The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-05
CUTTING OUR OWN THROAT.

and is justly condemned by both law anu re-
ligion. And yet, iustQnow, New Orleans seems
determined to commit that criminal act. Per-
haps In no period Of the history Of the city
has there been so much need OF harmony and
cooperation among our people as there Is at
this juncture; but what Is the shameful spec
tacle we present to the country? We have
| Board OF Health, composed OF en-
inent physj clans Of long experience and
| lay citizens OF known probitY and
patriotism. This body, appointed by the
Governor and the City Council, has en-
| deavored vigiIantly and fearlessly to enforce
the quarantine lawsof the State, enacted by
the Legislature and approved by the Cover
nor.
In any other civilized community this zeal
in behalf of the public veal would command
the respect and commentator Of the public.
There might, indeed certainly there would be,
differences OF opinion rs to the wisdom OF the
laws; but without doubt vigilance and zeal In
| their enforcement would command general
respect Here, however, the case Is very diff
| ferent, and the Board OF Health In their eff
| forts to carry out the quarantine laws and
| fulfill their duties have met with q shower Of
abuse which is simply shameful; and this
abuse, without enbodying single argument,
has aroused public clafnor against the board,
which, to reasoning men, Is inexplicable.
while 1t is extremely detrimental to the city.
! Ii there were any positive proof that yellow
fever originated In New Orleans, or II there
were any proof that 1t cannot be excluded by
quarantine, the present law would be repealed
or any physician who would advocate Its en-
| hri eff Hnb RS
ton. But there Is no such proof, and there Is
rs high authority on one side Of the question
as there Is on the other.
| The late Dr. Dowlers very wisely said, In
substance, that all that we had learned about
yellow fever Is that we know nothing about
1t. Last year DR.. Choppin, In the Board of
Health, made substantially the same state
ment. Iii physicians In New Orleans will,
we have no doubt, concur In this proposition,
though upon almost every other one concern
ing the fever they may differ. II there is
any physician, scientist or sanitarian who
Is acquainted with any other positive fact
relative to this disease he will confer a
blessing upon humanity and immortalize
himself by announcing and proving It,.
But until we have such hlreveation the sense
less denunciations of oe trantine are out Of
place, and the warfaleev on the Board of
Health only serves to make New Orleans a
subject OF ridcule abrf M and an object Of
distrust TO the surrounding country.
There are many able ind distinguished
physicians and scientists who do not believe
that yellow fever has any connection with
| filth, and there are many journalists and
other thinking and observing men who be-
leve that the weight of evidence Is on the
side Of such physicians and scientists. 1t is a
well known fact that one OF the most fearful
4epidemfcs Of yellow. fever whifh ever visited
the earth prevailed among tue troops on the
Rock of Gibraltar. Another terrible yellow
fever epidemic scourged Governors Island
In the harbor of New York. Time and again
In this city, In Memphis and in other cities
visited by the pestilenee, 1t has first broken
out Ia the cleanest and most aristocratic local
tiles. SO general has this been the case, that
when the fever was devastating the towns
and cities OF Spain, celebrated Spanish
physician assumed that filth was q preventive
of the disease, and recommended that dead
dogs cats, etc. should be scattered through
the streets OF the scourged cities. During the
epidemic of 1878, the fever made Its appearance
| in some of the cleanest and most elevated
towns In the South. In short there is much
| evidence which tends to show that the yellow
fever Is an extremely aristocratie pestilence,
that 1t shuns filth and delights to disport
| itself In the cleanest and most elegant locali-
| ties and towns.
But Notwithstanding all these facts, 1t
would be the widest folly to depreciate the
work the Citizens Sanitary Association is
doing In this city. There Is much evidence
| to prove that yellow fever is not generated or
aggravated by filth, but the testimony Is by
no means conclusive, and even If the I'm
provement Of the sanitary condition OF the
city may not of itself prevent yellow fever,
it will unquestionably improve the general
health.
The same line OF argument may be used as
to quarantine. There Is high authority to
support 1t, and there Is high authority which
/ holds that it will not exclude yellow fever
and there is abundance OF facts to support
both sides of the question. But there is to a
thinking man no conclusive testimony on the
subject, and hence there is no reason or sense
| in the wholesale denunciation OF quarantine
and vilifcation Of its advocates and the Board
of Health.
Both the Board Of Health and the Sanitary
| Association have well served this city. The
determination Of the first to fully test the
efficiency of quarantine and of the latter to
thoroughly cleanse the city. early in the sea-
SOD, inspired confidence throughout the coun-
try, and for more than month prevented the
establishment Of interior guarantees against
/ New Orleans. Had itnot been for sensational
newspapers and sensational dispatches we dc
not believe that even now there would be any
guarantees against this city in the interior
The country placed Implicit reliance in the
Board and the Sanitary Association, and was
prepared to accept their statements and act
upon them. But the senseless war Instituted
against the Board Of Health, and especially
against its president. and the public elamor
raised about quarantine greatly weakened
| that ennfidpnan and when a few suoradfp cases