The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-11-18

The subject with which the convention
is TO deal IS one OF many perplexities. IL
is here TO provide en- efficient quarantine
10 protect the states from invasions of
infectious and contagious diseases
Chairman Charles 5. Monken or the local
committee called the convention TO order.
Major J. J. Williams delivered an ad-
dress OF welcome.
General Luke Wright OF Tennessee was
named as permanent president. and R. A
Rush OF Senatobia, Miss. was elected
secretary. General Wright addressed the
delegates. after which committees were
appointed and recess taken
The afternoon was taken up with COM
mittee work and other routine business
At the evening session DR.. John B.
Hamilton of Chicago. ex-surgeou general
OF the marine hospital service. addressed
the convention.
DR.. Hamilton said in part:
To-day, more than al any previous Pc
Rod in the history OF this country. Amer
lea is in a position 10 press the matter
OF sanitation in cities not formerly under
our control. from which have ennanated
for the last two centuries steady stream
of death-dealing microbes. The duty OF
| the government Is clear AT whatever
cost, the foul plague spots which the prov
idence OF God has placed in our hands.
shall be made clean and healthful. Those
beautiful isles OF the sea. so favoraoly
| situated by nature, should be purged OF
contamination
Already we see the admirable results
| of the cleansing of Santiago and in that
city for the last 20 days there has not
been a single case OF yellow fever. a con-
dition which that city has not been able
| to report for a hundred years, so far as
| IL known. Our sister republic OF Mexico.
which now has an excellent board OF
health, has in view the probable improve
ment about 10 take place in the islands of
Cuba and Porto Rico. undertaken the
sanitary regeneration OF Vera Cruz. h.th-
erto almost continuously infected with
yellow fever for a period OF over three
centuries. With this bright outlook as TO
the exemption from exotics. shall We not
take into consideration IN discussing plans
for the sanitary future OF the United
States?
Il believe that all have arrived at the
conclusion that the present condition OF
things in this country is unsatisfactory
and that situation has narrowed down 10
the presentation OF two bills now pending
I'm congress. One known as the Cafrery-
Wyman bill and the other the Spooner
bill, which has been adopted by the Amer
| lean Medical association and the Amer
| lean Public Health association. The CAT
| fery-WymaE bill, which has Incorporated
| many features OF the law OF 1890 which
was formerly superseded by the law OF
| 1893 but in addition contains drastic
| clauses singularly inappropriate for the
| purpose OF free country, has been pass
| ed upon adversely by the principal sanI-
tary bodies of this country. but its ao-
| vocates continue to contemptuously fiaunt
2 in ba TaCa nd Of n a
wants none of II.
1.-The central idea OF the Caffrey bill Is
force, power and control. not co-opera-
| ton. Besides that, IL is the narrow idea
OF quarantine. no great system OF gen.
| eral hygiene is provided On the other
hand. contrast the broad, wise provisions
OF the Spooner bill, framed after seven
| years of labor by professional committees
OF the American Medical and American
Public Health association The New York
Board of Trade and Transportation,
through a quarantine committee. spent
many months, by correspondence. by
hearings and otherwise, in endeavoring
to arrive at a conclusion in regard to this
matter, and their recommendation is in
favor Of legislation which shall create
in the United States a national system
of coast and interstate disinfection.
I'VE use the word 'disinfection' as dis
tinguished from quarantine. said Mr..
Frank s. Gardner. secretary of the board,
when questioned, because we are led 10
believe that. with the adoption OF a prop
er and general system of sanitation and
cisnfection throughout the country, guild
ed and controlled by one general head
in thorough harmony and sympathy with
every local state board, every such board
can be brought in touch and cooperation
with every other local and state board
and what We have hitherto known as
quarantine Will practically disappear. as.
being unnecessary, barbarous and obSo-
lete.
The question before the convention IS.
VIII you recommend TO congress the
adoption OF the American Medical associa-
tons bill providing for full cooperation
with every state board OF health and
through this fun local representation,
with its executive officer elected by this
representative council or Will you rather
choose the Caffrey-Wyman bill. devoted
to the single subject Of quarantine. more
suitable for the empire Of the czar or the
sultan than OF free America?
Il think can foreshadow your