The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-06
The Surgeon General and His Critics

The Surgeon General and His Critics.
Surgeon General Hamilton's management
of the Jacksonville epidemic is being con
demned as well as praised In few news
papers he has been criticised very severely,
and his ability to grapple successfully with
the task he has in hand questioned There
is reason for thinking that those who find
the most fault with him have judged him
hastily, and without a full knowl-
edge OF all the facts upon which
they base their criticisms. 1t is worthy of
notice that he was sustained unanimously
at the Augusta conference. There were
men in that conference who, there is reason
to believe, were not prepossessed in his
favor before they met him, and who would
not have hesitated to differ with him if
they were satisfied that any course of
action he advised was not the most
| advisable one. They were convinced
that he knew what he was about and that
he was doing the best that could be done
under the circumstances.
The chief complaint against the surgeon
general appears to be that he will not per-
NIT refugees to leave Jacksonville without
undergoing ten DAYS detention in the
refugee camps. But where will they go?
O lily one place thus far has expressed
willingness to receive them. If they were
TO leave jacksonville without knowing
where they were going or what place would
receive them, they might be much worse off
than they are in the refugee camps. The
aim Of the surgeon general is to prevent the
fever from being carried from place to
place by refugees, and thus
making new foci of infection.
He desires to confine the fever
to Jacksonville. and he hopes to do that
without imposing any greater hardships
upon the people of that city than are abso-
lutely necessary.
1t is true that he might have given Jack
sonville notice couple of weeks ago that the
outlets of that city, except through the ref
ugee camps, would be closed after a certain
date but if he had done that il is probable
that very few would have taken advantage
of it, He would, however, have protected
himself against criticism.
Is is complained that the camps are not
satisfactory, although it is admitted that
they have been greatly improved within
=
that the camps were established hurriedly,
and with such material as was at hand 1t
must also not be forgotten that the taking
of people from a pague-stricken city into
camps, with the view of sending them to
healthy places after they have undergone
sufficient detention to show they are free
from infection, is an experiment, and that
there are many obstacles to be overcome.
There is another thing that must not be
forgotten. 1t is that the surgeon generals
powers and means are limited. He has to
keep within the strict letter of the law.
1t may be that he has made some mis-
takes 1t would be strange if he had not.
1t is quite certain, however, that he has
done what he has thought to be for the best,
and that those who have the interest of the
people of Jacksonville at heart, and who
sympathize with them deeply, and who,
also, are looking out for the interests of
communities which are i'll danger of being
infected, think he has done what is for the
best