The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-27
rhe state Ro.rd OF Health pin.


The municipal authorities Of the seaport
cities of this state should give the bill, pro-
viding for state board OF health, that 10 now
pending in the legislature very serious con-
sideration. The bill confsrs extraordinary
powers upon the board which il is proposed
! to create. They are so great that unless
they should be exercised with great care and
excellent Judgment the commerce of the
seaDorts might be greatly injured, IL not
( practically ruined
/ For instance, the bill makes IL the duty Of
the health officer in the employ Of the board
/ to examine any reported case Of smallpox,
cholera or yellow fever, and if the report is
well founded it becomes the duty of the
state health officer to declare such infected
point to be in quarantine, and TO place suy
and all such restrictions upon ingress and
egress thsreat. as in bis Judgment. shall be
necessary TO prevent the spread OF the
disease in the infected locality. And 1t is
also made his duty when he shall have de-
olared any city, town or other place in
quarantine TO 80 control the people Of
the place in quarantine. and make such dis
position OF them as shall in his Judgment
lie necessary to protect them and prevent
the spread Of the disease.
Under this bill state health officer
would have the power to place a town in
quarantine if a case of an infectious or con-
tagious disease should make its appearance
within its limits, or should be brought
within its limits. even though there were no
grounds for arpreheDding an epidemic.
1t is apparent that TO place this city in
rvrfa Hw.
virtually to a suspension Of her commerce.
The announcement that she was under
quarantine regulations would cause the
most terrifying rumors TO be spread abroad.
Her trade would drop to almost nothing,
because merchants in the interior would
not accept merchandise that had been within
her limits, and no one would visit her. And
all this damage might be done although
there might be no danger OF an epidemic
and no possibility of harm coming to any
one IL business were done as usual
It may be said, OF course, that a state
health officer would not take such extreme
measures unless there was an epidemic of
an infectious or contagious disease or an i'm
mediate prospect of one, but who can say
what state health officer would do when
clothed with a little brief authority, par
ticularly if he happened not 20 be a man of
discretion and judgments Not knowing
just what he ought to DO aud being unable
to determine whether or not an epidemic
was probable he might deem 1t his duty to
those living outside of the place where a
case of cholera, or yellow fever or small
pox originated to take much greater pre-
cautions than the situation warranted.
The pending bill gives the state board
control of the shipping coming to Georgia
ports. The state would not bear the expense
of maintaining quarantine station. The
seaport cities would have to do that, but
they would have no voice in the manage.
ment of the stations. Men unacquainted
with the demands Of commercs might be
chosen to make and administer quarantine
regulations for the control Of shipping.
A bill creating state board OF health
aud defining its powers must be very care
fully framed. Otherwise, If it should be-
come a law, 1t might be productive of far
more harm than good.