Memorial of William Hume, M.D., to the honorable the mayor and aldermen of the city of Charleston / published by order of Council.

  • Hume, W. (William)
Date:
1858
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Memorial of William Hume, M.D., to the honorable the mayor and aldermen of the city of Charleston / published by order of Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    rise to a few cases which, fortunately, occurred so late in the summer that propagation was not general. it' this thirty day Quarantine is now seen to be so disastrous, it may be asked why it was enacted ? In reply, we answer that it was the longest period that could be obtained at a time when the whole law was considered to be oppressive, imprac- ticable and useless. It was accepted on the hope that the interests of merchants would never allow their vessels to be detained in idleness, for so long a period, when they had the right to discharge the import cargo, receive an export, and proceed to sea as soon as possible. But this reasonable expectation has not been realized—for six of the Quarantine vessels have remained in the harbor during the whole summer, and four of the six were infected on arrival, or by subsequent contamination, and were capable of infecting the city had they been permitted to enter the docks. From dangers so palpable it is designed to save the city, by the proposed amendment of the law. It is converting a discretion into an obligation, and relieving those in authority from perpetual petitions to do what the spirit of the law prohibits, and what the safety of the city demands. An accumulation of infected ships in our harbor is always dangerous, and it is not always necessary. The object of the present recommendation is to limit their stay, and thus prevent their inordinate increase and consequent amount of infection and continuity of danger. Thirty days is fully sufficient to discharge and take in a cargo; and then the vessel may be ordered to depart the State, by virtue of the Act of General Assembly, passed December 20th, 1832, Sec. IV. viz : That the Governor of the State, and in his absence the City Council of Charleston, shall have full power and authority to order any vessel arriving within the harbor of Charleston, with a malignant or contagious