The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-01
AS TO GUARANTEES.


While It is encouraging to know as the
hot season comes along that we have a
state health officer who is watchtul of the
pubhc's safety and prompt and fearless in
action, the actual or apparent necessity
for the establishments OF qusrantnes gem
eTal or local. can only be deplored.
Next TO the presence OF an epidemic In
its effect upon business is the presence Of
a quarantine and next to the disease is the
quarantine to be dreaded The Post has
never Endorsed that sordid Commercial
ism" that would take risks on the lives or
health of the citizens OF community In
order to protect trade, or that puts busi-
ness first and human life second. The first
duty of the officials of the State or coun-
ty. or city is the safeguarding. at any cost,
OF the public health. Officials who neglect
this duty either through Indifference or
from sordid motives. have the blood of
their felowmen upon Thorn and are moral
ly, II net legally. guilty of destroying hui
man life.
But the resort 10 quarantine measures
paralyzing business as they do, often
throwing numbers of poor people out of
employment and exciting fear and Great
ing great discomfort, should he cautiously
made and only when the danger is i'm
minent WHISTLER the action Of State
Health officer Blund in placing rigid
quarantine at cur state lines Just at this
! time, against New Orleans. was the proper
! thing 10 do, may be a question in some
! quarters, but The Post gives the benefit OF
the doubt 10 DR.. Blunt. He Is an expert
an honest and capable officer, faithful to
the public trust repased in him and Is
presumed to know better than the layman,
SO to speak. what bhe emergency demands
His action will at least have treasured
that portion OF the public who are quick
TO take alarm and viii meet with the in
dorsoment Of all those who feel that 1t is
better always to err on the side OF safety
II. indeed, any error has been made
But there is a broader question that
arises Just here--whether the public's real
safety lies in guarantees? In Europe
that means of hghting against the
spread OF contagious and epidemic dis
eases has been largely abandoned. Euro
pean cities now depend on sanitation and
isolation for their protection. 1t is an
extremely difficult matter to make In
ternal quaantlnes effective, AT the coast
line where the approach is only by ship
and the vessel can he held at the proper
distance quarantine may keep out danger,
but however vigorously 1t may be en-
forced on land the disease somehow, gem
orally manages to creep In,
II our coast cities were thoroughly
clean, II the officials had done their full
dusty and destroyed or removed every dis
ease breeding and disease feeding spot
in their bailiwicks, and provision had
been mado for the comfortable but
complete isolation of first cases, re-
inforced by vigilant inspection daily, In
seasons OF danger, no epidemic or con-
tagious disease could spread! Physicians
are now practically agreed on this point
and experience IS constantly demonstrat-
ing It, But our Texas cities are lamentably
short in the direction indicated. And yet
from a standpoint OF cost alone, thorough
and rigid sanitation would be less expen-
slvs than quaranunesl
Let us hope that the present apparent
necessity for quarantine may soon dis
1 appear and that an enlightened sentiment
may sec the wisdom of placing our cities
and towns in such condition that quar-
antines at any time may cease to be re-
garded as necessary.