The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-09-14
GUARDING AGAINST CHOLERA.
What the State Board of Health Says
on the Subject.
Land Quarantine Cannot Be Depended
On-AbsoIute Cleanliness and Care
the Best Safeguards.

month OF August. 1t Will be found OF
especial interest at this time:
Mortality reports from 116 cities, towns,
villages and sanitary districts, having an
aggregate population of SIG, 793, give LOLA
deaths from all causes during August.
This corresponds to death rate of LII
per month, or Ass per annum.
There were 10 deaths due to consump-
ton, 80 to pneumonia, Is to bronchitis,
to congestion of the lungs, p to diarrhea
and dysentery, AZ 90 cholera infantum, 81
to other diseases of the stomach and bow
els, 81 to diphtheria, eight to Group, II to
scarlatina, 2 to measles, to whooplng-
cough. SO to typhoid fever, to remlttent
and intermittent fevers, II to cerebro
spinal fever, AZ to cancer, to erysipelas,
50 10 heart disease, s to alcoholism and
AS to all other causes.
PREVAILING DISEASES.
Reports of prevailing diseases from 81
towns and districts outside of the large
cities show cases OF pneumonia, % of
bronchitis, IL Of pleurisy, 2 of congestion
OF the lungs, 81 of diarrhea, 90 of dysen-
terry, 80 OF cholera morbus, Y of cholera
lniantum, . Of diphtheria, 3 of Group, %
oil scarlatina, l3 of measles, D of smallpox,
% of influenza, 81 Of typhoid fever, 332 of
malarial feVers, 5 Of cerebro-spinal fever,
70 of erysipeIas, 81 of rheumatism, 81 of
neuralgia, rs of tonsilitis, II of pharyn-
gifts, of humps, . of Inflammation Of
the bowels and 10 of Inflammation of the
kidneys.
Measles prevailed at San Mateo, Hol-
lister, Long Beach and San Pedro.
Whooping-cough was reported from Cali
stoga, Downey, Santa Monica, Fresno,
Fresno Flats, San Mateo, MERGED and a
few unimporUant places, and was cpl
demic at Ventura, Hollister and Santa
barbara. La grippe was observed in
number of localities.
Five cases of smallpox were reported
from National City, the contagion having
come from Mexico by sea- Isolation and
strict segregation, with vaccination of all
exposed persons, were the means en-
ployed, which has completely prevented
it's spread.
August was what might be termed
healthy month. Diarrhea prevailed to
some extent, but bowel complaints are
common during months when fruit
ripenS.
1t is more difficult, however, to account
for the number of cases of rheumatism,
neuralgia and tonsilitis, most of them re-
ported from the driest portions of the
State, unless the habit of sleeping out of
doors during the warm weather may ac-
count for them. Otherwise, they would
scarcely be expected IN August.
AsIAT:C CHOLERA.
AS was announced in the June num-
Der, the cholera has effected a Judgment
in Europe, and is Furnishing the worst
smelling city (Hamburg) on the Euro
pean continent for its sanitary sins.
Already in dozen ships crowded with
passengers it is pleading, urging, and
threatening to land on our shores, and it
seems almost impossible to maintain the
rigid vigilance necessary to etfectually
exclude the unwelcome visitant. The
situation is a serious one and without
wishing to lriicise, we are led to wonder
why the infected ships have not been sent
back TO Hamburg, instead OF being held
in quarantine in New York harbor
Without a knowledge of international
law governing in such matters, it would
seem the easier way out OF the dilemma,
and would be more humane than keep
ing the well passengers cooped up with
the infected ones in an infected ship.
Their chances would be better even in
Hamburg, where, at the worst, they
could be detained on shipboard, the same
as here. But the protection of our own
State is likely to require all the sanitary
skill available. San Francisco is pro-
tected by ample and well-equipped quar-
antine facilities, but San Diego has
site and an Inspector only, with no dis
injection apparatus. Shelter can be
easily improviSed if necessary, but an
improved system of fumigation is not so
hastily constructed. The quarantine
station at Port Townsend is also merely
d i
State Board has requested the Secretary
of the Treasury to equip them at once
with modern apparatus. Surgeon-Gen-
eral Wyman has responded that it would
be done at once.
EFFICACY OF LAND QUARANTINE.
It is the intention of the State Board of
Health, as soon as the emergency arises.
to establish refuge stations at the points
of entry OF railroads into the State, and to
exhaust every resource authorized by the
laws of the State to prevent cholera from
passing our borders.
AS much stress is laid by many on the
value of land or interstate quarantine, it is
deemed advisable to discuss the situation
in some of its bearings to discover what
such quarantine implies when called
absolute" and what authority is given
by the State laws to attempt it. This
must not be construed into plea for the
abandonment or relaxation of any effort
to prevent the ingress Of cholera, but it is
intended to put the people on their guard
lest they depend more on quarantine than
on cleanliness, and to show that the laws
of the State will neither sanction nor sup
ply the means for an absolute land quar-
antine. Let not the issue be clouded 1t
is against the practicability of absolutism
that this is urged.
The prevalence of cholera in Europe
and It's presence in New York harbor,
where they must either adopt all the APP
proved methods known to science to pre-
vent its introduction and fatal spread
among our people, or give free entry to
the Scourge and let it march unimpeded
spreading death and terror in its wake
The only means to be employed to keep
it out of the State when it has once in
vaded the continent is by an absolute
quarantine on sea and land. With the
assistance OF the Government it is not so
difficult TO do this at our ports, but it is a
different matter to SO effectually bar the
way on the State borders that not even
an infested dog may cross the line, nor a
COW bring the infection across from an
injected carrion on the other side. Alb
solote land quarantine must not be mis-
taken for practical quarantine.
NO LAND QUARANTINE.
Many well-informed people, without
taking into account the available means
with whlch TO overcome the obstacles in
volved, Jump at once to the conclusion
that the State authorities could, if they
would, absolutely exclude ali people
clothing, baggage, mail, express goods
and freight from any suspicious locality
from entrance into the State until all had
been put through a process of disinfec-
ton, fumigation and cleansing. Enthusi-
astic medical men of limited experience
also proclaim the ease with which land
quarantine can be made absolutely effect
i've. They fail, however, to point out any
instances where such ideal land quaran-
tine has proved sufficient to exclude the
pest. Their answer is that failure was
due to the fact that the quarantine was
not absolute. Upon that statement alone
any one pleading against the possibility
of an absolute land quarantine on the
thousand miles of California border can