San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-10-12

New Orleans and Mobile, by every
possible conveyanc From the
latter place alone, town of some
$40, 900 nhabitants, the best si-
mate (made by the officials of the
railroads cente ing there) places
the number OF refugees during the
fortnight eading September Is, at
upward OF $4,000, or in round
numb ers five-eighths OF its entire
population. The most of these
fled lily prepared to remain away
until the end of the epidemic, and
there are today, in st. Louis alone,
thousands of them almost impe-
cunious.
Aside from the suffering, the
hundreds of human lives, that
might have been saved, had the
first "expert" known his business,
the injury and suffering caused by
the foolish and wicked dispatch OF
the second, can not be computed.
1t paralyzed commerce and trade ;
it tied up the freight departments
OF the railroads, and increased the
difficulties of travel a hundred
fold. On account of the embargoes
on the railroad, steamboat and
other methods OF conveyance,
placed there by the citizens in the
frenzy of terror, scarcity OF provis-
ions early asserted itself, and in
parts OF the country the fear
of famine is lending additional
horrors to the situation.
More than all this, or in addi-
ton thereto, it has inflicted on the
gulf states an injury from which
they will not recover for many
years, or until time has effaced the
memory of tie epidemic. 1t has
stopped immigration to those
states from the north and west,
which was flowing thitherward in
constantly growing stream. The
total money value of the loss
caused by these injuries is incom-
putable, and will run into the
hundreds of millions OF dollars
and all the work of two "eXperts"
Even had these men been COM
peteDt careful and discreet, OF
what use sending experts" from
Washington when there are scores
OF local physicians, many OF them
members of local or state boards
OF health, who know yellow fever
thoroughly, who have fought it
time and time again, and every
one OF whom is directly, financial
ly, and otherwise, deeply inter-
ested in the subjugati0n OF the &C
cursed disease, ready and willing
to act in any capacity In which
they might be placed by the local
authorities in such an emergency?
The only function that should
be relegated to the national gov
eminent in relation to the control
of yellow fever or other exotic dis
eases, is that OF maintaining a
rigid maritime quarantine. 1t
should establish and keep up, at
every port of entry, or point where
exotic disease might find entrance,
close, relentless and ceaseless
watch, at all times, and under all
circumstances, whether yellow
fever or cholera are abroad or not
Both diseases are native to the
tropics, and can not arise In tenn
perate, or even sub-tropical, unless
their germs vegetable micro-or-
ganisms) are brought thither dur
ing the hot season, any more than
a palm or banana can spring up OF
its own accord. Eternal watchful-
ness alone is the price OF immunity
from their attacks, and the watch
should be kept by competent ply
sicians, chosen for their practical
knowledge of the diseases and the
regions watched, but by no more
Washington experts National
Druggist. ....