The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-06
No FEAR OF THE PLAGUE.
New York Health Officer Says There
Is No Danger from Ia.
New York Evening Post.

new 1OTk Evening POST.
The official report to DIR. Doty that two
deaths had occurred in San Francisco from
genuine cases of the bubonic plague led
him to express the opinion to-day that
the plague is proceeding upon a cycle of de-
velopment which will take It. all over the
world, and that cases may be expected 10
turn up at most any of the seaports of
this country.
There is no occasion whatever for popu-
lar alarm on this score" said DIR. Doty. in
discussing the matter. "and L should not
mention IL publicly save for the fact that
L am continually getting Inquiries which
show disposition toward a popular scare
On that account l should be glad TO have
the public made aware OF the reasons for
my expecting this plague cycle. and at the
same time of the scientific facts which
show a general feeling or alarm TO be IL
logical and foolish.
spite of the most rigid aSarantine that is
practicable. and this for >the reason that
the only absolute security would mean the
detention under medical inspection for
fourteen days of every person, passengers
or crew who come into any seaport That
would mean certainty. but IL would also
mean the speedy rLination of commerce..
Plainly then, there is limit 10 the sever
ity Of quarantine inspection dictated by the
practical demands of commerce. and IL Is
through the existence of this inevitable
compromise between the practically pos
sible and the scientifically certain methods
in this city.
'sWhen a ship comes I'm from an infected
port the passengers effects are .disinfected
and the passengers themselves examined
for signs of the disease. In the case OF the
plague some of the passengers might have
become infected just before embarkation,
but on arriving here after an eight-day
voyage, say the period of incubation of
the disease is only half completed, they
show no signs of disease and have TO be
passed. A week later i'm the city some
wnere i'm the interior they may come down
with the plague. Now, what | want TO en-
phasize and drive home 10 the underestimate
ing of the public is that even If such cases
do occur. and il Is quite possible. there is
not the slightest occasion for a panic, and
these are the reasons:
I'm the first place. the plague I'm Its or
binary form is communicated only by per-
sonal contact which introduces the diseased
matter through some break in the skim
How entirely innocuous the disease Is In
the presence OF merely ordinary precau-
tons, such as any physician would adopt.
will appear from our experience with the
three plague patients we had lately I'm our
charge Including the nurses ana assist
ants there were eight OF us having DAILY
contact with the patients and dressing thei-
wounds. yet there was not sign or IN
lection after weeks Of contact. That shows
conclusively how simple sanitation can
utterly destroy the possibility OF an ePi-
demic. Further evidence. TO the same e1-
feet is 10 be found I'm the fact that the
modern sanitation made any Roadway in a
civilized country. In OpOrtO there were
only thirty cases. and there IL stopped: ian
Vienna only two. and even in Santos. where
the sanitary conditions are not comparable
with those which prevail in this country,
the disease was brought within control
and destroyed almost at once.
THE alarming figures that come from In
dia are wholly inapplicable TO this country.
There. the filthy habits OF the native city
populations are sucn finds no parallel IN
this country. The popular cooperation with
health boards which Is found everywhere
i'm this country il replaced I'm India by ma
tive stubbornness and efforts on the part OF
even the native physicians 90 defeat the
efforts to scientific sanitation. None OF the
conditions OF India exist i'm this country.
We are I'm advance OF the greater part Of
even the civilized world in our public sani-
tary precautions. and II IS mere folly TO
fear for this country the results which are
possible only to a population absolutely
hostile to all sanitary restraints. The
longer a physician studies these matters,
strates the power of light and air and
modern sanitation 10 control all diseases
communicated by physical contact. as Is
the plague. The sanitary mana cement OF
New York city * OF very high order.
and the City Health Board Is amply COM
petent TO preserve absolutely the public
safety, in the event OF "A case Of plague
turning up within the city. In the Interior
il would be an advantage IL the health o.
ficers OF the smaller places received some
special instruction before taking Official
charge of a community. Then. unforfu-
nately. there Is need of much Improvement:
but even with these defects. public an
the scientific certainty of its quick extinc-
ffon