Page:Senate Reports 1892–’93.djvu/797

{| have become surrounded by Infected vessels from the wharf, and in consequence have had yellow fever occur among their crew; and in which little has been done to remedy their insanitary condition.
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There is every reason to believe that many vessels, at wharves, become infected in fact, particularly Spanish vessels, which do not reveal their dangerous condition by any sickness existing or having occurred aboard, as their entire crews have immuuity from yellow fever by having had it before. Other vessels on entering the harbor immediately discharge all unacclimated persons, and ship new ones only the moment they desire to leave. In such cases there can be no tell-tale incident to betray their actual condition in regard to infection.

It is found that the statements of the officers and crew of the average sailing vessel are so unreliable that the sanitary history must depend to a great extent upon the vigilance and port experience of the inspector himself. Captains have frequently declared that they had no sickness, when the inspector knew and had seen some of their men sick in hospital with yellow fever, and again confronted them aboard convalescent, but still yellow as oranges.

Instances like the following used to occur much oftener than at present:

A Spanish steamer, bound for New Orleans, applied a few years ago for the consular bill of health, presenting that of the local board, in which it was stated that all were well aboard and that there was no disease of an infectious or epidemic character in the harbor. I knew that the steamer had been discharging three or four days at an infected wharf, and on going aboard to inspect crew and vessel I found the chief engineer and two men down with yellow fever. The engineer’s case was a rapid and malignant one, for he was already vomiting black and wondering what it was and why he felt so weak in so short a time. The sick were all sent ashore and the engineer died the next day. Here was a vessel about to start for New Orleans with a clean bill of health from the Cuban or local board of health, while three of her crew were actually sick and dying of yellow fever aboard.

The unreliable character of bills of health, issuing from local boards of health in some foreign ports, subject to all the influences of social, political, and commercial surroundings, which consider only the supposed interest of their own place, is well shown in such an instance as has just been narrated. It also shows that that instrument, to be of protective sanitary value, should be made out by one who not only keeps himself aucourant with the prevailing diseases, and particularly any of an infective character, but also with the sanitary condition of the port and the vessels therein. He also should be one whose interests and sympathies are with the people of the port of destination, who has a natural and loyal desire to assist in protecting them from the introduction of infectious and contagious diseases, and who can be held responsible to those who appointed him, and to the country which he serves. In the faithful execution of his mission he often has many disagreeable duties. Where is the sanitarian or quarantine official who at times is not criticised most unjustly and unmercifully and calumniated without sense or reason? Every captain wants what he calls a clean bill of health,no matter how infected the city and wharves and his vessel may be. The sickness which may have occurred aboard, and which may have resulted in death from yellow fever in hospital or elsewhere, he calls a bad cold, or the result of the bad care the sailor took of himself, etc., or anything to disguise the facts.

The sanitary inspector frankly, in the consul’s bill of health, tells