The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-11-22

on Quarantine:
Mr.. President and Gentlemen: The
history of medicine. not to say the
history of commerce, is replete with
evidence that from time immemorial,
communities have endeavored to pro-
tect themselves from the inroads of
disease from countries foreign to them.
History shows quarantine to have
been one of the earliest practical ap-
plications of medical knowledge
Eager IN his early History of Quar-
antine." Bulletin No. II Yellow
Fever, Institute, refers to the direc-
tons contained in Leviticus, Numbers,
and the FIRST Book of Samuel, for the
quarantine of 1epers, first in the desert,
then outside the camp, and afterwards
without the walls of Jerusalem. In
these books the inspection of persons
for the detection of leprosy is detail
ed. Persons afflicted with skin dis
eases were directed to present them
selves before the priests. An observa-
ton of each case was made, and ac-
cording to minutely described symp-
toms, isolation of the patients was or
dered for prescribed period. Among
the Greeks, in the rites of Aesculapius,
the sick were not permitted to enter the
tSIiplcS, WueTc Incy uHOeTWenL treat
ment, without first being purified by
various baths, fr1ctions and fumiga-
lions. The Crusaders on their arrival
outside the walls of Jerusalem found
lazarettos still in existence, and after
taking the city from the Mussulmans
sent all contagious maladies to these
isolated places. The Venetians, how
ever, were the first to inaugurate mari
time sanitary measures. In the year
1000 they had overseers of public
health. In l34S these overseers of pub
lie health were authorized to spend
public money for the purpose of iso-
lating infected ships, goods, and per-
sons at an island of the lagoon, and
to detail a medical man to attend the
sick. AS a later result a quarantine
station was esta blished in 1403 at
Venice. In 1496, by an Act of the
syphilis were forbidden under pain of
the natter to have any dealings with
well persons, and it was ordered that
the sick should be segregated IN places
set aside for their reception IN the
FauboUrg st. German. 1t is said that
in the time of Captain Cook, 1777, the
natives of the South Sea Islands prac
tlced quarantine In a crude way In the
case of persons arriving from other
islands. In 1921, following on epidemic
of yellow fever in Spain, quarantine be-
came an institution in Europe, and in
1928 and 1924 an Act of Parliament
was passed in England directing quar-
antine against yellow fever. The old
regime of quarantine closed in 1852 as
a result of the international sanitary
conferences at Paris. At this con-
ference delegates were present from
Eran Are trIa ha tyrn Sicitiac
Spain, the Roman States, Greece, Por-
tugal and Turkey. Regulations were
adopted, which were based upon the
latest medical doctrines of the day,
with the result that many useless re-
strictions and hardships which were en-
forced in the name of sanitation We're
discontinued. These facts. taken from
Eager's paper are in themselves suff-
cient to show that quarantine as an
institution has followed the instinct or
law of representation from the time
when might made right, to the time
when men were willing to be guided
in their acts by the teachings of
thoughtful investigation The history
of quarantine in the United States as
it is contained in the annals of the
Public Health and Marine Hospital
Service, further demonstrates the in
fiuence which scientific investigation
has exerted upon the evolution of pre-
ventive medicine, and the great public
benefit thereby derived. Quarantine,
although based upon scientific teach
ing, is not science in itself. Its
application is more in the nature of
a variable treatment of a variable con-
dition. Therefore the task of explain
ing or interpreting the rationale of
quarantine is extremely difficult, the
reason for this lying in the fact that
a proper environment or atmosphere IS
necessary to description of any prin-
ciple or doctrine. In the case of the
description of quarantine, the environ
ment or atmosphere naturally involves
many OIL the details of quarantine prac-
tice and equipment, with which L shall
not bore you today.
( The development of quarantine as an
institution in the United States is so
closely associated with history of the
Public Health and Marine Hospital
Service. that few words concerning
the latter may be of interest.
The United States Public Health
and Marine Hospital Service was
known until very recently as the Ma
rine Hospital Service.
The Marine Hospital Service was
established by national Act in 1898. |
BY It's establishments IL was supPoseu
that by providing the proper medical
and surgical aid for sick and disabled
American seamen two great objects
would be accomplished, one of these
being the promotion of American ship |
ping interests and the other the con-
servation. in the best possible physical
condition, of merchant seamen who !
might be wanted in time of war for
naval duty.
In 1899 the law was extended so as
to include as benefciaries, under the
same conditions, navy officers and men.
These benefits were received by the
navy until 1911, when other provision
was made for the care and mamie
nance of sick and disabled navy sea
men. The first Marine Hospital was
established at Norfolk, Va, IN the
year 1900.