The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-18

to be prosecuted" This is all! Any dirt,
treated In the same manner would show
organic matter.
The germs yellow fever float in the air
of an infected port and may enter and
fill the hold of a ship as they do the rooms
OF house or car or a trunk; should
ballast become infected it is because the
germs fall upon its surface, where, by dis
turbing 1t, these germs can be as readily
destroyed by steam, or by mercurial or
formol solutions as If they still foated
in the air of the hold. In his investiga-
ttons, DR.. A. A. Woodruff, speaking Of the
ballast brought here In 1876 says that II
all came from a locality southwest of
Regla, about two miles from the harbor
of Havana. This place is billy and dry
and in no way subject to drainage from
human habitations, the nearest being one
quarter of a mile distant; the ballast is
dug from these hills and carried to the
ships" He received this Official informa-
ton" from Mr.. Henry c. Hall, at that
time consul general in Havana Again,
this statement is confirmed by DIR. Belot,
who says: The grey ballast referred to
is a native rock, taken from the side OF
hill in West Regla, about forty feet
above the level of the sea-"
Another point wish to refer to is that
after the subsistence of the epidemic at
New Orleans and in the Mississippi val
ley. 1873, Supervising Surgeon General
John Woodwork Of the marine hospital
service, having obtained $40 900 from a phi
lanthropic lady, had a resolution passed
through congress authorizing the appoint
ment of a board of experts to answer
certain questions propounded by commits
tees for that purpose, the result of these
Inquiries forming the basis Of the long de-
tention quarantine system. OF the twelve
members constituting this commission
only one appears to have not been mes
merized by Chairman Woodwork. That
dissenter was, be It said to his praise, DR..
Louis A. Falligant, one of savannah's
honored sons who objected to PROPOSE
tions 3, 4, 5, 10, 10, p, %. %. %, q and 81
laid by the others.
Supervising Surgeon General Wood
worth having failed TO carry out his plans,
the national board Of health was created.
This body, instead OF devoting its time
and money to scientific examinations, the
causes and the prevention of disease and
to sanitary work, spent the greatest part
of the appropriation made by congress for
those purposes, I'm building national quar-
antine stations along the coast and to pay
an army of inspectors at home and
abroad, hoping thus to prevent the intro
ducuon OF yellow fever, but in this they
failed also, and congress refused to make
further appropriations. SO that the man
agement of quarantine reverted to the ma
rine hospital service, 1852
Surgeon General Woodwork died In the
meanwhile, and his position was filled by
DR.. J. 3. Hamilton, an astute politician
and diplomatist. Through his careful ma
nipulatlons and inspiring the people with
fear, he succeeded, little by little. In hav-
ing laws enacted by congress which have
enabled the chief OF the quarantine bu-
reau at Washington 90 assume powers
which should never be given TO any one
man IN republic; no, not even to the
car Of all the Russiasi
Under cover OF these laws. the super
vislng surgeon general OF the marine hos
pllol service, as chief Of the national bu-