The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-11-17
COMMITTEE on QUARANTINE
Resolutions Drawn Tn N Adopted
by the Conference at Chattanooga,
Fight on the Mosquito. ON Lane and
S~ea-Surgeon Genera Wyman Grat-.'
flied at the Work Done. ,
Especial to The Messenger.l

tspSGldA ~ IA 4A1S-~hSta%A y
Raleigh. y. C. November 14.-Your,
correspondent was the only newspaper
man on the very important committee.
on quarantine appointed by the con-,
ference at Chattanooga last Thursday
which held its session Friday morning.i
Governor Blanchard of Louisiana. who.
had been a leader in the fight for a ma
tional quarantine. both maritime and
Interstate. offered the resolutions,
which he. John Sharp Williams. Cow
.ernor Nardaman of Mississippi and a.
fexs others had spent most OF the night
in drafting. The resolutions were al
concession. somewhat. to the views
expressed by Senator Mallory of Flor-I
ida. and Governor Vardaman. and they
| were quite largely the work of Johnl
Sharp Williams. the chairman of the
committee, Of which John Parker was
the secretary, the latter having been|
nominated by Governor Vardaman.l
while Mr.. Williams was mad chair
man. on motion of Governor Blanch-
| ard. who a called the committed to
| order.
| Governor Blanchard said at the out
set that he thought the minds Of the
1 IoIkA ca 49,. 4 ~
| pressed himself rs beng enr both mar
| itime and Interstate Quarantine. and
| that he was sure the majority of ihe
| conference favored this. but that af-
| ter sleeping upol the matter he
| thought that Congress slirIil he asked
to take over entirely and exclusively
maritime and %frontier quarantine. and
| that it be memorialiZed to take over
| the Interstate quarantine in come
ton with the state quarantine. What
was done in the way of concession
was for the sake of harmony. He add
| ed that in a few years, the states
would retire and leave all to the gen
eral government. Then he read the
two resolutions. which had been draft
ed with so much care. the ono giving
the government absolutely the coast
or maritime and the frontier quaran-
tine, and the second the one Orovid-
ing for concert of action between the
Federal and HI State. governments
Very few changes were made in these
resolutions. Governor Vardaman want
ed the second resolution made con
ditional upon the action by Congress
upon the first one, but being urged
to withdraw an amendment to this
effect, which he had prepared. ne said
"All right: I won't make any FUR
ther point on it." and so the acticn
was unanimous. A resolution was IN
troduced looking to the killing of mos
Quitoes on board ships before the lat
ter arrive at United States ports. II
was stated that mosquitoes could he
killed by means of ammonia as quickly
and as thoroughly as by means Of sui
phur. and that there was a great deal
of objection to the use of the latter
1t was stated that ammonia had beer
thoroughly tested and fOund to be
absolutely effcatious, boil On ship
board and in buildings. This resolu.
ton was not acted upon. as it was
| desired to have everything that was
done of the simplest character, but
it will be presented to Congress, first
passing through the hands Of Surgeon
1General Walter Wyman of the Marine
hospital service.
One member of the committee sale
that in his opinion, based upon severa
years observation, some countries, no
only tolerated yellow fever themselves
but used it, or were ready to use !
against others. as a menac Governor
Vardaman thought that the duaran'
tine against yellow fever should in.
clude other diseases. but Chairman
WILLIAMS said that this was a matter
not before the conference which wa:
to, consider specifically only yellow
fever. Governor Vardaman lid no
press the point after this statement
IildII HAL williams SID mat CnG &C
ton taken by the committee did no
interfere at all with the reserved 20
lice powers of the states as to intra
state quarantine. The committee wa.
unanimously Of the opinion that IT,
mosquito known as the Stegomya fas
ciata was the sole carrier of the dis
ease. but as an abundant precautioI
modified the resolution as original,
drafted so as to say that that partic
ular mosquito is the only known caus,
Chairman Williams said this extreme
ly positive. AS he put it. the onl,
known cause is the only cause known
n the fight is therefore against thi.
mosquito on sea and land. There
never was a more harmonious session
of a committee, or perhaps a. briefeI
one, when the vast Importance of tn,
subject is considered. The conven
ton was very much gratifed az ~.
work of the committee and so wa.
Surgeon General Wyman. who warm
1y expressed himself TO that effect {.
your correspondent while on the wa,
home together. There is a strong sen
tinent in favor of extending the tim.
of detention of fruit vessels to at leas
six days.