The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-09-23
NATIONAL OUARINTINE.

Those who believe in the Government
tai control of quarantine at all frontiers
have only to point to the condition of af-
fairs in New York for conclusive argu-
ment in support of their position. The
events of the past few days have demon
strated in a startling manner the weak
ness of the present system. With their
independent boards seeking to occupy
the same field, friction is almost certain
to arise. 1t does not matter that their
aims and purposes are the same. The
local authorities think primarily of them
selves, and when acting under ignorance
and fright are easily led to think and
conduct themselves like madmen, as
they did at Islip. AS it happened, the
suffering and annoyance in that case were
temporary and not serious to the health
of those involved. But if the danger
from cholera had been more imminent it
is easy to see what unfortunate results
might have followed the collision of au-
thorities.
The subject of quarantine control is
prominently one which belongs to the
General Government. The people and
commerce of every State are affected by
it. 1t does no good to shut the cholera
or any other disease out of the port of
DOSUOu OT NOW OIh IL IL 10 pOIIulOOOu W
enter the country at Baltimore or along
the Canadian border. If a protective
barrier is to be raised it must be done in
the most thorough and uniform manner.
That means that considerable expendi-
lures would be called for, and it scarcely
seems right that individual States
should be forced to bear the cost of this
work when all of the states are equally
.ykarocfa1 II, ~ onh VNrOfit onI1nllu hu If
The importance of having a uniform
system of quarantine is enforced by DR..
E. o. Shakespeare in a suggestive article
in the Medical NetuS. DR.. Shakespeare
has made a careful study of cholera and
of the agencies for checking it's spread.
He says that the only danger of the dis
ease finding foothold here when inspec-
ton has been properly performed at
quarantine lies in its introduction
through the emigrant classes. The es-
tablishment of policy of nOn-intercourse
so far as emigration is concerned, during
the times when Europe is raVaged with
the disease, he regards as the only sure
means of guarding the public against it.
He divides the defects of the present sys
TEN into inadequacy of establishments
and faults of administration. None of
our ports are prepared to deal with large
numbers of immigrants at quarantine.
They have neither the proper facilities
for inspecting them nor the buildings for
caring for them. Except in cases of
great emergencies it would be difficult to
get the local governments to appropriate
the necessary funds to establish these
The tendency would be to put up with
makeshifts. AS to faults of administra-
ton, these come large from inexperience
of the local boards. They have not the
training that fits them for dealing with
such problems. Their only point is to
secure their own districts without any
thought of what may happen later.
This fact was made apparent in the
cholera epidemic of 1873. Outbreaks of
the disease occurred in Ohio, Minnesota,
and Dakota while the coast States were
free from it. Much surprise was mani
tested at this, but DR.. Ranch, who was
sent to investigate this, found that the
epidemic was caused by cholera poison
| packed up in the household effects of
immigrants from Holland, Sweden and
Russia respectively. .rhese emigrants
sailed from healthy ports in healthy yes
sells, and were subjected to the usual
sanitary requirements of the period.
They passed through New York and the
intermediate territory without injury to
the public health; but when their in
fected goods were unpacked in the inte-
| rior of the continent they liberated the
poison which gave rise to the local out
breaks"
All this could be avoided by the Ma
tional Government taking control of this
important matter. In that way uni
form system could be put into operation,
the necessary buildings and apparatus
could be purchased and an expert corps
of officers created. One recognized body
of control would result. The people
would know that all that could be done
in the time of epidemic, was being done,
and by those trained to the work. This
would allay fright and introduce feel
ing of security that does not exist at the
present time. Cholera is not the only
epidemic which it could protect us
against. Smallpox, yellow fever aad
scarlet fever are all introduced from
abroad. While they rage they are tax
both upon life and commerce. The cost
of National quarantine system would
be mere ba9atelle in comparison with
what it would save us.