The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-09-18
YELLOW FEVER IN THE SOUTH

] Gr>uluDuh were sent bIoadthNti ana inc Nhllil
| responded with liberal donations Of money sup
| plies, nurses and physicians.
| Congress was also appealed to, and a National
| Board oflIcI,th was organized Of the best santa.
/ rlaus and most eminent members OF the medical
| profession. Although created during the hight oi
! the epidemic ~ action was prompt and decisive,
and when the disease reapponrcl the following
| year panic was prevented, shotgun qunautinca
were suppressed travel and tnnic were practically
uuimpcdcd, and the infested territory was dealt
with systematically aud efficiently ON the best
| APP royed line Of sanitary science.
The National Board wGs a non partisan body aul
had no political status ITS executive officers man.
aged 10 make enemies among those who were poll.
ticlhns only aud political bureau In the Treasury
| Department was not slow 10 take advantage ol the
cnmity thus created. The natural insult followed.
4 sanitary organization, which was without "a ryrl
| IN the civilized world In point OF scientific attain.
/ mcnr aud IN the record Of work actually nCcum.
| pli,hcd. was superseded by this political bureau
the Marine Hospital Service aud one scandal after
another has followed the change until the present
| elimination In an unchecked epidemic, the seeds
| OF which were allowed 10 smnlder untouched, oil.
though recognized during the whole Of last winter
Now Congress makes an appropriation Of 800,
90 IN addition to Nil the other hundreds of thou.
snuds squandorud by this service, and the state
boards Of Health nro clamuring for competent
sHnitufinn 10 be- put Mt the head OF ainir. Ihc up
preparation and the clamor are much vs. though
n civ Council should buy engines aud organize ID
Fire Department after cOnllagmuun had reached
| L. hight
The time 10 arrest Rn epidemic Of yellow fever
| il before Il begins Tho way 10 do II /, through
the enforcement Of sanitary measures such ~ re.
deemed Memphis under the supervision OF the nd.
| tlonnl Board Of Health Tho duty Of Congrc" Is
a. ~ establish that OF some similar organization,
| Tree nom the faint OF politics and COMPOSED ol
mcn who know something ui sanitary matters
Chicago Nrlw.
II anything was needed to verify the
statements made In the above editorial
from the pen OF that accomplished santa
rian, DR.. +. w. Reilly, 1t rs the question
able news that comes to us from Decatur
tonight Of another death there from yellow
fever and the reported death by that hor-
riblc disease Of an unfortunate refugee
from that city at Wildwood, ten miles from
/ Chattanooga. With the National Board
OF Health, as II was organized with Dr.
Cabblc at lis head and Dr. Billings one Of
the most accomplished ol living scientists,
and many other able sanillrians as CO..
ndjustors, such a ftato OF things ~ prevails
all over the South today would be- impos.
siblc-thc State health authorities re-.
gurding each the other with suspicion,
each Of the municipal health authorities
acting ~ II they doubted the ycncily one OF
the other, aud general feeling OF
uncasincss prevailing among the people,
many Of whom are ouispokcn as TO their
contcmp, OF the physicianA Who disgrace
| aud degrade their profession Wy their con
icsts over suppositiuus or real cases Of vel
low foyer, holding auiopsics and discuss
ing symptoms rs II tho disease had
developed this year and In this country
for the frsi time. Then there Is the stupid
acknowledgement at Jacksonville, where
people were allowed 20 remain ~ 80 much
food for the fever, instead II being driven
out 10 camps, u necessary ut the point
Of the bayonct But WORSE than all,
thcrc were the bouliUs AMI the firing
Of cannon, IN the face Of the written cx,
pcricuccs oiihc whole Mississippi Valley In
1873, that year OF HORRORS, the scars oI
which ave still visible In thousands o
homes Nothing 20 fully proves 90,
dcspiciblc, aud sometimes infamous
reach Of thc more politician ~ IN,
reduction O. nulliiy Of tho National
Board oi Health, 20 well organized,
~ well equipped, 80 capable aud M
thorough a. il proved itself In 1879. To-
day iis efficiency would have saved the
country irom the shame that must man'cl
the face Of every intelligent citizen - be-
thinks Of the ranicky feeling that prevails
anil the fear, dread aud apprehension that
sit in every household from Texas TO Wiz
rinia. and oven In New York City. lest IN,
yellow ic,cr be introduced by a fleeing
refugee aud prevail ~ m epidemic before
trust sets In. Tho National Goard would
have stood rs a barrier 10 the sprcai
Of the dreaded disease, and would
thus have impaired confidence and
prevented the injury 10 business
that Is already everywhere through
ont the South confessed Prontng by thi,
experience NJ discrcdiiablc 10 the ordinary
gumplion and sagacity Of the American
people the southern members Of Congrcs.
should be- requested either 10 royivc the
National Doarl VI Health hy proper ap
preparation, OF olso create bureau %
Health la connection with the Trcasur,
Department. 90 act under the imm
cdialc direction Of the Sccrctar,
with the consent oi the President
some legislation Of this sort mus
bc hal. The people must b. protected
against the introduction Of epidemic dis.
eases In future their health, lives an,
property demand It and they must be- pro
tccicd against the folly that IL being on
acled by men Who arr, many Of them
utterly incompetent by training. intention
mental direction o. purpos, or by sym
patty or intelligence, TO hll places OF
. / 4. Il n