New-York tribune., 1884-11-24
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
btatNffeFios of RAGS,
IMPORTANCE 90 fHH woRE=sof NECESSARY J"
OrEs FnH BAits,

IMPORTANCE OF THf woHK=s0f NECESSARY '"
OrEs Fnn BAits,
~ hs Editer o. fhs frtbH"~
SIgi Dr. \, o. VandeTp0ei has pup''aho"
letter relating lo thu importation at ioTesn rags u"'a
tho cholera epidemic abroad IA lst8' when ne ""1
Health Officer of this Port As this subject "a QUO =" W.
interest and Importance to this country al tho
tiue whom tho same terrible disease Il rife III frahuo
and other parts ~ Europe from which the als's H-I
titios of rags arr received the statements of IT.
poel may be accepted and lead tn wrong glhpI'ss''
public mind desire submit few re'narK- upo" "o
Dr. Vandcrpool makes tho astounding sa'"ho"' '
when he WAS the Health Oioer OF this Port he uisoooS
an order i,suel by the Treasury Department simr w
that now In force 10 prevent the admission oi res "
ported from foreign ports Infected with choor' i P
sonal re asons stated by him. which wore mere
opinion II il notorious. however. that cnoIers was m
troduced into this country when he was Health ohcer
ip sGG and whether not by means OF injected rags
tbrourh his neglect Of duty the public and violation
OF the Treasury order, Is an open question r ,bo
one f The reasons for decning follow the order Oi te
Ts,rr Dcnartmort that rags do not nd their way 10
commerce in lcSs than FROM inc thlc tY ny
gathered This ia true. for they are frequently
e. bis country from abroad IN less than thirty days atcr
they nre gathered is well known to the trao pu'
even admitting that foreign rags do not reach lns
r i'm less than one year three wears ater
they are gaihored II they were Originally ihecsea 49,
the germs cholera other infections Diseases Wiz
evidence ha- Vandcrpoel that the germs oi uhc'o
are destroyed By time ,,.o ncirc
he states also that all rags washed before nclng
bslcd which il Absurd as the fact il that not one Polu
OF rags million X washed before Doing ePPce i'
foreign ports to this country ,,,
He states further that all rags are compressed i % oo
Under heavy pressure. and that any effort 10 IunsaS
Them unless tho bales broken open and sc.tWr.u
over large area IN buildings specially erected ior nv
purpose would be useless am prepared to snow tho
me cal and sanitary profession that bale of rags now
ever soidy compressed, can be- thoroughly disheSt9a
in ten minutes, every portion OF the Daie
and thread of the being perineated with
positive disinfcctant, which fact has been ne
monstrated by tests satisfactory to eminent SCIENTIFIC
experts. ~, "A
II il well known that foreign rags are very often mixed
with filthy bedding old shirts and other articles OF wear
from hospitals and other sources. which must be hIeci
with the OF disease and IN when the germs o u
ease may he carried for indefinite period -,
would also state that no ono having any nlrcs, ~
was party To the petition regarding the importation OF
foreign rags said to have been signed by many ennent
medical gentlemen in this city, were any hgnhtues
TO that petition solicited by any one Interested III .nt
anparntus for the disnecton Of rags. believe lnu.
tat petition was circulated without the knowledge tt
snch an apparatus hal been invented. and nave no
doubt IL was done solely In the interest OF sanitary meas
urcs for the protection of public health -
Neic- York. Nov. 10. 1854. = MLbBEk iA"AN'