The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-03-06
AGAINST THE PLAGUE
LOCAL HrsrTH OFFICERS GETTING
READY TO QUARANTINE
To Protect Thfs Country From fhr
Dfsease-sfrfcksn Ports OF asfa-
No Definite Action 40 BE Izkrn
Until the CoaneiI Takes Action On
sas kp.olnfmeut of DIR. Sewiand.
fe the Beard of Health.

Tire action ct the city COUNCIL IN post
rensug defnits acton on the nomination
81 Dr. George NswAarfs 10 Sneeeea Dr. }.
j s.aru1sx az TIE third member Of the
board - health las seTianslg interfeTsd
sgfth the prognpt aeftlament Of a matter
Of great importance
S0rae sine ago the hoard OF health OF
san Francisco declared a Quarantine
azslnst al ports n Japan and China In
uhIna smallpox and the plague are eps-
Genie Surgeon General Wymzn. o. the
Tinted States. has recognized Seattle as
tetnz Ira direct communication with TIE
orient and has written 20 the local board
% give the matter atfsntt0n. President
Holmes sad yesterday afternoon ina; ne
felt satisfied the surgeon general had more
apprehension about smallpox and the
piag3e securing an entry 20 this country
;iro igh the Pacific coast ports than those
OF the Atlantic.
eft Eas our inteation" continued Mr..
Holmes. so have q special meeting OF the
board today 20 give this subject due con-
sldesasion. but the city council upset our
plans By 6efarring action on the nomina-
ton Of DIR. Newiznds. and the worst OF 10
Is that the adjournment was for two
weeks which gill make IL March y before
W. know what action the council VIII take.
A = for myself do not care TO take action
on this matter until the new member or
the board takes HIS sea- He has three
years OF service before him and ought 10
have TO say a. to what shall be done We
have received a letter from :. ID. Brooks,
% the marine hospital service at Port
Townsend and II looks as II splendid pro-
lection was already given against the in
PRODUCTION OF the dread diseases. Late re-
ports Indicate. however. that smallpox II
on the increase az Kobe. Japan; and that
4.
Hongkong and Shanghai. China. II now
becomes question 10 decide whether we
will supplement the efforts Of the United
States quarantine 81 Port Townsend"
Following II the letter written to Health
Officer Eames by Mr.. Brooks, Of Port
Townsend:
II beg TO acknowledge receipt OF our
Inquiry Of the i4th inst, for the Seattle
board or health. relative TO quarantine
work At this port.
= wiz reply briefly to your saquiries
and state what - being done here and
VIII forward you under separate cover a
copy OF the quarantine laws and regula-
uons. which serve as guide for all
national quarantine stations. In addi-
ton 20 what is given I'm this pamphlet.
orders have been recently received TO
make the provisions laid down FOR chol-
era applicable also to the plague. and 10
make fifteen days the period for defen-
ton OF al persoRs who have been exposed
10 this disease.
Puget sound: All acts are guided BY the
latest news obEainahia from foreign
ports. cabisgrams from United States
consuis In the event OF an outbreak OF
any epidemic. special written reports from
the same officers. also the bills Of health
which every vessel. under penalty. must
obtain from each port OF departure. Unit
ed states Sanitary Inspector Stuart Ell
dredEe. NJ. u, az Yokohama. Il now dis
injecting baggage OF all japanese who
have come from suspicious localities on
~
Japanese steerRge passengers arriving
here are now taken 20 tho quarantine
station and hathed and their baggage
dlsinfected by steam. unless the latter has
been done In Yokohama or a. the Nicsor-
Ia. II. G.. quarantine. All Chinese steerage
passengers and their baggage are treat
ed In the same way whenever bills OF
health or other Information show that
they are liable 10 carry Infection. Chit
neae baggage was steamed from May. 1855
until late TN the fall- when reports show
ell that the danger had ceased. All Jap
ansSe baggage has heen steamed since
the outbreak OF smallpox in HioEo tKobel
ply passenger shlpsl Is subject TO the same
rules whenever the bin OF health shows
there was dusrsntinahle disease at the
port OF departure or course great care
Is devoted to the subject OF vaccination
ne well
Whenever any ship arrives having had
uuar3nttnahie disease aboard on the XoE
age the ship Itself Is dlsinfected with
hschioride 81 mercury Il TO sNNl. after hav-
tins been mechanically clcanssd and all
on board ere hathed aud their hagERgA
steamed. and All are detained tho required
number ~ DAYS fsee regulations since
lest possible date OF exposure 20 infec-
ton Since the case of the steamship
Victoria Is probably fresh I'm your mind
viii state that the ships surgeon made
such positive statements a. 10 perfect
Isolation of the case OF smallpox, I'm the
person Of a Chinese fireman and a. 70
the smpoSslhilty ~ amy exposure on the
part Of the officers. that the officers We're
~ =. \
latter was carefully cleansed and Aisln-
fecied while the crew and Storage pas
sengers were all detained. the former IN
victoria. tho latter AZ Victoria and
then 40 this quarantine where they sim
remain. The outbreak Of smallpox en- tho
person % an engineer shows the fsnibli-
ify ~ trusting a. 81 % Isolation on board
shlp. and no such allowance viii he made
again no matter how much q may seem
% lnc0mmoee the commerce o. Puget
Every vessel from . foreign port (Can-
ala excepted when there r. no infectious
fiseasel is boarded, and ship and al on
board Inspected before she - permitted
- make entry a. any United States port
Ihus no vessel frem foreign port can
~ntCr at your city ~ NJ boarded until
tltls Inspection has bean arcen0iishet,
"In answer 20 another question OF
yours I car saw that no fofefsn port e9-
esees the att-nticn ~ the representa-
t'ven ~ this government. 'n tho oerscrs
80 ths consnls or sanitary Inspectors ~ho
make careful records on the hli's %
health
sAs stated earlier tho ft'1ce send YOU
are the same for Port Townsend san
rranclsca and MI ether guarantees la
thtS country
II have written ven very hurTisdly 0.i
81 q somewhat desuitofN way hnt viii
gladly answer any hs~ther Questions ard
opportunity 10 make fuRvcefiou o. tire
govern went ~iaut sor ttsiufertfNra can 10
readily made avsii1hie AZ alrwcSt any
time when there are 10 persons or shias
una erEptfg detention"