The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-05

enforced and operated by the several
states.
The American Medical Association has
embodied this idea, carried out in all its
details, in a bill which has received the
Endorsement of many of the leading SAINT
tarians and public health organizations of
the several states, and which I presume
will be called to the attention of congress
with the Endorsement of the great mass
of the medical profession of the country.
The country, and no portion so urgently
as the southern states, needs such a meas
ure, or any course that win relieve a small
bureau of the treasury department of the
necessity of taking care of the lives of
millions of people. By what decree of
Providence or of common sense is it or
dered that the financier of the union-the
Secretary of the Treasury-burdened with
care beyond all endurance, by environ
ment and education harneSsed to a most
potential and engrossing charge-made the
arbiter of matters of life and death to
countless thousands? Who more unified
to deal with the great issues of public
health than the steward of the nations
wealth? And why relegate to a mere de.
partmental division responsibility second
TO none and one which should be condded
10 no care but that of the ablest and
most experienced? At present govern
mental health affairs are administered
through and by the marine hospital SER
vice-an organization for the care of sick
seamen-though nominally committed to
the Secretary of the Treasury who per-
force, both by reason or stress of other
matters and the necessity of some medi-
cal culture has to foist them upon
subordinate
And what record is attributed to this
marine hospital service? 1t is claimed by
those in a position to know that made
quate measures upon the part of this
service, not only admitted, but almost con-
tributed, to the infection at Key West
and Tampa in 1887, which was followed
by the epidemic of 1888. Who, then, was
responsible for the epidemic of 1888? Who
was responsible for the entrance of yell
low fever at Brunswick in 1893? Was
there not mismanagement at that port?
And who was in charge of its maritime
quarantine? Who is responsible for the
introduction of the recent plague in the
first instance, through Ship Island quar-
antne station, near Biloxi? Was any
thing accomplished by this service 10 pre-
vent further spread of the disease aft
er it's careless introduction? Was conf
dence established. without which the coun-
try may always expect the barbarities of
the shotgun quarantine?
The answers to these inquiries, which
are not aimed at individuals, but at the
system, must necessarily have weight In
determining future legislation.
Let us have a department of public
health most aSSureCly, but let at be adViS- /
ory and cooperative and upon lines that !
will be an earnest of satisfactory and sue
cessful admins tration. Florida has been |
virtually free from yellow fever for eight |
years, and what few cases have appeared, |
have been promptly stamped out. What |
more striking lesson than that presented |
by Floridas health record during the |
months of September, October and No |
vember of this year when intercourse be- |
tween the cities and towns of the neigh
boring states was hampered when not to-
tally inhibited by local guarantees? While |
within this state no embargo of any des-
cripton rested upon freight or passenger
intercourse, and you came and went at
will without even the suggestion of quar-
antine. The reason is not obscure Flor
ida, after it's experience of 1883, like the I
people of the whole country at this time
had its attention directed to a future in
VasiOn of the disease, and called into ex-
istence a system which its years and sue
cesses have demonstrated to be thoroughly