The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-08
RU1NOUs INSANITY,

RU1NOUS INSANITY.
Under the head "a Crazy Lot" the New
Orleans Times Of yesterday morning prints
Wild and senseless attack upon the Board b
Health and those journals, especially TIL
DEMOCRAT, which In the conscientious dis
charge of their duty to the public have sus
tained and defended that body Referring te
the statement Of the DEMOCRAT that the shiI
souder. which brought the fever to New Or
leans last summer, passed the quarantine
under the provisions of the Kellogg law, and
that the quarantine officer was IN no measure
responsible the Times furiously exclaims:
Whit old Kellogg law does the DRNocRAT
/ mean2 Or does II mean anything except to
huri impreeations at random surely the
that the quarantine law under which the Board
any other than the one which was III existence a1 q
year l, ago. and ID. under the provisions II which
II + eessss sFHh e no Is 6e ss
less and go ignorant as all this. That paper
furiously charges, us with seeking to revive the
nj q hspgs lay nefa9y eaKas e reage n
effective with its readers. but certainly Tia
DEMOCRAT knows that 1t is q dodge mean
conscious of It's dleipgenuousness. The fact
s that the ld,r is exactly the came now as 1t
WAS a year ago.
The issues Involved In this discussion are
too grave and they too deeply concern the
trade and other interests Of this great city to
warrant us In replying to the Times In It's own
rude and Indecent style. Slang whanging
abifse may be admissible If not proper. In the
discussion Of ordinary political questions; but
when an Issue involving the whole CONNER
eial interest OF New Orleans, and the health.
happiness and lives of our own people and
those Of the great regions tributary to us
arises. common sense, facts and reason are
required.
When we said that the Emily b. Souder
was permitted to pass the quarantine station
under the Kellogg law with fever in It's in
cipient stage on board, that The law and
not the quarantine physician was to blame,
that the Board of Health was now acting
under an entirely different law and that 1t
was the solemn and imperative duty Of that
body to rigidly enforce the law III a manner
TO insure, as near as human vigilance can, q
perfect quarantine, we were perfectly correct.
After repeated experiments while, we believe
Dr.. White was president of the Board Of
Health, the efficacy Of dlsinfectants In destroy
was accepted and the law of 1876 passed |
That law authorized the passage of ships
rom Infected ports after fumigation and dis
Infection without any prescribed time Of de-
,ention. The Board Of Health was acting
lnder that law when the Souder was
to pass In 1878. The ship was
thoroughly fumigated and disinfected by
Dr.. Darlington: the crew was
mustered and inspected and there were no
lick among them. Subsequent to her pass
'ge to the city the cases of yellow fever de-
,eloped, and many Of our ablest physicians
relieve that from those cases originated the
Epidemic Of last year. We pronounce no
opinion on that point; when gentlemen who
lave devoted their lives to the study OF q pro-
ession, especially that Of medicine and though
u great learning, experience and integrity,
iifer on such a question. 1t ill-becomes lay
men to assume positive knowledge on the
subject, and 1t is only senseless OF designing
'cribblers such rs the Times editor who have
he audacity and impudence to pronounce
md attempt to dictate an absolute opinion
The experience OF 1878, If 1t did not abso.
utely disprove the efficacy of disinfeetants, ,
It least weakened the confidence of physi-
ians and the public In them; and hence the !,
'oard Of Health have ignored the act Of 1876,
nd In their wise and patriotic discretion are
citing under the act of 1856 which Is not In
ontllct with the Kellogg law, and )
hitch authorizes the Board to pre-
cTibe the time a vessel shall remain
l quarantine. The board determined to ; :
ave no means untried to protect the city. !,
ave resorted to both rigid quarantine and :
The present regulations adopted =
nder the authority of the act Or 1855. REQUIRE 4 '
etention of twenty days and also fumigation. =
Is these rigid measures of protection which
ave excited the Ire of certain class of peo- V
70 against the board; and It is thes,, rigid
leasures Of protection which will give the 4
outhwest confidence In our purpose to
rotect both the city and the interior
ON second pestiIenee. We ask
le people Of the interior to paw no
eed 70 this silly aud dangerous war upon
le Board of Health. They may rely upon q
that no system of intimidation, black
uardsm or bullyism will deter DIR. Chopin u
ad his associates on the board from the '
gid, fearless and faithful discharge Of their Y
uty The great body OF the commercial II
of New Orleans indorse the
eard. ana 1t possesses the confidence of the
reat mass Of the people of the city. The .
ltcry y loud, but 1t amounts to very little.
n
he COMMITTEE ON LIMITATIONS 1t
Inc report made TO the Convention on :