The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1879-05-07
NEW SERIES---NO. 271.
ALWAYS WITH Us.

One DR.; I. o, Lummers. in lengthy
argument against quarantine measures as
a safeguard against yellow fever, insists
that the disease, toa greater or lesser ex-
tent is ever present in the South, and that
the study should be mot how to keep it
out; but how to deal with it presence
The Doctor theories with much skill, and
no doubt satisfies himself that quarantine
measures are "unscentiic and uscless;-
but the thousand communities that kept
the scourgc at bay, last year, by the enforce
ment of a rigid quarantine, will not sur
render their convictions to the Doctors
theories though they pile them mountain
high.
The following extract from the Doctors
argument is given for what it is worth:
While yellow fever may originally have
been an exotic, 1t is now no longer so. I'm
der the modifying external condition. to
which germs are subjected they become
changed in their nature to such an extent
that they can live and speculate and fructi-
| ty where originally they persisted at the
first touch OF the unnatural element around
them. This is process so plainly under
stood by every one who knows ANYTHING
whatever of the influences which modify
the development fife in general that il is
not necessary to further discussit. Yellow
fever has thus to all intents and purposes
become indigenous to our country and can
no more be quarantincd against than the
winds. There is scarcely a time in the
history OF New Orleans when yellow fever
did not exist You may call in your mortu-
airy reports malarial fever--it smells sweet
err by that name-but there is a very strik-
| ing family resemblance between your So
called malarial and the simon pure yellow
fever Of the epidemic Under proper ex-
ternal conditions it will burst IN full bloom
typhus icterodes-the yellow fever of the
South. With all these facts before us,
would not be well to stop the disgraceful
prattle among members Of the medical pro-
tession upon questions SO vitally connected
with the great interests of cities A meas
ure OF such magnitude as this ought never
to be set on foot without considering whether
or not the remedy may not be worse than
the disease, That quarantine has apparently
proved ettectual in some towns, establishes
nothing, unless it can also be proved why
it was that adjoining places, not Quaran-
tined, but throwing open their gates to the
stricken people, also escaped, The arbi
trary interference Of boards of health
should, therefore, be well restrained, seeing
the vast issues involved; ana if there is any
weight Of evidence in excess on either side
it goes against the establishment Of
a national quarantine We had
just as well begin to recognize in
our old toe an internecine and
deadly enemy, and turn Cur attention rath-
, er to the study OF its cure. This is the pro,
per battle ground for the physicians. Wher
he has learned to treat it successfully, il
becomes no longer a terror to the commun
ity, but a dead letter in the roll Of cpidem
les, Just as cholora has done. These ques
tons should all be well considered auc
weighed before steps are taken to establish
quarantine which must Unnecessary prov,
disastrous to the financial condition of ON
country.