Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-09-15
Dr. LEWIS A sAYRE.

DIR. LEWIS A. sAyRE.
"Cholera follows the channels of trade
and commerce." said Dr.. Sayre. 'sIt
follows the movements OF the people.
That is Its universal history, whether it
goes in the wake of an oriental caravan,
of pilgrimage to Mecca, on the trains
of a railway or is brought in the steer
age of ship 1t may come In the
clothes Of persons who have been ex-
posed; bale of rags may place nation
under the scourge 1t is swift and in
sidious in its movements, but it may be
kept out with proper vigilance, and
once here, with adequate treatment, il
may be confined and finally extermi-
mated. 1.-THE frost idea," the venerable
doctor continued, "does not carry in the
case of the Atlanta, which brought chol-
era here in 1865. 1t was in the last part
of November that she came, and the
weather was cold and bleak. The news
that cholera ship had arrived reached
me late at night. was then resident
physician. The health officer, DIR. Swim
burne, was absent. 1t fell to me to at
tend this ship. / lost no time. Tele-
graphing the mayors of adjacent towns
| took small dory and went to the
ship. The night was cold and stormy
The foul hold was filed with the sick
the dying and the dead. Thirty had
died and many more were sick.
II converted the vessel into floating
quarantine then and there. All the vic
Tins were in one end of the ship.
placed row of tubs filled with carbolit
acid across the hold. The sick were
thus fenced off from the well. Guards
were placed on this line with orders tt
shoot any person who crossed it. AL
clothes and bedding were immersed ir
tubs of carbolic acid with oil on top
The sick were treated, and finally the
disease wore itself out. 1t was confined
to the ship. The conditions were much
more unfavorable then than now, and
an efficient service ought to stop the dis
ease wherever it may show itself.
"The great need of the hour is fedora
control Of the guarantees. 1t must bt
uniform and strict, and the only way
this can be secured is through the gen
eral government. In the winter of 1861
I tried to get congress to act 1t was
not long after the Atlanta came to port
and the cholera was in the country from
other sources. / tried to use this Incl
dent and this fact as arguments, but
they pooh poohed it. Senator Zachariaf
Chandler was chairman Of the com
MERGE committee, which had charge o.
the subject. He said he had had cholers
twice, and that quarantSpes could mo-
keep it out. asked himNfhere he hat
it. He said at Detroit. How did it ge'
to Detroit From Quebec. How did i
get to Quebec2 The chairman scratched
his head. He said that after all there
might be something in the quarantine
idea. But nothing was done. The ole
and dangerous system was allowed t.
continue, and 1t continues today.
"a will give you another instance
In 1881 remember it well-two ships
left Havre for America. Both carried
immigrants, and both developed cholers
at sea. One made New Orleans, the
other New York. Both arrived In De
oember, long after frost had set in--at
least at New York. The New Yorl
quarantine measures were vigorous ant
efficient. The. disease was met and con
quered. 1t did not get beyond thu
Staten Island hospital in which the sicl
were treated. At New Orleans it wa
different. The cholera ship was allowed
to land her people. OF course thel
spread the disease 1t got out In thu
city, boarded the steamboats,, went NJ
the Mississippi, stopping at Memphi
and st. Louis, thence took the rail q
Chicago, followed commerce and tfave
to the other lake ports, and finally, II
May, 1849, six months after the diseas
had been met and stamped out here, l
reached New York. 1t was still win
ter weather when it reached the lakes
but it travelled on. This shows hoy
completely the country is at the mere,
of one port. 1t shows the necessity 0
uniformity and military strictness q
all the ports. Every port on the coast
should be under uniform quarantin
regulations. They should be agree
upon by conventions with neighborin
countries. OF course the federal gov
eminent would have to do this.
Congress once passed law to pre-
vent the importation of diseases of cal
tie. Why should it not prevent tn
importation of diseases of men9
1.-THE government establishes port {
entry, collects revenue, and has th
right to close the port II should there
fore perform all the duties Of port, on
of which is proper quarantine seryic'
kept under military regulation, by whic
it would be rendered uniform and ed
Gent. The government would not hes
tate 10 take possession OF any plac
necessary for the common defense froi
invasion by foreign foe, regardless {
state boundaries or Jurisdictions. Is
not of equal importance that 1t shout