The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-20

Quarantine, III the important and Interesting
subject Or The publication of ships from infee-
tious Diseases. III will he seen that nr. Van
dnrpoel takes strong ground against the three
proposed methnla pf snperheated steam. the
rafrignrating process aud tho process Of oSi-
dalton, claiming that they are not only ex
penslve and unnecessary, hut would cause All
obstructive quarantine, The letter Is as fol
lows.
QUARANTINE. January |, 1870.
Gen. James Mepuade. President Gommis-
atoners Quarantine!
The number of foreign ports nj which vel
low fever prevailed as MI epidemic during
the past season, together with its fatality IN
a portion Of our own country, oalled Tor un-
usual viaiianca on the part nf the sanitary
| authorities. Eo peraiatant haa been tho dis
eaae IL some uf these ports. ESPECIALLY those
of Hayti, that until now the arrival Of vesaela
having had the disease during the rhaaage or
bringing II to the port has boon almost u
weekly occurrences. Ntrat five voaaala AT
rived having hai yellow tayer either nj tho
foreign port, on the passage OF In auaral-
tina, Two hundred and iiity stS caHes arc re-.
ported "a having occurred 81 theaa vesseia.
Twenty nine cases II yellow foyer were at
Quarsniinn Hospital, af whom eleven dind.
There we're In addition twenty oaaea of inala
rial fever resembling yellow fever So much "a
IL render II injudteints to pasa them to the
olty. Few arrivals Of cases Of smallpox have
occurred seven In all. Tho medical lnEpnc-
ton Of enigranta when they go on hoard the
steamer before RalIing haa almost ieatrt yed
thia once prolific aatltua Ut lnteotion. The
constant preaenoe, then, ot yellow foyer NJ
acme ono uf Tho West india ports carIRra Ia
yearly occurrences At every port upon Utlr OK
tanaiva aeahoard.
THE HTTpa oF COMMERCE..
Tho noneaaitiea Of accustomed ~
mn Increasing atnam marine don1and Tho most
active iniprrllatga Of commodities, and that
il,n i3tprnata tF tho IHinnHl lhull ln CONTRA
yrna,I na llttln aa IL compatible with tho pub
lie aafety. To accomplish thia purpose and
et,ahlc auaI.ental yeaaela to return To com
marpa with tho least p0aalhlo delay, various
maaa,rra have been proposed, alI, Of coirso,
having IN vinw the destruction " tho luf"r-
tiola clnnont. Tho fact that this element has
40 far hcnn intanEihlr, and thatall hypothesis
for TIA destruction mual rHRt alone upon its
natural hiRtnIY and nndna of trnilatnisainu.
render NIL aiguoatinila more 81 losa expert
mentai 40 fat aa my ohservafton extends all
tho proposed methods with which tho papers
Of tine day have tontnnd FOL enlna limo past
Iaya been advanced hy gentlemen whose
knowledge Of tho ~RtihjeCt Iaa been mostly
hypothetical and who had never boon
brought IN oloen pthotl. ral rotations with
the ppcUltafitiaa nf vesEels, thnlr varied con
strnrtion. ana tho delicate relations Of com
merce aud TRADE with any particular locality.
The three meihala prominently urged. both
In the public prtnta and before Legislative
hmliea. arc frat, what is termed tho rotrig-
Grating uroenaa, second, that by aupathaatad
atoam; mud. third. that Of ecallag q vessel
and PUMPING III large quantities ~ air. SO
that by ~ process OF oxidation morbid ole
menta allouli 10 destroyed. IT. t. not my
purpnRa Ia diaruas the merits pf either of the
above proposed methods. For tho sake ~
argument | am willing ~ adnit That etther
might accomplish tho pnrposo proposed. but
must contend that. from n sanitary or COM
marcial ptantipaint, both ARC imnrArttGtbl0
and unnecessary. They ha ilnplh''leahle
both on tho grotndR or time ana cSponae.
A.-, ttnf thY, a. ttt .I ffN lI.lI N nj
thpao mt.,auroa Ia to facilitate tho return OF
scaaola 10 commerce.. AMI ynt, In u port with
tha volume OF commerce. Of Now York, "
would practically oraate ~ ol'attneuv" guar
antine,
IMPORTANT FACTORS.
In every branch II shipping And rnnmnrno
timo eutnia "a one OF tho most important lat
tors for Huncoas. 10 delay u %atcamahip tnr
alccraairo trips with It's enormous OK pendt-
lture Of maintenance IA practically To abolish
tho line. Now, what would he tho working Ut
either of tho above Rystema at thtS port
During tho greater part Of tho quarantine
aeaann there arc seldom lpsH than twenty OF
thirty veaaals diHGhRfginG ut the ennla time
under quarantine regulations. Tho uso OF
either III tho proposed mrthodR Cuntam piataR
apeoiaI apparatus aud trained mrll t. rtaco y
in the veaael ~ he purified. Under the lllpat
speedy application. to make tho work reil-
ahlo. thia wnald occupy n time OF two orthroe
I dnyR, and n further timo of two or tlrce days
! 10 render effective tho destruction OF the
germs. Iut IL single veaRel could h0 tfeatWd
at once. so that by the time the daily average
could be rendered available for or
safo to cone 10 this city tho whole season
would havo passed, II moiety OF tho vessels
+ having been reached. But oven II the tllnaby
constructing n number or freezing hunks
could ID lcaaened. another element quito M
Obstructive arises. that Of expense. The mar
: gin OF profit arising from Il single cargo from
The West indies IL relatively sinail. ana
!. the success OF tho is dependent, IN
n great measure, upon tho extent OF the port
charges. There Is Of necessity I'M additional
expense to n vessel dischhrging In quaranl-
tine from what would he were tho vessel nj
lowed to dock. Lighterago. stevedorinR.
! cpoporage, watchmsn, arc all Mt somewhat
, higher rates. and, II 10 these be added ~ m
pense inscparahle from such means of purilt-
cation, the aggregate would be 40 oilefotlS AZ
10 cause, iii reality, an obstructive dunran-
Z tine. | have not the data TO estimate the pre-
i else cost OF such proceeding, but II cannot tatl
4 short of from two hundred To three hundred
a dollars for each vessel, while 1t would require
! nil the means Of preliminary cleaning now III
use. Methods. therefore, which involve nd-
dltionnl delay and expense become Ms obstruc-
tive MS ii the vessel were subjected TO the ira
. dlttonaI period Of forty days. | have assumed
: In the remarks thus far that the reitlReratlng
! process would In all instances hc successful.
!, From quite an extended experiences in OBJ
: serving the varied construction OF vessels l
i entertain serious doubts upon the subject.
g IMrRACrlCABILITy DEMONSTRATED
The frames of vessels vary from eight to
2 twelve inches In depth, separate from each
other from one to eighteen inches. Besides
Il the outer sheathing there Is also An inner OF
@ thanking some two or three inches III thick
a ness. Nominally, there are inches cut on the
: under side or each frame at It's most de-
I pendent part, which would allow fluids to
: gravitate from every part OF the pump Well
In fact, 1t is the exception to find any provis.
a ion for ltmhel holes, SO that all the filth and
r fluids which accumulate between the frames
through the whole sides OF the vessel settles
tn the most dependent part on either side oil
the keelson. Ii is this part Of the vesseI
n where the infectious germ most probably &c,
4 cumulates, and consequently the part tc
d which the principal efforts for publication
" must b. directed. Unless the whole Of the
d inside planking were torn up, which IS practi'
d cally impossible, asitis copper bolted through
the timbers aud outside planking, forming z
d solid mass, no process Of refrigeration could
be effected ii tie timber interspaces. The