM
mission was appointed to put it in
force. This pan included cremation
Of the bodies of the dead; removal of
the living from Infected places to more
salubrious localities. and their isolation
there by military cordons; the complete
'nc'neratior of all their effects, and the
absolute destruction by fire of every
village id which the plague has shown
itself. Should this plan be carried out
as it would be, for Instance, in Germany
if ordered by the superior authorities,
the Western world might discharge
from its mind all apprehension as to
the recurrence of trouble next Summer;
but Russia's neighbors in Europe do
not seem to exhibit confidence 10 her
intentions. aud perhaps their distrust
IS better guide for us as to what will
take place than the declaration of her
purposes.-Nev York Herald, 18th.