The Evening critic., 1884-12-10

tuo COnltEeuCct Us hthtou IN YeBIef0ay q
CRITIC, is for tho purpose OF considering mat.
tiers pertaining 10 the sanitary condition OF
this country and TO recommend to Congress
future leEislstIon on tho subject OF prevention
OF contagious diseases.
THE Hon. Erastus Brooks, OF New York, called
the meeting TO order, aud the secretary, DR.. j..
81. Mccormick, OF Kentucky, road tho call un.
der which tho conference asss mbled. Mr..
Brooks then delivered his address, reviewing
the objects and purposes OF tho convention
and the causes which h al necessitated It. The
full text OF his address was as follows
Gentlemen Of me Heaith boards Of he United
States, and an here rho represent me ht1hh Of
The ptOpi6:
Tho publicity which has been given to the
present assembly makes IL Unnecessary to an-
nOunco tho object OF this meeting. We are 10
70 the country at large, to the States which we
represent, and to every Inhabited locality
OF our respective Commemorative. Report,
are invited and expected OF tho sanitary CON
dition Of, and operations In, the territory aud
among the people from whom We come; aud
beyond THE, and as the most important sani
tary question now before the country, wo are
10 consider and discuss, and, IL possible
secure moro attention In, tho form OF possible
prevention OF the apprehended and generally
expected appearances OF cholera In the United
1885.
The record OF mortality caused by cholera
even In the past few months is most startling,
and tho fact shows that the scourgo prevailed
to the greatest extent where thousands of lives
could have been saved by proper preparations
TO meet the disease.
November numbered 1d,929 deaths, aud In
previous record out OF 10, 1872 cases there were
$500 deaths from summer time to October.
The disease camo upon the city OF Paris last
month not without warning but in the seem.
ing belief that the city would not be visited.
With whole season or the prevalence Of the
disease in Italy, Paris aud London neglected
to improve the wretched condition OF the worst
portions Of the two cities. The negligence In
Parie, with the river Seine reeking with filth
ana many OF tho crowded thoroughfares in
like condition, presents that kind OF criminal
conduct which not only brings punish ment
upon the ignorant and the Innocent, but great
mortality and expense upon whole communi.
lies OF people. Where there were many cases
OF cholera in Paris In June and July thero
was not even feeble preparation to meet the
disease until November, when 1t reappeared
and came like n thief In the night. No one
seemed 10 expect Its coming.
over $4,000 deaths were reported from
cholern In the city OF New Orleans from 1892
TO 1856, inclusive. With oil the cemeteries
much too small for the victims the dead were
dumped by carloads into hastily prepared
and shallow trenches. The city was then
without drainage, and the sewage OF miles
upon miles OF streets was covered with Nth
placed upon an alluvial soil. Thanks to State
and local health boards, and q more healthy
public opinion, New Orleans is now probably
as well prepared TO meet tho cholera as per-
haps any OF our large Eastern cities.
The masses OF people, and even educated
people, are not well informed In regard TO the
germs OF disease in the human body, in the
coil we trod and In the air we breathe, but we
all know what filth lie, and that 1t eau DO re-
moved from our persons and houses, from our
streets and streams which, as in the Seine aud
the Thames and in places nearer home, arc
simply sources OF corruption.
Whether cholera comes or does not come to
stsy Ia the nrstQr second epidemic, or whether
or not, or is communicated by persons, bed
ding, beds, travel on land or by ships from
abroad, or originates In Offensive manure
heaps, dust or dir, are secondary questions TO
tho absolute necessity OF using all the me ans
In human power TO meet the disease. Every
man and woman at home, In workshops, Ia
stores, every official and especially tho 80 en-
gagged in health work ought to be SAINT ,rian.
feriDg, frequent Investigations and progress
sive science, what is possible and the possible
should be practical.
The experience OF the past In the Visitation
OF Asiatlc cholera, both In Europe and the
United States, extends over nifty years OF time.
The disease has ceased TO DO mystery. We
now know that 1t grows in filth and grows
upon what II feeds, whether starting from
special germs, or otherwise. This cause OF
ofrense alone, apart from the threats or dan
ger OF the cholera, should be removed. This
is tangible, practical work.
As layman In the presence of skillful
physicians and sanitarians from oil parts OF
boards, communities, citizens and States TO
enforce that best element OF public safety
decent cleanliness In our dwellings, places OF
business, surroundings, and In every tangible
place. Peacefully II we can, foroibly II we
must, is In such questions the necessary law
Of government
medical men In limited numbers shall be
yearly summoned at Berlin from all parts Of
the empire, and remain there for two or three
weeks, to learn in O thorough course or study
n IN "A
fruits OF the later Investigations connected
with what medical specialists know as bac-
teriamicio organisms and cholera bacillus
These schools OF study are now In full prac
tice. Study and experience are absolutely
essential to this kind OF work, and II ia q ues
ton q public importaace In he work OF gen
ments can or ought to do to promote such IN.
| vestigations.
We may, for the time, In all practical work
| except as interesting questions OF Speculation
and science, forego discussions as 10 inmate
| rial points. Why the disease remained II
India for thousand years before Its move
| eia and elsewhere we cannot tell. 1t is enough
| TO know that means OF inter-communicati0n
| especially upon tho lines OF human inter
course, were frequent, and spread the disease
| Cholera has always been traced 20 tho coun
| tries and soils from which 1t came. 1t move
| by sea and land, and coming overland II usu
ally dies out II Il does not ind climate, sol
| and conditions that bids the disease TO paus,
| and remain. What we are TO do then is /,
| treat its possible visitation 10 our shores by
| land or sea as O public enemy. Its usua
| entrance Ia upon ehipboRrd.
In this way It first came from the Baltic ant
| Hamburg to England and from Montreal &c
| quebec and the st. Lawrence, and later on 4
descended the mississippi to New Orleans, bu
\ II first reached the Pacific by emigrants NOV
| Ing overland from st. Louis TO San Francisco
| and again IL reached Germany and England Il
/ vessels from the Black Sea. In all vlsitatlOni
| abroad and at home for more than nfty year
| two facts have been apparent First, the Ger
| tainfy that cholera, with rare exceptions
/ spares neither climate nor country, and, sec
ondly, that It's forces OF OWL arc great or smal
as the country It visits "a prepared TO resist III
| ravages. It's result In Paris recalls the fac
| that In 1882 France was spared until tn
| plague came % RUSSIA, Poland aud England
| but when II reached Paris IN March OF tina
| year II seemed TO take no step backward, anI
| $4,000 persons died there In the month q
| April. In Tune larger number died, and 1
Blk months In Europe, especially IN France,
me published reports, which seem 60 be IN
credible, are correct, the victims numbered
million OF people In reports OF cases OF deatht
while these facts IN the past may not no I'm
porthnt In an assembly composed cntafiy o
members OF American State Boards Of Health
they are al least OF such public interest as 3
warrant the attention OF the two Houses 0
Congress 10 the dangers which surround tn
country.
We regret In this view Of the subject t, rea
the statement OF DR.. Hamilton % Supervise
General OF tho Marine Hospital made far 4
advance OF the present meeting OF this confer
ence, mat "the Health Boards now and hor
In session In Washington, SAID all there was /
Say AT ~ LoulsV We also regret DR.. Hamll
tons statament that tue more recent contei
ence OF "sanitarlans In New York city doGide
that they wanted no more governmental al,
than IL now being provided"
such WAS not the Judgment, conclusions, Q
record OF eithor OF the two bodies IN session a
~. Louis in the month OF October, nor was
the judgment Of the conference or sanltarian