Morning journal and courier., 1892-09-15

The testimonial will be presented to the
ex-chief in the aldermanic chamber, city
hall, Friday evening at 8 p. M, and citi-
gems generally are invited.
DIR. LINDsLEY ON CHOLERA.
what He Says In tho Monthly Report
of the State Board of Health on the
Scourse-The Mortality of the Past
Month In the State.
The monthly bulletin of the state board
of health for August has just been issued
by DR.. @. A. Lindsey of this city, the
secretary of the board. The mortality re-
port is from 1877 towns in the state. A
marked increase in the number of typhoid
fever cases for the month is shown, there
being SO deaths reported as against IA In
July.
There were !, 424 deaths reported in the
state during the month. This was SO less
than in July, 1t was 176 more than in Au-
gust, 1891, and 1873 more than the average
number of deaths in August for the Eve
years preceding the present.
The death rate was 21.8 for the large
towns and the small towns, consequently
2.1s for the whole state. The deaths from
zymotic diseases were $3.50, being 41.4 per
| cent. of the total mortality against 1875
per cent. in July. The following infec-
tious diseases were reported from this city:
Measles, scarlet fever, cerebro spinal fever,
diphtheria and Group, typhoid fever and
case each Of smallpox and typhus fever.
Speaking of cholera DR.. Lindsey says:
The long expected pestilence has at last
arrived at our gates, seeking admission.
Although for ten years it has been preva-
lent In various parts of Europe, and this
country has been in almost continual ap-
prehension of it's dread approach, yet its
actual presence has surprised us and found
us greatly unprepsred.
| At this writing (September 10Y there are
at quarantine in New York harbor five in
footed ships, bringing as passengers and
Immigrants several thousand people to ou1
shores. The battle is on and is raging with
fearful intensity. The enemy is likely te
be reinforced at any moment by Other
thousands from the plague spots of Europe
The situation is one of intense interest. II
is a menace of widespread death and
mourning to the people of the whole natior
and threatens great disaster to all business
pursuits.
Those who are charged with managing
and directing affairs through this grea
1
of the country, but also to save, if pos
sible, the lives of hundreds of our fellow
countrymen, returning tourists, who mos
unfortunately are confined in quarantine
in unsafe proximity to the sick and tn
dead. Strange as it now seems, yet it i
painfully true, that no one in authorit,
realized in any practical way that suol
conditions might occur, and the pressing
needs and dangers which they would de
velope.
When the Normannia arrived on the 81
!. of September from pestilential Hambur
with her living freight of 1000 persons
the half of whom were our own country
men seeking their homes, no thought ha
, been given until then that some suitabl
provision should have been made for thei
care and safety. Not single spot in o
, about the great harbor of New York coul
, be found anywhere to which they could b
3 taken to await the period of time whic
would determine whether or not they WEI
liable to the disease, or might with safet
: to their families and their neighbors
released from quarantine restrictions. I
T consequence of this lamentable oversight
all the cabin passengers of these infecte
: vessels have been kept close prisoners O
J, board, in imminent peril of taking tt
J. deadly disease from the crews, anon
whom fresh cases are daily occurring. TT
g immigrants have been all removed frol
the ship.
10 The national conference of state board
&c of health, an organization of state boaxt
u for the discussion and consideration
- questions of purely practical hygiene, a.
; pointed on the Goth of August, through i
executive committee, commission wit
- instructions to visit personally and exam
- inc all the quarantine stations of Il
3 | United States, Canada and Mexico and
- report upon the means and methods whic
Z they have for dealing with the prese,
:" epidemic and resisting its invasion in
II | these countries.
- deemed it my duty to accept an invit
- ton to join this commission In inspectiI
the quarantine stations of New York an
Boston as being those in which Connect
N cut is most interested.
The commission has no authority wha
= ever. Its functions are self-assumed, an
l. its purpose is one of inquiry to learn
Is what extent the protection afforded at IL
IA quarantine stations can be depended upo
to keep the cholera from gaining foo
u hold in Amarica.
The commission WAS courteously recei'
IT ed at New York and afforded transports
3 ton to the quarantine ground on Monda,
q then 9th inst, and all desired opportunit
was given to pursue our inquiries. TT
o absence of we'll defned and matured pla
l. of action was at once conspicuous. tt
authorities seemed overwhelmed with tt
suddenness and magnitude of the -espo1
sibilities placed upon them. For this tt
health officer and his aids cannot be justl
20 censured. His embarrassment is mostl
due to lack of the necessary facilities fc
= the accomplishment of SO great a wo1k.
IS They have no appliances equal to til
n task of promptly and effectuslly 1isinfec
20 ing so much baggage. They have no adj
quate means for the thorough fumigatio
Q Of ships by the modern method of blal
d furnace.
Q The best possible use, however, is bein
made of the means available, but the
| seem to be insufficient for the emergency
u Indeed the revelations of the week
/ not Justify the tone of confidence wit
j. which the New York officials spoke, befo1
y it came, of their readiness for the adver
of cholera
= The quarantine station at Boston ha
; not been so severely tested. Their al
J. | planes for disinfection are no bette
- than in New York, but they have abur
a dant space on Galloupe's Island for th
\ safe disposal of cabin passengers If it b.
y comes necessary. At our visit there, th
: baggage of emigrants from an infeote
: port was undergoing the steaming pr
~ cess. But no cases of cholera had been o
\ | the ship.
- 1t will be victory against great odds
+ success attends the efforts to repel the il
. vader.