Huntsville gazette., 1888-09-01
A NOVEL SUGGESTION.

| re'er Epidemic, Suggests that Fire is
the only Sure Death to the Fever Germs
The Question of Destroying Private
property Without Remuneration.
NEW York, Aug. 2S.-D. G. Amber,
| president of the National State Bank of
Florida and the head of the most pro1ni-
| nent banking-house in Jacksonville, is at
the Grand Hotel. His theory of origin of
| yellow fever epidemic and how it might
| have been prevented, of more than or
binary interest.
There have been some exaggerated
stories sent from Florida concerning the
| feyer," said Mr.. Amber Sunday night,
'and the statement that negroes in
| organized bands are breaking into stores
and dwellings is without foundation in
fact The white people would not tolerate
| such state OF affairs for twenty -four
hours. Business is, of course, affected,
| and people haveTbeen leaving the town by
secluded routes, but thus far credits
have not been affected to any
| alarming extent. The fever this
year | think directly traceable to
the failure to destroy all infected
clothes and infected buildings that spread
the disease in 1887. Experience has
shown that fumigation is valueless. The
germs of the disease can not be destroyed
by that means Whatever is infected
must be burned, thus completely de-
stroyed, and the people living in that dis
trlct understood this very thoroughly.
But just here is where the trouble comes
in. You can not destroy property espe-
cially the property of poor man, unless
you compensate him for his loss and
when you do not compensate him you Of
fer him an incentive for concealment.
Beds and bedding, even after being used
in his family during fever sickness,
represent certain value, and if his fam
lily has recovered, he sees no reason why
this property should be destroyed. The
appropriations made thus far by Con-
gress do not contemplate such payment.
The money is used for the maintenance
Of quarantine camps and kindred pur-
poses. 1t is to be deplored that in the dis
cussion of the important matter partisan
feeling should have been exhibited. Sem
ators Call and Pascoe, when the appro-
priation of 100000 came up for consider
alton the other day, were anxious to have
an amendments made to the bill prOvid
ing for the setting aside of a specific pOr
ton of this amount for the payment Of
damage arising from the destruction of
property under the direction Of the
health authorities. Surgeon General
Hamilton of the Marine corps took the
same view, and was anxious to see the
amendment pass, but it was defeated.
Although it is claimed that a part of the
money will be used for this purpose, the
bill goes to the Secretary of the Treasury
with the record of the aye and no vote at
tached to it.
''The fever this year originated in a
small ha1nlet-Manatee There are prob
ably fifteen houses in it. Twenty thou
sand, or perhaps ten thousand dollars
would have bought all Of them and all
they contained. Had they been swept out
of existence the fever would not have
spread over an area Of fifty miles as it
did. Placing a Gordon about town
amounts TO nothing 1t would take an
army to keep people isola ted. They will
not stand it, and if you undertake to
forcibly destroy their property and not
pay them damages, serious trouble is
bound to occur.
"As to the virulence Of the disease in
and about Jacksonville" continued Mr..
Amber, ~ want to say one thing, Peo-
pie who live fairly temperate lives do not
stand IN any great danger. Out Of eighty
cases there were eight deaths, and of
those eight four were perso
who were addicted to the excess
sive use Of alcoholic liquor and who ex-
posed themselves injudiciously. We will
have it all stamped out before October,
think, and if the plan of destroying the
germs by fire can be carried out vigor-
ously | think we can prevent recurrence
of the disease. This payment for dam
ages can not be done by the State nor by
the county. 1t must be done by the Fed
eral Government. 1t is to be greatly re-
GREETED that politics should in any way
have connection that affects the health
and consequent prosperity of o commun-
ity."