The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1879-01-08
State Sanitary Reform.


Gibson to the President Of the Ten
nessee Board of Health, DR.. J. D.
Plunket, published in the Amaertcan
Of Wednesday. concluded with an
important recommendation. After
mentioning favorably the general
quarantine, be says; .vs
eff it protects, well i; but if that line
should be broken by the enemys let us
have a quarantine of our own, which
will enable us to break connection by
rail or water with infected. or suspected
places beyond our limits. But, after
all, our strongest reliance is upon a
thorough system of sanitation. Let cit
les and. villages provide an abundant
supply of pure water, relieve damp soils
by sub-soiI drainage, carry the waste
to the hungry plant, and leave nothing
10. feed disease germs or attaint the pure
breath of heaven"
This subject has been before urged
upon the attention of the State and
of the Legislature by the medical
profession, who best understand the
subject. Gov. Porter has brought it
to the attention Of the law giVer.
and now circumstances have given
the lesson a fatal impress which
ought to have burned it deeply into
the minds of the people. Has this
been done. or shall we, thankful that
the danger is past with the rayages
of one year, blindly trust fate, the
Mahometan. and wait until smitten
again? The tendency to drop into
q fatal lethargy after a danger is
past is unfortunately not cured by
the fact that its recurrence may be
expected. We hope otherwise in
this case. The lesson has been
taught again and again. If there
was a hope that time would wear
out pestilence, the hope has been
dissipated by this last fatal year.
We know now that we must expect
epidemics in The future as in the
past, until we learn by science to
conquer them. With tbs. lessons Of
this year in the minds of the peo.
pie, we have every reason to believe
that liberal policy will be adopted.
The first point is the creation of
State Board Of Heath, with cooper
ative societies, amply sustained by
means, and endowed with powers
for the accomplishment Of the work.
The details of the system are to be
a matter of adjustment by the Leg
islature, and those best uniformed in
the work to be accomplished. and
the workings of similar boards else
where. The important point now is
the necessity for such work.
These terrible epidemics menace
our people. When and where they
will strike we cannot with certainty
know. We can only look back and
see that they have smitte1 our peo-
pie in the past. Judging from the
past we can only expect a recur-
renee of cholera. yellow fever and
no less terrible when we
consider the width Of ila ravages.
Aside from this it will not be doubt
e. that progressive science viii
mitigate and reduce the death rate
from ordinary diseases. The saving
to the State in ordinary diseases.
and the application Of 80 enIighten.
ed sanitation in ordinary times, will
be more than the amount expended,
to Say nothing of epidemics. In this
matter q niggardly policy will be q
fatal blunder, Economy is one OF
the cardinal virtues in government,
and the highest economy is that
which expends for the preservation
of the lives and health Of the peo-
pie. It Is opening spiles, but it is
stopping bungholes. We hope to
see the live medical men and citi-
zens who value progress coming up
solidly with al enlightened view Of
this subject and a demand for wise
and liberal measures. ample powers
and pecuniary assistance. States
around Us are not going to neglect
this matter II We do. They are
alive to health, immigration and pro.
gress, and if we stand still, Alabama
and Mississippi win pass on by Us,
Thav ara fniIV arousad