1893-1894 - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

FIFTH r.IKNXIAL REPORT. 37
Raleigh, N. C, April 14, 1893.
Dear Doctor:— I have just received the following letter from the Secretary
of the Board of Quarantine of the port of Wilmington: "The
Quarantine Board of the port of Wilmington respectfully submit that, in
view of the opinion expressed l>y the Conference of Healtli Officers that
the emergency demanded the erection and operation of disinfecting
plants at seaport towns, the State Board of Health take ujj the question
and consider the advisability of making available the appropriation made
for this port b}' the last Legislature."
The following is an extract from a report of the proceedings of the
Conference: "Dr. H. B. Baker, of Michigan, offered the following,
^
which was unanimously adopted : liesolred, That in the present emergency
every State maintaining a maritime quarantine should possess a
perfectly equipped station with all appliances necessary for thorough
disinfection of infected vessels, unless there are special reasons to the
contrary.' The last clause was added to cover the case of States like
New Jersey, whicli can avail themselves of the stations of neigldioring
States."
As this is a matter of urgent imi^ortance, in order to save delay and
the necessity of a special meeting of the Board so near the time of the
regular meeting on the 10th pi'ox., I would thank you for an immediate
expression of opinion by letter on the question. If a majority of tlie
Board reply in the afiirmative, and the Governor approves, the Quarantine
Board would feel authorized to give out the contracts at once, and more
regular action could be taken by the Board of Health when it meets, if
deemed necessary.
The facts on which the above letter is based are these : The last Legislature
appropriated •'?20,000 for a modern disinfecting jilant at Southport,
which now has none at all, but attached the condition that the money
should not be available until "in the opinion of the Governor and the State
Board of Health the entrance of cholera into the port is imminent."
Upon the construction of the word "imminent" hangs the decision. In
Worcester's Comprehensive Dictionary the word "imminent" is detined
"impending; threatening; near," tlie only meanings given. In th.e opinion
of the recent Conference alluded to in the letter quoted cholera is
"impending; threatening; near," as it doubtless is in the oi)inion of
nearly every other person of any sanitary experience, owing to our constant
intercourse with western FAirope. In this case the word imminent
could not be taken to mean something "about to fall on the instant,"
for it would be manifestly absurd to wait until a ship with cholera on
board had entered the mouth of the Cujie Fear before giving out the contract
for apparatus requiring two or three months for its construction to
prevent the entrance of the disease. So that in the opinion of the undersigned,
as well as of two other members of the Board with whom he has