The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-06
Between State Health Officer Blunt and
Houston Doctors
UPON THE SUBJECT OF QUARANTINE
A Lengthy Letter with Tingc OF
snrcnsm--An Issue with tho state
Health Department..

Austin. Texas.
Houston. Texas, June 8. 1S99.-Dea
Doctor: We are more than pleased at tn
receipt OF your letter OF June o, sIaco i
clearly ana concisely sets forth your view
on the subject OF quarantine in genera
and restrictions on nrst cases in partiCu-
lar II let's us know definitely what vii
be the policy OF this stale in sucn mat
ters for the next two years at least, anC
VIII enable the public to know what tc
EXPECT
From the premises laid down in youi
communication, tine conclusion could
hardly be otherwise. and we would expect
YOU, holding sucn views, to act promptly
ana thoroughly as you have done, In this
W. commend you. 1t is however, our de
sire to mention some things that may
nave escaped your attention, and II you see
I them as we do. they viii 81 least cause a
modification in the communication re-
ferred TO. You express the hope that a
mistake has been made in-the diagnosis OF
this case" thereby leading us to believe
! that you recognize the difficulty OF making
such diagnosis in first cases. You, rs a
/ physician. know that we can not say that
| This absolutely is or is not a case OF yell
low fever like we can when typhoid fever,
! malaria, diphtheria, erysipelas tetanus aud
other diseases in which the specific or
ganism has been Isolated
/ Inc alleged discovery OF Sannareli was
supposed TO give US this power, but the
best OF authorities say hat etology Of
yellow fever is yet unknown With these
Facts before us then the first case is al.
ways open TO suspicion, and entitled to
the DOUBT that the difficulties OF the case
present. Quarantining th0n on first cases
Is quaTantlning on suspicion only and
hardly entitled TO such vigorous measures
as an epidemic would warrant
you wiIl doubtless admit that II first
cases can be made to terminate the dis
ease that 1t Will be consummation de,
voutely to be wished. Surprising then thar
can he (your arguments against
which viii be discussed later on)
IN order that such may be pos
slolc even on suspicious cases must he
reported and treated according to modern
methods OF Isolation and dislnfection. m
however. there is no unanimily Of IA agree.
ment among the States likely to be af
Iected' physicians will be 10th and Justly
so to subject their towns TO quarantine
ana themselves to reproach upon a mere
suspicion. The agreement at Atlanta and
the one at New Orleans (of both of which
leXas failed to avail hersef) look to this
END. Texas stands alone in this matter
In fact 1t is Texas against the world. In
our opinion Dr. Souchon and the Louis
lana board of health would BIS perfectly
lUstlhed In ignoring Texas when another
case should arise. You deny that first
cases can be stamped out that is. you do
not ADMIT that 1t has been demonstrated
mat this can be done successfully" and
cite the epidemic at Franklin. La of tSqS
when sixteen days elapsed before a second
case arose and the epidemic of 1878
Where hVe weeks ELAPSED before the sts.-
ond case arose. From this you draw TWO
lessons VIZ that the period of incuba-
e,on Is longer than generally believed,
ana that II is unsafe TO raise the ouaran
.lue Tor several weeks after the first case
We must say that We fail TO learn ony
sucn laaso from these and other facts of
common knowledge Franklin. La had
an epidemic IN 1897, and II there was one
.ocuS OF Injection left over to 1898, two or
moro could, and the sixteen-day incpIo
ton would not apply. Then apain IN
your second illustration. viz, the epi1em;r
OF lh9S. period of five weeks. could very
readily he extended to 1--WE months ana
quarantine should so from the first case |
TO frost that kills
Now let us cite case that has come
' ulurr your own observation, in which |
stamping out seemed to be effective !
W. IN 1888 case originated at Calves. |
Ton Texas, and YOU raised the ouar3nttn,
III lour days, and there were no otber |
cases Ihls case was not dead and buried |
eUher IKE the present one in New Or |
louro lnhrmary in New Orleans !
IN 1877 received over 100 cases of veIlow
fever and the non immune attenSant,
lalIed 10 contract the disease. WIN? Re
r'use me whole place, including patients |
were Kept thoroughly disinfected. We /
eUuIu sun go on and cite case after casa
Wuefe yellow fever can be checked vc,
t sl tooVe is sufficient and conclusive. II
las, 1 pee praclced successfully by Eng.
anu LOT htty years and by the large citiee
OF the North ana East in this country for
we've years, and they express entire
80, .oldpuou with the method and do NOT