The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-05-18

can lhykicis, Tho live il Boston and New
York anu ,Isshing,on City and army and
navy surgeons know sbou! yellow fever
except from what they read in the books'
They can, no doubt, tslk lesrnedly about
the habitat of the disease, and about sporules
aud mis.m and malaria, ETC., but it is well
establishe1 fact that the book theories are as
naught, and that it is only experience IN
handling the disease and in watching the
phases ard eccentricties that makes the
physicisn successful and intelligent yellow
f.ver practitioner and authority. Yet
eight of the eleven members
of This board live either in
New York, Boston or Washington City, some
of those living in Washington City being
army or navy surgeons, while another one Is
a professor at the university of Virgioia, the
other two living, one in New Orleans ard
no other 10 Memphis. These gentlemen are
sll, no doubt, lesrned, 10 the word goes, in
thar profession and are, beyond persdven-
turo intelligent. last year this national
board wes NJ war with the Louisiana state
board of health, every member of which was
an exper, in the pathology and the tres,inenl
of yellow fever. Why it was
folly TO presume that physicians
predicting in Boston, New York, Washing
ton City, or holding positions in the army or
navy of the United States, brought together
rs national board of health, would not
know more than any little state board of
health, ;would not be ssnhedrim OF ccncen'
trated medical lore and judgment, and the
temeri:y Of the physicians of the Louisiana
state board ia daring 10 differ with this
board, in daring to ssy tina they know wbst
yellow fever was and no" 10
trest it, was audacious in the
extreme, something unheard Of and
mo- strous. We read that DR.. Sangrado
denounced every physician as on empyric
and humbug who did not bleed his patit nts
70 exhaustion and drench them with hot
water. When the question Of the creation
of This National board Of health came up in
congress, i. was st;epuodsly opposed in bath
houses by several members thereof on the
ground that it would be Nh intelerenca with
the rights Of the states to regulate and coll
troll their own affairs, that 1t WAS but anothe!
step.towards the Capitalization ofpower in the
general government. We thought then and
think vel that this point WAS well taken, bu'
by that ,pecious argument apparently sup
ported by constitutional provision that the
federal government shall regulA.a and con'
troll all matters of commerce either foreign
or between the states, by means of which &c
many wrongs and iniquities nave been com
mitted, tho bill creating this board became
law, and as it is preilxei with the wore
"nationsl," every man is expected to bow tc
the board as though 1t WAS Geslers cap
and 10 who does not is traitor. The
troubl, with the times politically, Is the ten
dency to that word national AID all it signi-
fee. we even have national race courses
"nationsp base ball clubs, "nationsW steam
bost liaes, national" guards in the miiti
of the states and national" this AM
"natioAal" that I'D nauseGm. We expect t.
see come papers oharacieriziug tho resgna
ton of Mr.. Coukling MS q "naticnal" casm
ity, while others perhaps will speak of it a
4 "hs.icnap blessing. OF that affair, how
ever We have nothing TO say here w
think this na,ionsl board OF health an on
tircly unnecessary institution, 1t entails ~
expense upon the country that gives n
return. The states under the federal con.ti
tuition have the exclusive right +
regulate their own affairs, and the
are entirely capable of it. They can protec
the health snd Their lives Of thsir citizon
from epi]emics, inva.ions, quite rs eifacLual
IS any national bo,rd can do IT, and the pee
ple Of the states ara certainly more inleresle
in seeing thatit is dons than any nationa
board can be. Whenever the people of Te'
as think their coasts snl borders ought to b
qusrantined ihoy srs going TO qnarantln
them whether the ns ion.l beard SAYS nay {
yea. If they cannot got ANY Other kind the.
will establish the she, gun quarantine, II
/, most eilic.usi because tho mos
unreasonable and un;casoniEg Of all qusl
an,ines Nothing will stop people from SO
protection, and when men believe that II
health and the lives of their wives an
children, their mothers and sisters, as we
as their own, are endangered, and tina! qusl
anime will afford protection, they arc goir
to have quarantine. TIE thing then reso'v,
itself into matter of self protection, and Il
question of commerce and trade sinks in'
utter insignhcance Furthermore, this nj
tional board, with its proclsmsions, !
bulletins, its oracusr assertion
II. learned pronunciamentos begels scares Al
epidemic psnics, and create the very mi
chief that ough! not to bo created. 1t is I
doubt well enough that there should be
health bureau under the auspices and dire
ton of, the general government, for the &C
lection OF health, or rather of disease slali
Q tics, for tho dissemination Of tho sanlial
0 lagisl,,lon of tho states and discussions