Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-05
AN INTERESTING PAPER.
The Maritime Sanitary service OF
Hhe United states and the Rels-
rTon. Of Nauonal and state An.
nhorfffea.

SEer1c1 S4llls - l--s N r. u NV AeANf
vas presented At the session Of the Ameri-
can Public Health Association on Friday
LAST, which viii Be read with great Interest;
ne act Of Congress approved March Sd,
iS-9. entitled An set % prevent the introduc-
ton Of infectious and contagious diseases INTO
The United States ard % establish NalaoraA
Beard Of Heslth. provides among other things
that the National Board shall give special st
t1ntion TO the subject Of quarantine. both uasri-
tine AM inland and especially IS 70 reEols-
tons which should b established between
State and local systems OF quarantine, End
national quarantine system
As az the period If the passage OF this law
guarantee in existence in this country, il IS
proper b infer IS follows.
/ That Congress did not regard State and
locsl systems Of Guarsntlne sdeqgare % nee re,
might arse in the prevention OF the iutroduc-
ton OF contagious and infectious diseases into
/ this c0unfry from foreign countries
That Congress contemplated the uilnate
| bIishreuf Of national quarantine system.
and that il Intended thsf such regulations
should be made between state ana local 81 $
/ tens Of quarantine and the national quarantine
/ system IS would secure hsruony OF actlon ansi
4 would give q complete al,d effective system or
/ quarantine 70 the United States The motive
/ 70 Congressional action upon this subject was.
undoubtedly. the great yellow fever ep,denl 5
1 OF ISIS Long before the regular session OF
4 Cor gress Of that year the popular agitAaNn OF
i preventive measures had become so aoeorn'ng
Il and intense thst the action Of the Nsflonai Leg.
Il stature was inevitable The prevention OF
Il future epidemics OF this peSfllence was no
1 longer matter Of mere local concern or local
i legislation. but was now suddenly lifted into
1 the realm Of national legislation
4 Although the great question OF preventive
measures against future ep5deu1icS took prece
dence Of al other subjects Congress did little
more during that short session tnsn coIeet IN
/ formation. through board nf experts as 8
basis OF legislation. and establish according 20
i ifs suggestion. q National Board or Heath ooiy
| TO Investigate causes Of disease, collect lnfor-
1 nation and advise the departments OF govern
ment on sanitary questions
/ One OF the subjects on which thesooard or ex-
perts reported quite fully was the organization
Of national quarantine system lt Is reason
| able 70 believe that the suggestions OF the
i board OF experts on this subject mac greet
1 weight with Congress and led 70 the INQUIRY as
70 the regulations which should be esfsoIlsned
| between State ard local systems OF quarantine
| and the national quarantine system
| During the extra session which followed the
! close OF the regular session. Congress ives
/ compelled by the pressure or puole sen
| timent TO deliberately re-exsmine the whole
| subject and make adequate provision 20 meet
| the contingency of the recurrence OF the epl-
| demic- The result Of its delibers tons vas the
| pssssge Of two additional acts In the first OF
| these acts. approved June ,. 1879 though no
| quarantine system Is proposed. provision Is
| made 20 meet defects in the existing systems.
| Of most important character The proylSlons
were amplihed By the set approved July ::
| fs7Q In furtherznce Of the same object of
| perfecting measures OF protection against the
| Introduction OF contagious or infectious ois.
! eases from foreign countries. Congress passed
! FONT resolution approved Msy Il 1850, su-
| thorizinz the President OF the United States
| To cal an international sanitary conference
| 10 meet AZ Washington. 70 which the several
| powers having jurisdiction OF POT . hEely % ne
| infected With yellow fever or cholera shall De
invited to send delegates. properly authorized,
| system o. notification IS 70 the sctusl sanitary
| condition Of ports and places under the Juris-
dictiOn Of such powers and OF vessels saling
| ne invitation OF the President, issued in pur-
/ suznce Of this resolution. was cordially re-
sp0nded 20 BY twenty eight nstionahties. The
conferences met on the 5th Of January, lsSl. at
/ Washington. and during session CT Two
| months discussed some OF the more important
questions relating 70 international sanitary CO.
/ operation There was great unanimity, OF
| opinion, and certain conclusions were DEN
/ nitely reached, which we feel authorized 70
1 consider a. practically adopted, and part OF
our national quarantine system
An examination OF the recent legislation OF
/ Congress shows that our quarantine system
Il has undergone some very remarkable changes
i within the last three years. II has. In TACT,
/ been 50 enlarged in It's scope, and in toe meth
/ DDS Of administration. as 70 have made state
| and local quarantine q branch OF a FAR
| more extended system OF operations. In
this larger capacity the development
/ OF cur sanitary maritime organic atlon
4
national State and municipal defenses against
/ foreign pestilence Of the most effective charac-
| ter II Is the purpose Of this paper to consider
/ somewhat in detail the bearing OF the recent
/ acts of Congress on our quarantine system,
/ ami thereby determine the regulations which
| should be, and. indeed, which have been es-
| tablished between State and local systems OF
| quarantine and national quarantine system.
| II must be promised that the term "quaran-
| tine" should no longer be employed to desig-
nate the newly developed system, or, II en-
| ployed, should be completely separated from
| It's derivitive meaning and receive new defini-
ton. It should no longer imply time. but
| should be general and convenient term for
| q department OF government devoted TO the
protection of the public health from the i'm
| portation Of contagious and infectious diseases.
| A better designation than quarantine would
| be The Maratime Sanitary Service" The
I duties of this service will no longer be the
| mere detention Of vessels, cargoes, passengers
/ and crews as a means Of preventing the intro
| duction OF CONTAGIOUS and Infectious diseases
/ into the United States; but under an enllgnIen-
| ed management 1t will ann 70 apply 70 snip
/ sanitation oil the resources OF sanitary knowi-
/ edge IN order TO render the great waterways
| Of commerce and travel free from danger TO
| life or health and TO prevent vessels from ever
| being the generators or carriers of Infection.
| In sketchiDg the several branches Of this ser
| vice IL will be convenisnt and pertinent 70 ex-
anime them ia the following order: !. Inter
| national cooperation. 2 1he collection and
| distribution of sanitary information Mari
| time rules and regulations. 4. Maritime SAM
/ tary inspections The sanitarE care Of YES
| sells arriving at the ports OF the United states
| g. Cooperation of national end State authori-
| ties T. The organization of new, and the
strengthening Of defective, guarantees.
I-RTERsATIosAL sAsITARY COOPERATION.
| Doubtless the greatest and most important
| advance made towards arresting the spread
| of the graver forms OF pesttential diseases
| has been in the cooperation or commercial
nations in uniform and wel-matured measures
| Of defense and protection. The civilized ma
/ tions OF the world are beginning to realize that
| contagious and infectious diseases are the com
mon foes OF mankind, and that their carriers,
| whether persons. goods, freight, cargoes or
vessels should be contraband OF quarantine
/ systems at all times and In all places. No
| commercial nation cJn Adequately protect
/ itself from the Invasion CT contagious or
| infectious diseases from other C )untrles with
| which it is in direct communication, without
| either applying restrictive measures upon its
| commerce and travel, or securing the co-opera-
| ton of other nations. This fact has come to
| be more and more realized in modern times
owing to the immense extension OF the COM
| merce of the world and the greatly increased
facilities and 3. read Of ocean and railway
| travel and traffic In several instances nation
alities have combined their Efforts ia well con-
| certed measures for mutual protection against
| the invasions of cholera aud the plague and
the result has has been most satisfactory.
10 this country it has proved practically inn
possible to enforce preventive measures
against The importation If yellow fever owing
to the failure, hitherto, to secure international
| cooperation.
Some of the most important features OF the
| law of Congress. approved June 2, 1879 were
| rendered null and void by the indifference in
| some cases and the actual hostility ia Others,
| of nations having intimate commercial rela-
| lions with the United States. Secretary Evarts
thus forcibIy stated the facts in memoran-
dunn transmitting the resolution Of Congress
! inviting commercial nations to a International
| Sanitary Conference. He says: This reso-
luton has its origin in the practical difficulties
which have been encountered in the admins
| tration Of the regulations and rules recon-
mended By sanitary experience and framed by
the legislation of the country TO the end OF pre-
| venting the introduction and spread OF yellow
| fever, cholera and other contagious or iBfec.
| tious diseases I'm the territory of the United
| States. The extensive prevalence or yellow
| fever in certain parts of this country during
| the past two years, and the almost continual
existence of the danger OF the introduction Of
stich contagious or infectious diseases as yellow
| fever and cholera by vessels coming to this
| country from infected ports abroad, gave rise
| To such legislative measures; but the difficulty
| in their application has been chiefly owing to
| the fact that in certain foreign ports where in
fectious or contagious diseases have existed. or
4 were supposed TO exist, the local
| authorities have shown some hesitation
as to co operating with the consular
| and M dicaf officers of the United
States Stat in carrying out regulations deemed es
senrial bv this government as a sanitary safe
oIlard. Moreover, in consequence OF the vague
I'd ,1ntrzlstworthy evidence obtainable in some
cas es as to the sanitary condition OF suspected
| foreign ports vessels coming thencelto the Uni
| tad States have, in some instances, as 1t has
| afterwards appeared been SUBJECTED 20 un-
necessary quarantine In the ports Of this coun-
| trv ON the other hand. vessels from non-in-
farted norra of the United States have been
compelied TO submit to like Unnecessary and