The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-24
THE IDEA AND ITS CARICATJREs.

IN nay IHSt 3iDHIIiUikfItt bIolDfStfl W give
the true history Of tho yellow fever epidemic
of 1854 in answer To t.le frequent quotations
OF the report OF the sanitary commission Az
pointed 1t that period to Investigate the ORR
gin and spread of the epidemic IL question,
which report was published by authority Of
the City Council Of NV 0rIe~is- Ihe op-
poneRts VI quarantine and kindred matter
have SO frequently referred tn tiat report III
support Of their ideas, that consider IT 81 IL
terest as well as Of Importance to investigate
that report thoroughly and compar' IT. STATE
ynents with the real facts Observed by others.
IA m eve witness, and euTerer IT that fearful
epidemic. ! consider myself fully competeht.
as the sequel will prove to record my opinion
In favor Of importation - well as OF the con
ta0lous and exportable character Of yellow
fever. and especially 80 of the epidemic In
question. 5@@5.@@ 5.a@.@nn. z..@5-
The unusually early appearance and malg
nancy of that epidemic, after entire freedom
from fever during the preceding year, and the
singular phenomena under which its first
cases appeared, render that epidemic espe-
cially highly interesting and available to
adjust opposite opinions and to reconcile
and pacify anirnosities which were engendered
in different quarters.
Among the most bitter, nnrelenting enc
mics and destroyers Of the human race we
have to record war famine and pestilence.
Devastating entire territories, destroying the
prosperity Of communities, eSterminating
whole families and CONFUSING the frame
work Of society, they have given rise to uni
versal fear and apprehension wherever they
appeared. The human intellect has in conse-
quence been aroused to search for means
to neutraze, to resist and to thwart their de-
vastating and sinister actions Though men
have not been wanting TO set up the dogma
that these mischevolIs agencies were the
signs ~ q benign providential bounty to ad-
vance progress and civilization, that good
was to follow evil, / need not assert that the
sanitary commission Of 1853 at least did not
belong to the latter class of religious fanatics,
but was earnestly endeavoring to secure our
future from the nroads OF pestlence. That
sanitary commission, to which was entrusted
the study Of the origin and spread Of the
epidemic Of yellow fever which swept over
five or six of the neighboring States, was
composed Of some Of the oldest, most expe-
rienced and best-intormed practitioners Of
our city. After sitting large collection Of
testimony Of scientific men and aymen and
OF most OF the prominent physicians within
our fever zOne the commission arrived st the
conclusion that though the importation Or the
fever had not been established, and it had
therefore tobe considered Indigenous. q native
OF the soil, they nevertheless recommended
to the Legislature Of the State the erection of
q strict quarantine.
In regard to the conclusion the sanitary
commission arrived at, in the absence Of a sys-
tematic, effective treatment Of the fever, to
recommend the next best thing, tfe establish
ing Of IN efficient quarantine, 1t did not make
much difference II the commission erred In
the origin Of the fever. Still 1t Is nevcrthe
less to be deplofed, since II would have saved
the commission great deal Of mental per
plexity and writing, and finally have spared
1t the blame OF a badly Conducted, detective
examination. 1t must BE- humliatng 10 think
that the establishing OF u single fact however
uniEnportant In itself, yet in reference
to the question Of the fever'S origin Of such
immense consequences, as To- overthrow all
further speculation. Wonld have insured the
commission against severe criticism The
commission often came near finding out the
truth, but often again truth slipped
through its fingers. Toverify the connecting
link between the Bremen ship Augusta on
which the first cases Of fever appeared, and
the Camboden Castle, the injected English
vessel, coming from Kingston, Jamaica,
could as easily have been established by it aS
by myself, but for the want Of some linguistic
attainment In fact, we may say the COM
mission failed I'll being unable to master u
little German, in order to inquire IL any of
the crew OF the Augusta had been on board Of
the Camboden Castle and at what time The
unhappy accident beside that the Cam 1Oden
Castle, neither ON her -oyage nor during her
stay here, had single person sick with the
fever, though she had lost her captain, mate
and six sailors Of the disease, while al King
ston, nor that any Of the gang (acclimated
negroes loading her became infected. hood
winked the commission completely 4@M@0
After many vici53itudes public opinion had
undergone, quarantine was finally established,
u,
quired, has in some respects even become
more stringent, extended and effective,
though to become successful institution
something more has yet to be done. Without
draconic laws it will never become operative
see 40 reason why the people of this coun
try should bear all the onIs Of protecting it.
self single handed and alone. Is il not
enough that il has to watch and be On its
guard to keep away from its shores the scum
and refuse of all nations the murderers and
cut-throat5 and thieves, often pardoned on
condition o. emigrating to America Must WE
also Pc the sentinel placed at our door to pre-
vent the outside world from sending besides
its crippled, contagious diseases. Let Con
gress pass It law that ships. in q foul coHdi-
ton, which means, coming fl Om an Infected
place where contagious diseases are prevail
ing at the time Of her departure, or having a
contagious disease on board, shall be forbid
den to enter any u the ports OF the United
States under the punishment Of such vessel
being cOntiseated, condemned burned or sunk
with the captain swinging at his own ships
yard-arrn III case ot carrying the virus OF yell
low fever in his vessel, an aggravation of
the crime, and, my word for it, we will have
seen the last case Ut yellow f.-rnr In our fair
land Leniency IN such \ case Il 4 crime, and |
rather one life sacrificed than exposing that
of thousands Of poor. Innocent people |
America IS productive; /. can spare Of
its riches: it is the mother of gseat and i'm /
portant INK entions, some Of which have revO- !
lutionized the arts and sciences, yet it repu-
dates with Indignation the paternity of pes
tilential diseases. Il We s!all feed
the worlds starving, We can ct least
demand this protection. We cannot I
afford to have the working classes, /
the cultyator5 Of our soil decimatat every
few years. W have to protect their lives, I
which ought tG be worth more than s.le few
dollars lost ia trade, and even If we had to
give no our coffee and exchange It for tie tea
OF the Mcngolisns. All else is produced %