The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-26
NAY BE ASKED TO REMAIN.
SANITARY BOARD MAY ACCEPT DIR.
LINLEY's RESIGNATION.


Hardy-He Called DIR. LinIe9's At
tentiOn to Duty In the Presence of
sea Cnptain-Thc Matter viii BE
Thoroughly Investigated by Sani-
tary Board.
/ The resignation of DR.. William J. Lin
ley as quarantine officer was handed
Mayor MeldrIm yesterday, as chairman Of
che sanitary board, and will probably be
acted on at the meeting Tuesday after
noon. The Mayor was somewhat sur
| prised at DR.. Linleys action, but has
made no effort yet, of course, TO investi-
| gate the matter
II is known that some of the members
of the sanitary board are unwilling 10 ac-
| cept the resignation unless there is good
reason for it, and will prevail on DR.. Lin
ney to remain. The country is now in
volved in war, and the shipping season al
so being near at hand. il Is asserted,
| makes it absolutely necessary for the good
of the port, that an experienced officer be
in charge of the quarantine. There are
others, however, who express their will
lingness to accept his resignation if the
mitted by the board that DR.. Linley has
proven an efficient officer.
Additional information as 10 the rupture
| between the officials came out yesterday.
The main facts, however, are about as
published in the Morning News. 1t ap-
pears there is a misunderstanding as what
shall be done at the station, or an Inclina-
ton on the part of Dr. Linley NO. to heed
instructions from Savannah. DR.. LeHardy
stated, in further explanation of the dis
| agreement, that he sent directions to the
station some time ago, after comforting
with the surgeon general of the marine
hospital service that where half of a YES
sells crew went ashore as soon as 1t ar
rived at quarantine, the crew which had
no connection with the vessel while tho
discharge of ballast and distinction was
going on, could take charge as soon as
the work was finished and bring the YES
sci into port. This dispensed with lhe
three days delay after distinction, since
the Requirements is that the crew, and not
the vessel, shall be detained. The half of
the crew that remained on the vessel. has
to remain at the station three days as IL
1t seems these instructions were not car
ried out by DIR. Linley, according to the
statement of DIR. LeHardy On arriving
at the station Friday the latter said he
went aboard o vessel there, and in the
presence of DR. Linley, inquired of the
captain if he had been told about dividing
his crew and saving the extra three days
. He replied he had not. The matter was
explained to him, and the inference was
left that lie should have been informed
before. This placed DR.. Linley in an unen-
viable position before the captain, in the
presence of whom he probably did not de-
sire his attention called to what was
claimed were his duties.
DIR. LeBardy stated further, that he
I found things in disorder at the station. Be
sides this, he said the formaldehyde pro-
cess of disinfection, after the-use of sui
phur, had not been carried out, according
to instructions. 1t is also claimed the ma
chimes used at the station were damaged
from being burned, though it is a fact that
DR.. Linley has only handled them recent
ly, since they are a new device, and he
may not have been expert in handling
them. It is claimed this process is inval-
liable for disinfecting purposes as has
been demonstrated by its use in Savannah
the past year
The following letter. sent Surgeon Cen
eral Walter Wyman of the marine hospital
service recently by DIR. LeHardy. more
clearly defines the position he takes on the
subject.
II am under obligations for your letter
of the 10th instant" his letter states,
and also for circular No. 121 OF
Aug. 8, 1897, regulating the use of formalde-
hyde at quarantine stations of the United
States.
Il hardly can express my disappointment
upon learning that those regulations, pro-
mulgated when the method of producing
formaldehyde gas and the application of it
were still, so to say "at the nursing bot
tie" have not been amended to keep up
with, the progress that has been made in
the preparation and application of this in
valuable germicide.
Its superiority, both In facility of appli-
cation and in the results obtained has
been so well demonstrated that no other
has been used in this city for a year past
l have not found II necessary to destroy
mattresses, blankets or clothing by fire.
and this has been done only on two occa-
sbons, at the request of frightened par
ents. Nothing needs to be removed from
the apartment occupied by the sick. The
gas is generated from formochloral in
Wellats autoclave,or from Mercks' 40 per
cent. solution in the generator made by
the New York Construction Company. The
effect is the same, whether il is applied In
a dry and daintily upholstered room or in
damp and squalid cellar. In no instance
has a single case of scarlet fever or diph-
iberia developed from exposure in either,
after disinfection with it, although on sew
eral' occasions parents were induced to let
unprotected children play on the bed in
the room which had just been disinfected.
Once disinfected, no further restrictions
are placed upon the family.
Il have never obtained such satisfactory
results with any other of the germicides
that have tried, and the fumes of sulphur
have so manifestly failed to destroy the
germs of our common contagious diseases,
that for the past fifteen years 1 have al
together abandoned its use in my private
practice. These are the reasons why |
want to replace the sulphur by the formal
dehyde gas in the disinfection of the hold
of vessels.
With my present knowledge, I would
not, under any pretext, allow an infected
or suspected vessel to come to the city,
Whose only treatment had been fumigation
with sulphur dioxide, and l have instruct
ed the quarantine officer to use formalde-
hyde gas after the sulphur fumigation in
all vessels coming from infected ports.
The possession OF perfectly reliable
germcidal disinfectant is so important,
especially in the South, where so many
restrictions are already placed upon com