Telegram-herald., 1891-11-30
GIYES HIN A POINTER
Secretary Baker TeIls Canadian
CMelzl
Iov 10 HlyDIE HElLTH llT1ERS
Ia . Lsstsr That shove spank aaa
Naaiy Amssse~s rssrissism-6sa-
sra1 Ssss Exsa 1hs Tee
YsasAsa4ar.

By Or. Bryce or the Provincial board
OF health IL 10 a. follows:
To Peter H. Bryce. "a. D., secretary
-'roviDcl2l board Of health, Toronto,
Ontario Dear Decor: Your circular
letter OF Nov. IS - before me, stating
reasons Why you have not not ned the
dHersas state boards concerning the
presence OF small -pox IN Ontario, ss re-
quired by agreement For this accept
nay thanks Permit ue 10 suggest, how
ever, that your communication con-
tains more tnan % required by the
agreement of the conference, or by the
present circumstances. | do not un-
dsFsiznd that you are specially called
upon or competent 30 advise all the
stale boards ia the United states sni
neign6Urng countries ~ u Just waat
d o1id be the action or the Michigan
stale board OF health or Of It's secretary
IN dealing " Ia the interests Of life anu
health OF cltizens under is care. in this
particular case or in any case. My tel
egram to you before our action was
taken IN this instance asked you 10 ad-
wise thls Office ON tlis. subject; you did
ADVICE WAS duly weighed, as was also
other aovices. and action has been
taken- Permit me 10 suggest that your
circular is late, is addressed To too
many persons, aud contains appeal
ances Cf great desire 10 favor railroad
companies, out not SO great concern for
the safety of liEe and health IN Mich
igan or states west or u.s.
A Model Action Discussed.
You cite as model the action or
non-actlon OF the Ontario board OF
health IN lsSS, when "hundreds Of
caseso of smallpox existed in Buffalo and
vicinity, this b1agd deemed II necessary
To have only one inspector esatoned IN
buffalo TO keep t informed of the
measures which were being taken by
the health authorities there for stamp
ang cut the disease, and 10 keep local
boards along the border on the alert
for any eases that might pass over the
river" The result seems TO have been
"nfty-lour cases of smallpox with three
deaths IN Ontario" Where does the
responsibility rest for those cases and
deaths? Would not thorough inspec-
ton service between Buffalo and Onta-
ITO have prevented them?
Michixas's smallpox Cases.
The sixty cases and seven deaths in
Michigan IN 1883. referred TO by you,
mostly resulted from the introduction
Of . case Of var oloid from Dakota, in
. way against which 1t 10 not probable
that any inspection could have been
etfeeuye. But il 10 possible that . thor
0ugh ihspectlon serve, between Onta-
TO and MIchissn nlgnt have prevented
few of the cases IN Michigan in 1888
eleven cases and two deaths 1T Ian.
sng we're alleged 70 have resulted from
"JAmss Rowe coming from Sarnia,
Canada" Two of the other outbreaks
were reported ss having come from the
same source. Il 10 now too late to
remedy this, but perhaps It il not too
late 10 stop . repetition. While you
are Ia error IN supposing that the two
cases of varioloid returned 10 Canada
November IL we're the basis of the ac-
tion for inspection, the health officer at
Port Huron is positive that they were
not measles. but varioloid, one OF them
having twenty or thirty pustules on
the fsce-with "matter under the
scabs."
Not . scheme For the Railways
did not understand that the agree
ncnt Tor inter-stste notifie asIon OF dan
gerous diseases was eatresy or mainly
An the interest oil railroads and travel,
rs you seem to imply. My belief is
that it was and ls designed mainly IN
the interests of public health.
Your argument tased upon the dis
tAnce from Quebec to the western
states must have been intended for the
uninformed public" because, IN COM
m on with all sanitarians. you must
lnow that the two weeks period OF in
euoation Of smallpox 10 long enough
for an emigraEt exposed in Hamburg
20 cross the ocean and go thousand
miles into this country IN time to spread
the disease nj his destination. In your
circular 10 . statement by . railway
manager that IAN Inspection against
this at Windsor would be very ike .
Canadian inspection IN Detroit against
. disease prevailing on the Gulf Of Mex
ico." This seems to me either to ig-
mere the fact OF the tue of immigration
into Michigan and the Northwest
through Port Huron and Detroit, or to
he based upon ignorance CT the fact
that there - not . great rush OF emf
grants from the Gulf of Mexico into
Ontario by way of Detroit.
Smallpox IL not the only disease (nor
the oEe which should be most feared in
Mieniganl that q brought into Michi-
gan and the Nor h hwestern Ssates by
enigrsnts- We need an inspection of
esnigrants NJ Port Huren and ut Detroit,
for reasons which nave not vet had
time to explain to you. and which. If
yen will EXERCISE your usual good sense.
you viii appreciate, when they snail be
placed before you. Very respectfully.
HgNRx H. EkxER