The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-27
He Believes Proper Local Sanitary Rules OF
More Importance in Preventing Epidemics
than Guarding Domestic Seaporis.
Three Southern Statesmen May Get
Places in Grover Cleveland's Cabinet.
Herbert Will Take the Navy Portfolio or Moth
ing-Gray's Name Not on the Latest Slate
-Marthens Harrison's illness.
FOUNDED ON SUPERSTITION.

Views of Scientist on Quarantines as an
Epidemic Preventive.
Special 20 the Indianapolis JournsL
WASHINGTON. Dec. 26.-Dr. Irving G..
Rossa. professor of nervous diseases in the
Georgetown University. and the author of
the article on quarantine IN the American
encyclopedia, has some very decided opln-
Ions on the subject of national quarantine.
He has had q good deal of experience in
quarantine matters. and had charge of the
Tybee cholera epidemic in 1896. He said
to-day: Broadly speaking. am opposed
to quarantine as ct present enforced. Its
laws and regulations are neither reason
able nor scientific. They are founded op
middle-age superstition and prejudice
For instance, have been quarantined in
Cadiz on board a healthy ship from Boston
because the Spanish quarantine officialf
had heard of the existence of sporadic
cases of yellow fever in New Orleans The
same ship was not allowed to stop at the
Azores islands, where the authorities took
our mail the end of long
pole and fumigated il before sending
it ashore Equally absurd in this country
are the late performances at Fire island
and the quarantining of ships at Brazos
Santiago. when other ships land at the
Mexican Zona Libre'and passengers may
cross the Rio Grande at discretion.
"The adoption and control of quarantine
by the general government is by no means
o new idea. 1t was advocated by me in an
editorial in the New York Medical Record
for March, 1873. At the same time the
adoption of precautionary measures at the
port of departure and the perfection of in
ternational arrangements with friendly
powers was recommended. The admins
tration of maritime quarantine at the port
of arrival Is comparatively useless so long
as the provisions desirable az the port or
enforced during the voyage are neglected:
Only by cosmopolitan code of
iss''iA' tine be- enforced. The e''s question A is
perhaps one of the more serious difficulties
of sanitary police and international hy-
gienc. 1 am heartily in favor of sweeping
and radical reforms in the matter, since ex-
perience has shown that maritime quaran-
tines are not public security. They faii to
keep out disease. Many of their restric-
tions are cruel. inhuman and burdensome.
and injurious to trade In abolishlng them
/ should rely manly upon personal aud
local by giene, which has for it's object the
preservation of the healthy individual 1t
Is much better TO expend money and energy
in removing the local conditions that favor
the development and spread OF an epidemic.
This has been done for the last twenty-five
years in England, where quarantlnes arc
practically discontinued. ] believe. how
ever. that the moral aid of public opinion
and the material assistance of science may
be the means of inducing Congress TO
adopt some comprehensive measure by
which the confused mass of existing laws
may be arranged and coditied and the good
offices of international arrangement Sc
cured.O