The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-05-14
THE aQTEsTTo YExATA,"
New ORLEANS, ]
Auril 81 1870 {

1t is becoming a matter OF serious
import just at this juncture Of affairs
to determine whether or not boards Of
health, in their utter disregard ofout-
side interests in their regulations and
dicta, are not more of a nuisance than
benefit. The question of quarantine
now so practically brought before thed
consideration of the powers that be-
has been taken hold of and monopo- /
lied by class of men who seem eith-1
CT to be utterly ignorant of the etiolo-
gy and pathology of the disease they
seek to exclude from their shores, or
else crimiBally regardless Of the great
commercial, educational aud social in
1ercsts SO seriously involved in this
movement.
Among medical men the public press
has not generally been considered the
proper medium through which tosyen
tilate subjects of this character; But
when such vast commercial interests
are at stake and the future of our
Southern cities hangs in this balance,
it is but right aud proper that the
public should knew of these matters
and judge of the reasons which deter
mine the autocratic fiat of an organi-
cation upon questions invoiFing such
wide significancesas The one before as.
Without sfeaeeting upon the wisdom
and. the Integrity of those whota a
different view, Twisig TO place before
the people Of New Orleans especially,
through the columns of your journal, d
few, plaias practical reasons whygI esps
sideg the esgabiislIm ellt OF 8 geuerais or
a local qaarantiae ansntter absardity
from scientific standpoint, and from
q commereial-a positive calamity,
L. Aquarantine involves d great ex-
pense in itself. 1t cannot be estao-
lished with. any show of efficiency,
without the employment Of expert OH !.
GERS with vast retinue of attendants,
and almost unlimited expense ia the
direction Of it's practical application
2. 1t is very much to be questioned
whether or not yellow fever itself is
more damaging to city than rigid
Quarantine. Your people are begin
ming to feel it already, and the cry
comes up continually that it is q meas.
ure unjust in it's declaration and op-
pressiyesjn its operation. A rigidly
enforced quarantine is almost eqniva1
lent in its effects, viewing it from a
commercial standpoint, to an epidem
ic; indeed, some have deemed it more
DISASTROUS, since it is b Virtual over
throw of allathat branch eftra,ie on
which cor Southern cities SO largely
depend for their maiusenance and sup
port NeD Osleaasmust cboose bstwes,a
the uncertain advantages of a quarantine
and the certain deliberations Of her COM
msfeiaI future. q gE SLIT az kktt..E2 4
3isAgain, soIsum up the whole mat
ter, itisutterly impracticabIe. Is isnow
no longer time to discuss the question
of quarantine against yellow fever
which, though if practicabie, might not
prove protective TO a community. II
would require, as have before stated
to the committees, both local and gem
eral, Gordon of ships 80 close togeth
er as to touch each other from the Bay
Of Fundy to the Caribbean Sea to snf
icieutly bi0tect a city from the inroads
of Infection, for the passage ,ef one
vessel is enough to infect continent
and this being tile case, my own expe
rience is that ships will And some
aCksre il there us yellow fever aboard
and there are a0t forces enough nor
tinets enough ut the disposal of the
government to, carry out perfect,
and hence a practicable quarantine
4. II is emphatically nnscientitic. L
resembles from scientific standpoint
two tl.ins -loelsiug thels loar sitter Til
horse is gone And putting salt Oh tlls
birds tail to catch him. -
While yellow fever may ofigiDall
have been an exotic itis now no long
er so. Uuler the modifying exserpa
conditions to which germs are subject
ed they become changed IN their ma
ture to snch an extent that they ca
live and speculate or fructify wher
originally they persisted at the frs
touch of the unnatural element aroun,
them. This is a process so plainly un
derstood by every one who knows any
thing whatever of the influences whicl
modify the development of life in gen
erai that it ia not necessary to fnrthe
discuss it. Yellow fever has thus t.
all intents and purposes become indi
geuous to our country, and csu, n
more be Guaranteed against than TIL
winds. 90 .g. +,
There is scarcely q time id the his
tory of New Orleans when yellow fe
YER did not exist. You may callit il
yonr mortuary reports a,alariat tsuery-
it smells sweeter, by that name-bu
there is very striking family resem
blance between your So called malari
al aud the simon pure yellow fever o
the epidemic. Under proper ,externa
conditions it will burst out into th
full bloom typkas icterodes the yelloS
fever Of the South. y" .H@a s9
With all these facts before as, wout
it not be we'll to stop the disgracefu
prattle among mem bera Of the medica
profession upon questions 80 vital
connected with the great interests Q
our citiesa
A measure of such magnitude as thi
ought never to be set on foot withOu
considering whetheror net the remed
mar not DO worse than the disease
That aaarautiue has appaEently prov
ed effectual in some towns, establishe
nothing, unless it can also be prove
why it was that adjoining places, nc
Guaranteed, but throwing open thei
gates to the stricken people, also es
capped. The arbitrary interference. {
boards of health should, therefore, b
well restrained, seeing the vast issue
involved; and if there is any weigh
of evidence in excess on either side,
goes against the establishments OF q ga
tional quarantine. ..g.