St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-07-20
QUARANTINE SYSTEMS.

QUARANTINE SYSTEMS.
The country hears much just now about
the matter Of quarantine against cholera. 1t
is affirmed by many scientific gentlemen
that perfect quarantine will protect an area
against the introduction of contagious dis
eases. If this be true of physical disorders,
why will it not apply equally well in other di-
rections? The Abyssinian monarchs, in the
"Happy Valley" described by Dr. Johnson,
really established a species of quarantine
against the world, against its evils, its per-
nicious knowledge, its unwarranted ambi-
tons, its greed for wealth, its inhumanity,
and all its wickedness.
The term quarantine strictly defined,
means only the prevention of the landing of
the passengers of vessel for forty days, but
it is growing into word of more compre
hensive meaning. tbs now applied to the
shutting of point against intercourse with
other points. The protection of IA locality by
closing 1t to access from other directions.
1t is usually applied to preventing the en-
trance of disease into place. Thus, the
cholera breaks out in some point on the
Mediterranean, and at once civilization is
sues proclamation establishing quarantine
against vessels from the infected point, and
its vicinity.
Now, a question of Importance is, cannot
this process of separation, of protection, be
extended in its application to moral diseases
as well as physical ones, and by due modif-
cation be rendered still more effective than
in its present form! AS to the matter of
modification, it would seem as if the present
method is clumsy and far from effective.
There is case of cholera at Toulon, on the
Mediterranean, and thereupon all civiliza-
ton proceeds to proclaim a, quarantine
against ships from that section. A thousand
ports are at once placed in preparation with
a view of meeting possible danger from
this single infected locality. Would itnot be
simpler, and much more effective is there
were an international health board which,
upon learning of the existence of cholera in
a locality, should at once proceed to erect
wall of some kind between the infected city,
and the rest of the worlds In other words,
would it not be far better for civilization to
isolate Toulon, to dam up the streams of in
lection at the fountain head than to permit
them to flow in thousand directions, and
then endeavor to stop them singly, as they
here and there reach u habitabe region9
1t is in this way that leprosy is treated in
regions where it exists. 1t is kept by itself,
and is prevented from extending beyond its
own limits. In great cities, there are scores
of evils which permeate everywhere, contain
mating whatever they touch, and thus rem
dering it impossible to bar their progress, or
protect the community against contagion.
Take prostitution as a case in point. 1t is
insidious. 1t penetrates in every direction.
It's existence is rarely suspected till its vic
tins are beyond remedy. Now, if civilizatio n
would isolate this moral scourge, how much
more easily would it be kept in bounds9 Sup
pose that there should be quarter of every
great city set apart for the residence of har-
lots, that there should be wall about it, and
egress from it impossible on the part of an
inmate, would not the result be beneficiall
1t would be a most profitable investment on
the part of any great city to incur the expense
of this form of quarantine, and envelop it
with policemen, and walls to protect the de-
cent world from contact with its deadly in
lection. Not only would such quarantine
prevent the spread of contagion, but it
would act benefcially in other directions.
There are many women who frequent the
debatable territory which separates chastity
from habitual harlotry. II such characters
could be acted on by moral board of health,
he, he fal- u, ba,, fba
symptoms of courtesanship, and be held in
quarantine till it was determined as to the
character of malady and then could be placed
in the walled Enclosure with the other
damned, or be set at liberty. Women who
would have to undergo this species of santa
ry supervision would be very likely to avoid
anything which would lead to an inspection
of their premises from the moral health Of
fee.
What would be wise is, that civilization
shall assume the aggressive against cholera,
variola, and contagious moral diseases of all
kinds. Now we are on the defensive. It is
as If there were den of rattlesnakes in a
community, whose inhabitants should each
surround his house with wire netting i'm
pervious to the reptiles instead of building a
high wall about the den thereby preventing
the egress of the deadly denizens. What is
needed to be done is to take contagious evils
at their point of development, and either
limit their progress, or at once stamp them
out. Suppose some single nation in Chris
tendon should hoist the black flag, and enter
upon war against all the others, would the
menaced nations confine the ir efforts to de-
Tending their own boundaries, or would they
unite, assume the aggressive, and drive the
offender back into his own limits and COM
pei him to remain therel In all cases, an
aggressive attitude by communities against
all forms of moral and physical contagion,
and which shall continue until the evil is
either confined completely and permanently
within its own limits, or is exterminated, is
the only preventive which win secure the
highest results.
Postage on the Globe.