Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-12-01
The Annual Report OF the q. 3
Marine Hospital Service
for ISS3.

We are in receipt of the compre-
hensive and able Annual Report Of the
Surgeon General Of the United States
Marine Hospital Service for the fiscal
year ending July 10, 1888, and an in
cluded appendix on the yellow fever
cpl Jennie Of 1882, and report on the
sanitary condition Of Vera Cruz.
1t is very gratifying to observe the
efficient and economical management
Of this important bureau, having the
responsibility of the medical and ny
gienic condition Of the Revenue, Ma
fine, Coast Survey, Life Saving Ser
vice and Merchant Marine, and treat
ing during the fiscal year 1919 pa
tients at a total cost Of 434, 525 %,
treatment in hospital having been
given for 327 ,3l2 days COpious sta
tistical tables, both financial and med
ical, and numerous reports OF rare
casesin practice, and OF autopsies,
commend the volume to physicians.
The most interesting portion Of the
work to this community is that relat'
ing to national quarantine. And Sur
geon General Hamilton's key note that
"a national quarantine system is a
necessity-not such quarantine as
would in any measure interfere with
or cripple the local quarantine estab-
lishments, but one that would efh-
GENTLY supplement them" will ind a
responsive echo from every local and
State Board of health in the counN
try.
The limitation Of the epidemic OF
1892 in the Texas border counties, and
the prevention Of the introduction OF
yellow fever daring this past season,
DR.. Hamilton very justly attributes to
the execution Of the above mentioned
policy by his service.
DR.. Hamilton in repeating the con-
illusions of the late Surgeon General
Woodwork urges that, in accordance
Herewith, the continuance Of eur
commercial relations with Vera Cruz,
Havana, aud such other cities on the
Gulf Of Mexico as may be the devol>
oping centers for yellow fever, depend
upon the cleanliness and sanitary con-
dition Of the ports He questions
whether commerce with these ports
Compensatos for the pecuniary dam
age sustained, without considering the
loss Of life resulting from frequent
epidemics. He summarizes preventive
measures in six words: Municipal
cleanliness, isolation hospitals, nav
tional quarantiues."
That these have been proved in the
history Of yellow fever to be the
proper methods, we can show by re-
ferring TO those seaport cities Of the
Eastern States which in the early part
Of this century were afflicted by cpl
denies and have since escaped, as in
our opinion Memphis will, by the ex,
ereise Of municipal sanitation.
The advantage Of isolation hOspi.
tails was shown in Texas in 1882 and
in the navy yard near Pensacola in
1883, where Gordon sanitaire con-
yerted, it might be said, large terri
tories into isolation hospitals, aud the
disease did not appear beyond the
lines.
National quarantine complementary
to those Of the State we have long ad-
vocated.
Pertinent to the steamboat inspec.
tons on the Mississippi river, we
would quote: unless tie railroads
yerswatcbed with equal care, guards
ing steamboats, alone would prove Of
only partial value 10 srresting an ints-
riOr epidemic"
We have, ab initio sustained the
Marine Hospital Service, and we think
that that the results have justified our
presage. During this past summer
yellow fever gained foOthold on the
naval reservation at Pensaeola-a city
which has suffered severely from that
pestileDee-but through the active
and persistent Efforts Of this service
not one case appeared IL the city. Not
; cent Of expense has been eniailed
upon the already over burdeBed mer-
chant marine Of our country. There
Is no supsrhaous bureau. In time Of
Danger the machinery, well regulated
.nd disciplined, is at hand, it, main
tenance involving no extra expsndi-
.ure BY the government. We can only
larther urge that Congress continue
the authority over quarantine in the
bureau in which it now exists