New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-02
AGAINST IMMIGRATION.
DOCTORS GIVE IMPORTANT TESTIMONY.
-,,,,, TELL THE SENATE COMMITTEE THAT
THERE IS GRAVE DANGER FROM
CHOLERA NEXT YEAR.

i'm
,,ie conu,ry through immigrants was almost ce''a"
w., hrs,cions wbo announced this as their proicS-
,, o,,pions were Dr. W. A.. Ewing, Dr. stePhe"
smith ylcc-p-esdcnt OF the National Hoard OF '''''
nr + g. Janeway, DR.. Joseph ID. Bryant d. ANA
hmm Jocobl Dr. Joseph +. winters DE- Lc"I' 90
eovrc and Dr. Cyrus Edison, superintendent VI Wv
Sanitary Bureau. Charles G. Wilson, I'll" P'c''"'
NJ tbo Board Of Health. also tod the memoc'S va ~
oor,mittee flat I'm his opinion cholera was sure 10
o. mi. country next year II stcerage immigration
80 continued The Senate Committee which Is io'A'
, into This important question met hall an hour
cor,,cr than usual yesterday morning NJ INC r"'',
,vcnie HOTEL 70 accommodate the large hu'no'f VI
h,c,ore who had been asked to attend ana u give
,ho,r opinlons on the questions which tue co''''''
had determined to ask each OF them. THESE ''''
tions were:
1 IL there or Il there not feeling OF apprehension -
tho ruhc mind and among physicians OF the V'ltate HUN
49, 80 choc,o I'm the spring or summer Of 1899
what e the character and extent OF the danger accord
Ing TO your view OF the subject , .,
VIVA, T. the relation Of immigratIon-th coming "
rno,n immigrants in the OF the stcamships-D
tho danger from cholera. and what moons. II any CON
noc,od with immigration should be at once adopted 10
nrcycnt the introduction OF cholera during the coming
year1
All tie physicians answered the first l"'S-
tion I'm one way only. Each sald ''hI wv
were apprchrnsions in the minds OF the pubic anu
OF the physicians generally that this country "'"'
have another and much more severe V''''''''
from cholera next year than there was tns year, "'
loss some strenuous measures were taken u Keep
20 on, Tho second question was answered VIII
a unonmitv of opuiOn TINT II was the inVarlipc
r,,e that cholera reached here the first year ra'h'r
late in the season. aud before II could get I"oV
hold the cold weather came along and checker IT,
IT also tin rule. the physicians "grccu, u''.'
the following year II reached the country hh"'" ''
ler. and the loss OF life from II was eNurm'N
heavy On that account on this subject Mr. wilson
gave much Interesting TESTIMONY. lie saia ''.'
he had been boxing up tho history OF thc var
oils cholera cpIdemlcs In this country. and II nae
ncvcr failed that the breaking out q cholera mere
in the fall was followed nv its return Mt m carry
dnte in the following spring. lie cited u" epio'"'
OF 1879. Cholera came 10 this c9uutry Tue PRIV
ons fall and in February Of 1873 II broke "'t III
Neworleans. That year, however. It was confined
TO the Mississippi Valley. President Wilson ana III
physicians agreed that next year 1t would BE- nn
nossbc Z, conhnc the epidemic 10 one part ol
tho country on account Of e., great tide 81 u"V''
which would be going TO Chicago TO sec the NorIu
Fair.
Tho third question caused much moro DISCUSSION
among the physicians. the committee member" h'"
prc.iteu. wilson. The first half Of tho question
iovcvcr Brought out tho fact that there was ~
difference Of opinion among the physicians, at least
for the responsibility OF Bringing the di'ca'" into
rc country All Of them said that aside from inc
coming int, this country Of stccrag" passenger ''''
was scarcely any danger 70 be feared ir'In .""''"
next year. They said that there never md u'rh
known a case Of this particular fcrm OF oho'rn "'''
is so difficult 10 treat With success. mat mu sl""hs
up in this country. r. climate and TIE CONDITIONS
vcr,, both absolutely opposed 70 IT. This sort Of
cholera must originate in some country IN Wm'h 'H'
climatic and other conditions were c"'"''S VIZ" '"'
from those here.
The only part Of this last question that brought mp
any difference Of opinion was this: "NHt means u
any connected with immigration should b. al once
adopted 10 prevent the Introduction OF cholera duFlhg
the coming years The proposition which was nd
yonccd by DR.. Ed,on at The needing Of The committee
OIL wcdnsdav was thought by some Of the physicians
to be possible means Of keeping 1t out. This
pronositIon called for the establishment al tho p"fs
Of departure In Europe Of detention stations. where
intending immigrants could be kept Tor several o"yH
under the closest possible medical inspection. ines"
stations would have 10 be fitted up With III torS "i
modern appliance, TO combat The disease IAfr ""nld
need 10 be- inspectors physicians nurscs together With
means for boiling the immigrants clothing. 10 get
such stations ~ these established, 1t was argued
would take 50 long that by the time thy were In
working order cholera would be- raging IN this country
Then they would cost millions ~ dollars, ana Inc
members Of the committee did not think that there
WAS much hope Of getting III" steamship COMPANIES I"
bear much OF the cost Of these stations. be'ld''
these stations there would have 70 be- competent sur
gcons aboard OF every ship for the purpose t"l'iy
Of looking out for outbreak Of cholera
Dr. smith was about the only physician present who
considered that this plan feasible. He was hald
to Oppose the proposition to cut oh immigration entirely
for the year. because he thought that u" Immigrants
were needed TO build up tiN' country Dr. Jnn'"nS
took the ground that while 1t was possible to establish
these stations. It was impracticale 10 do ~. Dr.
81. a. AZ amin hat
he practically mpos sble stop all Immigration into
this country because the steamship companies would
send the Immigrants to Canada and they would get
Into the country In that way In answer to this ""-
.Ition it was said that the Canadian Government no"
stood ready and had been ready for year 10 allow
the United states Inspectors free access to ne IN
coming steamers at the Canadian piers. where they
could see TIE class Of people who landed. Besides
this the law Of 1890 provided for the appointment
Of INSPECTORS, 10 examine the Passengers who came INTO
thi, country from Canada 10y the railroad.
one OF the members Of tho committee suggested
That # pas cngcrs coming into the country at sns
pension Bridge Detroit. sault Ste. Marie, ioit hu'h
and other places along the Canadian fionticr were
compelled to be examined by physicians ana were
detained for any length of time AT these places they
would soon not have traffic enough to pay for hauling
their cars. Immigrants too, were easy u be dis
tineulshcd from other travellers, and hey could DO
STONED without much difficulty. Another member of
tie committee said that Canada would not want choi RI
diseased immigrants In her cities any more than tho
people o; this country would want them.
senator Chandler and his secretary hnvc spent much
of the summer going from town 10 town along The
New England frontier, and the senator said that 1t was
a simple thing 10 keep The immigrants fion coming
over the border II the Government made mp its mind
10 DO So After tli, point had been discussed n.
ongih each Of The physicians WAS asked If the stopping
II immigration would aid In the fight again / cholera
In each instance the ply scian replied that II would
be- of the grratct help and that - stop immigration
absolutely would prevent the incoming Of the discs,
into the Before the doctors were cNcnrct
ihcy were asked II there were any chpicn In
the country. They said there was not, as the coll.
weather killed the germs. The only way that IL
European cholera infested port, and In 30 far rs was
known, former cases came here through the imini
grants. Dr. .EdsCn Brought 10 the committee r. I'm
specimens Of the Asiaic cholera germs 10 allow tho
nnators 90 500 Tic rnpaliy WITH Mhlch thcy mmlllpy