The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1905-08-08
UNDER FEDERAL AUTHORITY.


some reasons other cities and states
similarly situated hereafter might well
follow the example. But The Record
cannot accept the substitution as a
wise precedent for action in all future
epidemics.
In the present case New Orleans
was suffering under the suspicion that
| she was not entirely frank in her
public statements about the discovery
and the extent OF the infection Again,
has task is very onerous; her health
her task is very onerous her health
population is ignorant and stubborn
and the municipal expense Is heavy
The United States marine hospital
service has a large number OF ply
sicians who are yellow fever experts
and who have practically nothing to
do except in emergencies of this kind.
The federal treasury has an unex-
pended balance in the epidemic fund,
and on account OF the tremendous con.
sequences to the whole country OF a
spread of yellow fever, 1t is entirely
proper for the national government 10
bear a considerable part Of the ex-
pense. Perhaps the stupid Italians
will have more respect for federal au.
thority. Perhaps. also, there is some
thing doing" in local New Orleans
politics.
All these things considered. there
fore. 1t is perhaps well that federal
control has been invoked.
But there are many reasons why
federal control of epidemlcs should
not become the rule and why states
should not surrender the prerogative
of protecting their own interests.
In the summer of 1897 New Orleans
had just such an outbreak as this,
following an epidemic of dengue fever
Galveston also had an epidemic OF
dengue fever at the same time, and
New orleans kept insisting that Gal
weston was concealing yellow fever
under the guise of dengue. Finally,
at the instigation of New Orleans. Dr.
Guiteras of the federal marine hospi-
tai service. the same DR.. Guteras
who Is now in New Orleans, a yellow
fever expert of great renown, went
TO Galveston, and after diagnosing
about 100 cases Of dongue inside of a
week, pronounced eight Of them yel-
low fever. lie went TO Houston one
afternoon, and in the short space OF
| two hours examined twelve cases of
| dengue and pronounced four of them
| yellow fever.
Twothirds of the physicians in Gal.
weston and all in Houston disputed
| the Guiteras diagnosis and insisted
| that the patients had dengue
And results proved that Guiteras
was wrong.
Not a single one of the eight pa
| tionts at Galveston or of the four at
Houston died, not single other case
could be found even by Galveston
! physicians who agreed with Guiteras
at the time, and within ten days tran
/ quillity was restored
This single instance shows how an
expert may be mistaken and how ex-
elusive federal jurisdiction would have
operated to the inante injustice OF
Galveston and Houston. for It may be
depended upon that Guiteras would
have continued to find what he mis-.
took for yellow fever, and IL is more
than likely that many people would
have actually died OF the panic.
Men given wholly to the study of a
| disease, as these marine hospital ex.
perts are. often see II where II does
not exist. 1t is not unusual for men
tai concentration TO be trlcked In this
way, Yet when the disease actually
exists these same overzealous experts
become vastly efficient in handling It.
Federal service may be invoked as
an aid in all instances, or occasionally
as the exclusive responsible director
as in this. but a fixed rule of federal
control of quarantine would be unwise
| Record
+ + =
A special from Muskogee, under
date of the 9Th states that meetings
would be held in all the districts OF
Indian Territory Monday to select del
egates to the proposed convention al
Muskogce. II further states that q
meeting would be held in ArdmorC
Monday morning TO select delegates
from this district If such convention
was ever held or ever intended to be
held, the Ardmoreite has been unabl,
TO secure any trace of IL. II is quite
likely that not a single delegate from
the Chickasaw nation will be selected
10 this convention as our people
; without regard to color, sex or poll