New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-05-31
HEALTH OFFICER SMITHS REPORT.
WORK DONE AT QUARANTINE IN 1soo-soME
RECoMMENDATIo Ns.

RECOMMENDATIONS.
| Health offcer Smiths annual report, which was
submitted 10 the Quarantine Commissioners yesterday
shows that 5,75S vessels from foreign ports arrived
at the New York Quarantine and were Inspected during
the year ending December 30, 1900 This Is 1so
more than arrived during 1880. Between April 80
and November l. $780, 1,s42 vessels arrived and were
inspected, from domestic ports south Of Cape Hen
lopen-1O1 more than during the same period
Of the preceding year. No less than 371 500 steerage
passengers we're examined, an excess OF 56,336 over
1889.
The least number inspected during the incumbency
OF the present Health Officer was 30091e, In 1886:
the greatest was 476,O96, in 1882. The total num-
Der of storage passengers inspected during the present
Health officers administration Ito January 1, 1S0l).
Is 4o1O,4OO, being average annually OF 364,5ol
The number Of developed cases on board vessels on
arrival at Quarantine Of those diseases that were
formerly the only subject to quarantine at the
port Of New York, 10 wit smallpox, yellow fever
cholera and typhus fever has been less than In any
year since the great tide Of immigration In 1880 began
10 enter the port Of New-Yorf The number Of cases
of the diseases that are subject to sanitary regulations
at the NewYo Quarantine which were discovered
on vessels arriving at the port of New-York during
the year was 100. The number of persons removed
from vessels to Hoffman and Swinburne Islands lot
observation during 1890 was 1888
OF the various pestential diseases the report has
this 10 say
Cholera has invaded various countries during the hse
year. and numbered its victims by tens of thousands
This dread pestence still fingers In several countries
with shipping merchants have frequent inter-
course vigant supervision at our guarantees OF YES
sells from ports infected countries will be as nee
essary It hos been in the past No case
OF typhus foyer found among immigrants since
my last report In Of Jonas Papisz passenger
on the steamship Rhynsnd the did not develop until
after the man landed In New York Dphthera and scar
latina been the most frequent OF the contagious us
eases found among immigrants These diseases parucu'
larry the former victims In city and country
than all contagious diseases And yet there Is much
greater indifference the proper care and Isolation Of
these the part OF medical officers than tnere Il
10 which scarcely more contagious or ial III
their result II has been the earnest effort OF the Health
officer and his deputies impress upon the surgeons Of
passenger necessity of exercising the same
vigilance In the and isolation Of these cases as
in those Of smallpox.
In 1881 an attempt was induce the Transatlantic
steamship companies TO make obligatory on In
rdn STORAGE messengers vaccnated before they
embarked This several Of the lines reported that they
had attempted do through their soliciting agents IN inc
different European countries The effort however DID not
succeed IN the extent desired That 1t did materially
lessen the number developed Of smallpox among
Immigrants Is evident from fact that In the year 1881
there were seyentyeght cases OF smallpox on passenger
vessels arriving Quarantine and during the six months
next succeeding this effort to secure the vaccination OF
intending immigrants there was not case OF developed
smsIlpox on passenger vessels arriving at this port
OF yellow fever this IS SAID
Tho dsease has been very nfrequent on vessels from
ports subject that disease for several years pas ana
less so the past than In any during the present
Health Officers administration. In the first three years
Of my administration nftyseven cases OF yellow iever
wore received at Quarantine Hospital During the last
h-oe wears but eight have been admitted four OF
which were United States war vessels whose
r.o,le had contracted the disease at Portau- Erince
Havt Two other died on board such vessels at
Quarantine the three years past there have been
but four Of the disease found among the merchant
marine
DR. Smith holds that prosecutions for violations Of
the Quarantine laws should be provided for by act
of LEGISLATURE designating public prosecutor In the
County OF Richmond or New-York, and by the same
act II should be made the Health Officers duty TO re-
port to the public prosecutor all violations OF the
Quarantine law Under the present law" he says,
Z" the Health officer Is q saaried State officer 1t
should not be required expected that he will pursue
vioator of the law into the courts at his expense
II would be quite as reasonable to expect members Of
the CITY Board Of Health to employ attorney at
their expense to punish volators Of the sanitary
ordinances of the board, or that the heads of the
State departments should employ their own counsel
TO advise or vndicate their official acts"
The law requiring the Quarantine ship to be In the
Lower Bay, he thinks, should be repealed and the
occasion for its left 10 the Judgment OF the Health
Officer The completion Of the swinburne Island
Uospital makes the placing of the ship there useless
expense.
The receipts for the fiscal year ending April 10, $780,
that being the close Of the second year Of the law
which gave the Health officer salary instead Of the
fees collected for his services THIRTY fonr thou
and six hundred and sixtyone dollars and nnetysiX
cents 1894 601 90). This exceeds the receipts
OF the year previous by five hundred and twenty-on
dollars and slxty-nine cents (s5Z1 90.
Tho disbursements for the year mentioned were
thirty fonr thousand nine hundred and eighty three
dcIlirs and eight cents 1874 1913 05) This sum In
GUIDES the payment of the deficiency for the year
ending April 10. 1850, Of fourteen hundred and thirty
six dollars and nine cents @ 436 09) and is less than
the amount expended the previous by five hundred
and nlnety-t three dollars and twenty-eight cents
Ca5O3 2s) making actual balance for the year Of
eleven hundred and fourteen dollars and ninety seven
cents (Sl,l14 Oh; but by the payment OF the dc
dclency OF the fiscal year ending April 10, 1889, there
Is net deficiency 70 the year ending April 10
1870 OF three hundred and twenty dollars and
twelve cents 1891 12L
The improvements at Hoffman Island, which have
cost the State 1905. i ID 90 since May 8, 1888,
nearly finished. In closing his report Or. ST'th
sp@aks highly OF the services rendered by his assist
ants DR.. L. c. Skinner and DR.. A. W. Smith.