Passing from the points of law, to the operations under those existing, I first call attention to the fact that Texas suffered immunity from a comparatively unorganized system until 1882, when a total disregard of all the promises made on the part of the Mexican government admitted the fever into Matamoras. Once epidemic in Matamoras, its communication to Brownsville was a matter of a few days, where it became epidemic. After the state health officer had exhausted his appropriation, the matter of cordon sanataire was turned over to Dr. Spohn, of Corpus Christi, representing the U. S. Marine Hospital service. In attempting to return to his head-quarters at Austin, from Brownsville, the state health officer was himself held below Corpus Christi for twenty days in quarantine by local authorities.

The operations of 1883, 1884, 1885, and 1886 took their usual routine of declaration by the governor of quarantine, and restrictions placed upon all the coast. There was no fever during these years.

In 1887 Gen. L. L. S. Ross became governor of Texas, and I was reappointed state health officer. Found restrictions in force against cholera, which were continued. Railroad communication had now placed us in direct communication with the Pacific coast and Mexico. Fever began in Florida at Key West early in June. Later in this month it became evident that the various railroad connections in the state made us just as susceptible as we would be from the coast, and it was therefore thought wise by the governor of Texas to declare a quarantine, and place officers at Sabine, Logansport, Waskom, Texarkana, Paris, Denison, Gainsville, El Paso, Lerado, and Matamoras. A strict passenger and baggage surveillance was exercised over the fast trains. Regulations in regard to express, freights, mails, and other susceptible material were at the same time disseminated. The success of the operation requires no placarding. We had no fever in Texas, and in November, the temperature of Texas admitting the same, said quarantine was removed.

The 1st of May, 1888, as usual, quarantine was enforced upon our coast. In July it again became requisite for Texas to operate her border stations. The yellow-fever was again alive, and spreading in Florida.

On the 20th of July the governor's proclamation was issued establishing quarantine against Florida. Another followed in August against Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. These restrictions were removed by his excellency in October and November against Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. Restrictions against Florida are still in force. It soon became apparent that this was not a mere revulsive act, cautioning people not to come. Either unaware of the law, or willing to serve out a time of quarantine, they soon began to accumulate on our hands, so that at each of these stations we sometimes had the appearance of a military camp, having at Texarkana and Sabine, in several instances during the quarantine, from forty to eighty refugees on hand. This matter, forced upon us as quarantine authorities, gave us perhaps the

appearance of want of care; but when the matter comes to be properly viewed, it is evident to any reasonable man that quarantine stations could not be rebuilt at these points in the short period from June to August; therefore we had to rely upon the tent, which, possibly, in the main, Iwas the safer of the two.

This brings the active operations up to date as a connective history of this quarantine. Suffice it to say, we have had no fever, nor ever a suspicious case.

Now, to go back in the history of this matter, I wish to call your attention to some of the expenditures made by the legislature and people of Texas for her coast and border defences. In 1879, under the first organization under the state law, $12,500 was appropriated to build stations along the coast and border. This was accomplished about the middle of the quarantine season of 1879, when the last station, at Brazos Santiago, was completed. In September of 1880 the station at Brazos Santiago was destroyed, and was rebuilt in 1887 at a cost of $4,500. Indianola, built in 1879, destroyed by storm in 1886, and rebuilt in 1887 at a cost of $1,750. Sabine, built in 1879, destroyed by cyclone in October, 1885, rebuilt in 1887. Galveston, built in 1870 by the city, destroyed in the hurricane of 1875, with the loss of Dr. Peete and Grandson; temporary structure placed in 1876 by the city of Galveston, and a new and complete residence and hospital built by the city in 1879, which was allowed to go to decay and destruction during Governor Ireland's administration. A new residence and state warehouse was built by a combination of the city and state, which was commenced in 1885, and is still extant. The station at Corpus Christi, or Shell Banks hospital, was destroyed by fire, and in 1883 the residence was removed one mile east. These stations constitute the coast defences. There were, also, houses built at Waskom, Texarkana, and Sabine in 1879, and allowed to go to decay, or were burned by tramps, except the one at Sabine where a guard had been kept.

There are many complications in the life of a quarantine officer, especially in the state of Texas, which do not come under the ordinary construction of a system of law; for instance, a community may become so excited as to demand, through their municipal powers, immediate or shot-gun relief. But the beauty of our system of law in Texas is, that it has prevented on three occasions this year the reënactment of the foolish tragedy at Shreveport, where it becomes necessary, under law, that a community shall make distinct statements of their cause of grievance, and this matter be first submitted to the executive before any action on their part shall be taken of a local nature. Thus time is allowed for the hot heads to cool off.

At the outset of this paper I gave you the history of the prevalence of yellow-fever in Texas from 1838 until 1867, showing the years of epidemic fever under the non-quarantine system; and again I have shown you, under the organized system properly provided for, from 1878 to 1888, or it might well be called from 1867 to 1888, the protec

tion from incipiently prepared quarantine, and what perfect immunity there has been from 1878 to 1888 from a thoroughly organized system.

The past two years Texas has had in operation eighteen quarantine stations on her sea-coast and inland borders, exclusive of the smaller inlets on the coast.

Belonging to the coast service is one steam tug, one schooner, two sloops, and twelve small sail and boarding boats.

Appropriations made by the state for her quarantine service, which has been in operation for ten years, is as follows:

XVI.

THE BOSTON QUARANTINE.

BY SAMUEL H. DURGIN, M. D.,

PRESIDENT OF THE BOSTON BOARD OF HEALTH.

The department of quarantine for the port of Boston is administered by a board of three health commissioners appointed by the mayor and aldermen of the city. Said commissioners carry into effect all the powers and duties that are conferred by statute law upon the city council as a board of health, and are authorized to make such regulations pertaining to quarantine, &c., as they may deem necessary for the protection of the public health.

The funds necessary for carrying on this department are appropriated by the city council, and amount to about sixteen thousand dollars a year. An income is derived from the fees for inspecting and disinfecting vessels, for vaccinating immigrants, and for board of patients in the quarantine hospital, amounting to about six thousand dollars.

The equipage of the department consists of a steamboat thoroughly arranged for the convenience of the boarding officer, for the transportation of supplies, the transfer of patients to the hospital, and for supplying super-heated steam for disinfecting purposes.

An island of about twelve acres, well stocked, cultivated, and managed, for the immediate comfort and welfare of the sick and others detained in quarantine, a large storehouse, hospitals and tents sufficient to accommodate about three hundred; a disinfecting chamber on the wharf for the use of steam heat in the treatment of bedding, clothing,

etc.

The regulations from June 1 to November I call for the inspection of all vessels from foreign ports, and from American ports south of Virginia. For the remainder of the year only such vessels are examined as have had on the voyage sickness of an infectious or doubtful character, and those bringing immigrants.

Prior to 1881 yellow-fever, typhus fever, cholera, and small-pox were the only diseases recognized as quarantinable; but since that date diphtheria, scarlet-fever, typhoid fever, and measles have been added to the list, and wherever these diseases are found they are at once removed to the hospital, and the vessel disinfected. The disinfectants used in the department are super-heated steam, bichloride of mercury, sulphurous acid gas, and chloride of lime.

All immigrants who do not show satisfactory evidence of protection against small-pox are vaccinated before landing. A record is made of

the name of the vessel, her master, where from, number of days on passage, number of persons on board, bill of health, sickness on passage, consignees, cargo, and sanitary condition of the vessel.

A daily report from the port physician gives a list of the vessels. inspected, the ports from which they have sailed, and their sanitary condition. Another daily report from the same officer gives an account of each patient in hospital and other persons detained for observation.

A fee of from five to eight dollars is charged for the inspection of vessels, ten dollars for disinfection, ten dollars a week for board of patients, and twenty-five cents for each vaccination. These fees are established by the board of health, collected by the port physician, turned over by him to the city treasurer, and a detailed statement of the same rendered to the board of health once a month. Every officer in the department receives a stated salary, which constitutes his entire recompense for duties performed.

During the last twenty-five years of our quarantine work, twenty-two of which have been under my personal supervision, we have examined nearly 20,000 vessels. Of this number 177 were found to be infected, and on board of which there had occurred 250 cases of contagious disease, viz., cholera, 4; typhus fever, 17; typhoid fever, 8; scarlet-fever, 5; measles, 51; small-pox, 81; yellow-fever, 84. These persons and vessels have been readily cared for, and in no instance, so far as we have any evidence, has a vessel failed to get thoroughly disinfected, nor has any infected person landed when disease could have been detected about him, or when he could have been reasonably suspected of incubating disease.

Small-pox may be contracted in Liverpool, and declare itself long after passing any inspection on our coast. An instance of this sort occurred about eighteen years ago, when an immigrant passed our quarantine and fell sick with small-pox in Lowell, Mass., after an incubation period of fifteen days, or five days after landing. Such instances can hardly occur now with the practice of vaccinating immigrants on their way across the ocean.

The special value, if any is to be attached to this brief statement of our work, must be looked for in the simple and permanent methods in use, together with the uniform results which have been obtained for a quarter of a century.