A treatise on Asiatic cholera / edited and prepared by Edmund Charles Wendt, in association with Drs. John C. Peters, Ely McClellan, John B. Hamilton, and Geo. M. Sternberg.
- Edmund Charles Wendt
- Date:
- 1885
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A treatise on Asiatic cholera / edited and prepared by Edmund Charles Wendt, in association with Drs. John C. Peters, Ely McClellan, John B. Hamilton, and Geo. M. Sternberg. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Gerstein Science Information Centre at the University of Toronto, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Gerstein Science Information Centre, University of Toronto.
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![garding the sanitary condition of passengers, cargo, crew and ship, should be everywhere carried on in the same way. Tlie period of detention may reasonably var}' with port and season, but the inspection should be always the same. Carelessness in making such inspections is a crime and should be so con- sidered. Efficiency depends upon the liimeshj, fd.i./hfn/ne.ss and patriotism of the inspector. No man should be selected for this great responsibility Avho does not combine with the necessary technical knowledge these three characteristics. The following, revised from an article by the writer, gives an account of the details of quarantine management: A quarantine station usually consists in a hospital for the sick (laza- retto, so named from the isolation of St. Lazarvis on account of k'])rosy, mal ch Saint Lazare); a boat, usually a steam vessel, to carry the boarding officer and sup])lies for the station, if there be any sick found on board the vessel coming into port, a separate boat or the ship's boat should take them to the lazaretto; and quarters for attendants. On arrival of a vessel at the quarantine, she is boarded by an inspecting officer, her bill of health examined, the crew and passengers mustered, the vessel itself inspected in every part to determine whether it be clean or foul. At this day, the bill of health is not accepted us prima facie evidence of the sanitary condition of the vessel, but is only corroborative. Even if it be stated thereon that the port from which the vessel last sailed was free from infectious disease,the inspector trusts to his own inspection of the vessel and examination of the persons on board and the cargo, together with his knowledge of the sanitary condition of the port of departure to determine whether or not the vessel should be detained in quarantine. If, however, the vessel is from an infected port, and the period of incubation of the disease has not elapsed, the vessel is detained in quarantine until the expiration of that time, whether there be sickness on board or not. If there be found con- tagious sickness, the sick are removed to the hospital, the bedding and other articles in their state-rooms or berths removed and destroyed, and the place thoroughly fumigated with the fumes of burning sulphur. In case the' vessel is discovered to be foul and in an unsanitary condition, whether there is sickness on board or not, the vessel is detained in quar- antine for the pur])ose of cleansing and fumigation, the cargo is removed to a warehouse, or to open lighters, the bilge water pumped out and all parts of the vessel fumigated. The hold of an infected vessel should be thoroughly washed out before fumigation Avith solution of the sulphate of copper. The sulphate of iron is cheaper and nearly as efficacious. Cor- rosive sublimate solution may also be employed. AVhenever necessary, the wood-work should be repainted. For the treatment of the cargo as well as the vessel much yet remains to bring the practice to a level Avith the advanced state of collateral sciences. As shown by Dr. Joseph Holt of New Orleans, Ave are still pursuing the practice of a past age in the lack of improved machinery. An invention has recently come into use for the disinfection of rags Avliich makes it possible to disinfect them in a bale. The fumes of burning sulphur, are driven into the bale through holloAV, perforated screws. Superheated steam may also be used, and is in fact easier of application. ' Cj'clopaidia of Political Science, Political Economy and Political History of the Uniti^d States, edited l)y Jolm S. Lalor, Ciiicago, 1883.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b20996421_0374.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
