Evening star., 1922-03-26
Fifty Years Ago
i'm The Star

The hope of a canal across the 18TH
mus connecting the Atlantic and Pacif!c
ocenm was held for
Isthmian Canal many years before it.
accomplishment. This
Commission. government had its
eye upon a route for such a waterwdE
fifty years ago and set to work to de
velop dt. as the following paragraph in
The Star Of March 20, 1872. indicates:
'The President has appointed Bre-
vet Maj. Gen. Andrew A. Humphrey
of the Engineer Corps. u. S. Army:
Prof. Benjamin Pierce Of Massachu-
setts and Capt. Daniel Ammen, U. s
Navy and chief of the navigation bu-
reau. to be commissioners OF the
United States to examine and con
slider all surveys, plans, proposals OF
tion by canal or water connection
between the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans across. over or near the 18TH
mus of Darien. which have already
been submitted or may hereafter be
submitted to the President during the
pendency Of this appointment, or
which may be referred to them by the
President, and to report in writing
their conclusions and the result OF
such examination to the President.
The world was sick at this time fifty
years ago. Diseases Of a malignant and
epidemic type prevailed
Endemic broadly in various regions.
and this country was suf-
OioeaSee' fering along with others.
In The Star Of March 81, 1872. is the
following editorial on the subject:
by the testimony of medical men
and of the press all over the world.
this has been an exceptional year FOR
the prevalence of diseases OF ma
lignant type. What peculiar state OF
the atmosphere causes this spread OF
disease is not settled. but there Is a
deficiency or a superabundance OF
some element to occasion it. The
has travelled in this country. the
steady advance of cholera over the
world from its Asiatic lair, the alarm
ing development of the spotted fever
or cerebro spinal meningitis. the un-
precedented spread OF maiignant
sles and like diseases IN their worst
type are illustrations of this unpleas
ant fact And the stricken localities
already decimated by one form of
plague seem to be particularly liable
to others. Brooklyn, n. Y. not yet
relieved from Its attack Of virulen,
smallpox. Is now under a panic from
the ravages of the spotted fever.
Within the past few days numbers of
cases have been reported in various
sections of that city. and it is stated
that all have proved fatal 1t al
tacks children and adults with like
severity, and death frequently results
within twenty-four hours. The
symptoms are pain in the back and
head, with Strengthening OF the
neck, the whole spinal column being
affected. This leads to lockjaw, and
then death follows.
"This city. Notwithstanding some
cases of smallpox. shows its usua
low death rate. The fact that the
deadly form of smallpox now prevail
is doubtless due to the vigilance with
which our board of health followed
up the work Of securing general vac
cination. Their labors in this direc-
ton were decried by thoughtless peo-
pie before any cases Of smallpox had
occurred here; but all now concede
the wisdom Of their precautions: In
Boston we notice that the frightfui
disease has been warded off by like pre-
caution. In every possible way vac
cination was encouraged and. when
it was practicable. was enforced, all
applicants being treated gratuitously.
A strict watch also is kept in the
public schools: no pupil is admitted
who has not been vaccinated, and as
no child is permitted to be absent
from the school. all the pupils are
necessarily subjected to the preeerva-
tive lancet The city of Providence
shares a like exemption. having had
but two or three cases OF smallpox.
while the disease has prevailed more
or less all around it: and this 10 said
to be attributable to the zeal OF ali
enthusiastic health officer in en-
forcing an effective ordinance for
compulsory vaccination. In this. as
in other matters. an ounce of pre-
yention Is worth pound Of cure"