The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-28

tenn of a different character must be
adopted TO attain the end desired.
5. (And most remarkable, as it proves
quarantine to be useless), That yellow
fever needs to be planted in favorable
soil in order to become epidemic, and
that, consequently. the danger from the
disease is lessened in proportion as at
tention is paid to the local hygiene and
sanitary condition of those parts of the
ports or towns which, by reason of the
character of the inhabitants, or other
causes, are usually the habitation of the
earlier cases.
This assistant surgeon of the army has
no practical knowledge of yellow fever.
but he evidently did not lack impudence or,
as some would call it, candor, for in his
report he says; THAT the first four Of
the above propositions were in opposition
to the views of the ablest and best minds
al the south who have had
the largest experience in this mall
ady. Such distinguished gen.
tlemen as Prof. E. GeddingS
and w. F. Wragg of Charleston, S. c.,
DIR. E. A. Anderson of Wilmington, N.
c., r. d. Arnold of Savannah, Warren
Stone of New Orleans, ETC." 1 will re-
member his visit to the medical society
in this city, and how his ignorance of the
disease was made apparent by the peril
nent questions of DR.. Arnold.
This man placed before congress the
statement that almost all, If not all,
the epidemics that have occurred in this
country were imported from elsewhere,
and were not due to local causes. To do
this he had to lay aside as worthless the
opinion of gentlemen who had had 1.-THE
largest experience in this malady," and
leave out the possibility of local origin
altogether. Through the promises he
made that "a properly organized system
of quarantine will prove beneficial to the
nn oil
tablished," he succeeded in getting the
board of health of Tuscumbia county,
Florida, at Pensacola, to state: This
board does earnestly solicit thht congress
may take such further action upon the
subject of quarantine as shall place the
whole matter of quarantine under the ex-
elusive Jurisprudence and control of the
authorities of the United States, and DR..
Jerome Cochran, health officer of Mobile,
Ana, to say: Il am thoroughly satisfied
that quarantine under the control OF
the general government would be far mora
efhclent than any other plan that can be
adopted
The originators of this scheme, having
succeeded in their efforts so far and while
waiting for the coming of an epidemic
made free use Of the public press and OF
the medical journals to fashion the public
mind and sentiments TO the belief in the
contagious character of yellow fever and
the foreign origin OF its poison. This was
an easy task to perform, as but few
among the medical profession knew or re-
membered the disease no yellow fever
| epidemic having occurred IN seventeen
years, and after four years of this tut
ton" the medical profession. as well as
the whole nation, were ready to consider
yellow fever as the most contagious dis
ease In existence Quarantine was enforce
| ed at Savannah and other cities on the
| coast, at Augusta and even at Nashville
upon the report of one case of yellow fever
having occurred in Tampa. Fla-from 400
| to 900 miles away, and the case proved 10
be one of malarial fever)-and to do an
that lay in their power to keep the dread-
ed plague out of the country, by inst-
tuting rigid quarantine regulations south.
even to the closing Of every southern pofs
for six months in the year. (Report yei~
low fever commission sent to Havana.l
]. c. lie Hardy.