The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-09
ordinance and the .cOmmittes rei.ctcd

1t.
 MT. Cunningham--At any rate. with out any official notice that this Con- yention would be called upon to con- sider so serious question. we are brought face to face with an amend ment which proposes to destroy the et- fciency of the quarantine system or our State. That amendment Is pre- scented by gentleman of proIouno learning in the law, or unquesioneo patriotism, of boundless sympathy for inc oppressed and the unfortunate tv- erywhere. With a heart whose every impulse is prompted by sentiments Of the highest conception of humanity and benevolence, 1t strikes me that be- fore voting upon the proposition we should give it the wise and serious re- f1ection that the subject demands. want to say, and I say 1t delio- erateIy that the introduction of yellow
 fever, of the plague, of cholera, CT ty-
 phus fever (not typhoid understand, me,
 but typhus fever) and other forms
 of contagious and infectious diseases
 that have been met with in this coun- try, is the result of one of two 'hings. an inefficient quarantine at the point of departure, or an ineficient auarahtne at the point of landing. ' 1T. friend permit question?
 The President-Will the gentleman yield to the gentleman from Montgom- cry?
 MT. Cunningham-If the gentleman will note his questions, I will answer them in the last two minutes of my ten.
 Now. Mir. President. the mouth of the jug to the State of Alabama in the matter of the introduction of foreign diseases. is the city Of Mobile. and If this amendment Is adopted, if prop erly interpret 1t, the special Quaran- tine Board of Mobile Bay. which con-
 sists of commercial interests largely,
 with one or two members of the Board of Health upon it, will have the au-
 thority. notwithstanding the fact that the Board of Health prohibits 1t, to
 raise any quarantine that may have been established in the city of Mobile by the State Board of Health, and if there should be an epidemic of yellow feve:, starting anywhere In the State of Alabama, there should be county In this State in which there is no County oBard of Health, and there are
 such counties) who will receive per
 sons from infected places. then refu- gess from these infected districts. sor-
  be. would have the right to go into these communities, and introduce yell low fever with their persons and with their baggage.
 It is well that this Convention should know, and I will briefly inform them as to organization of the Board Of Health of this State. The Board of Health of the State of Alabama con- sists of the Medical Association of the State. This has Committee on Pub | lie Health consisting of certain num-
 Der of gentlemen. elected by the Med | ical Association. These gentlemen in turn elect a State Health Officer. who | is paid out of the State Treasury of Alabama. The County Board of
 Health consists of the county medical societies in each county. Those county medical societies elect a Committee of Public Mealth, and also a County
 Health officer, who becomes the exec
 utive officer of the County Board of
 Health. Now undertake to say, with
 all due respect to the County Boards
 of Health of the State of Alabama, that they have not the knowledge neith-
 CT theoretical or practical in matters
 of quarantine. The State Board of
 Health, on the contrary, and especial ly its State Health Officer, has not
 only an opportunity and privilege, but it is his duty to study and post him.
 self upon all of these questions, and thereby to qualify himself for the dis charge of these delicate duties. Now if the State Board of Health declares quarantine against any coun-
 ty or city in the State of Alabama. the
 Governor has to order it. It must be
 done through the Chief Executive off, cer of the whole State of Alabama.
 and if he does not approve 1t, then 1t
 falls to the ground and does not be- come operative as matter of fact. The question now is, shall the County
 Board of Health, consisting of five cen
 sors in each county, override the State
 Board of Health, and the State Health Officer and the Chief Executive of the State of Alabama. That Is exactly what this amendment amounts to. Though all of these may declare a quarantine. and may show the reasons why 1t should be adopted, and the
 Chief Executive may order 1t, yet a
 little County Board of Health can
 throw open the doors of any county in the State to this unfortunate woman
 with her two children. and she may
 become the source of infection and de-
 stroy the lives of a thousand women and children that otherwise would be protected.
 Therefore, I say while 1t appears in
 human to the unfortunate refugee, that it is an inhumanity to the unfortunate citizen in that community which has no protection from these infectious and contagious diseases. and for that req son think that this amendment should not pass.
 I am perfectly willing to leave tLe
 doors wide open for the General As-
 sembly to regulate these matters as
 they see fit. but I am opposed to
 placing in the Constitution an int ibi-
 tion that will forever prevent, or will
 prevent until amended, which in all
 probability would not be for many
 years to come. any progress in tfe pre- vention of disease in this State. There
 is nothing better established n medi-
 cal science than that these diseases are
 produced by microbes or bacteria sci entifically speaking, and that lheykcan
 be communicated from person to per son. and by articles that have come in contact with the person. Some of
 them can be communicated through the atmosphere, such as la grippe, dcngue and relapsing levers, over which quar- antins has no control. Then I say that we should not tear to pieces the system and regulation and jaw which has been the result of the study and experience of the medical profession not only in Alabama. but of the whole world. for centuries. by the impulse of an honorable, sympathetic and great
 hearted ex-Governor of the SIate of
 Alabama. who knows nothing mere