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Report of the Committee on the Utility of Wet Docks in Connection With Quarantines, and the Propriety of Placing the Entire Establishment Under the Jurisdiction of the United States Government - Softcover

New York, June 1, 1860

 
9780332264820: Report of the Committee on the Utility of Wet Docks in Connection With Quarantines, and the Propriety of Placing the Entire Establishment Under the Jurisdiction of the United States Government

Synopsis

This book, a historical overview of the US's earliest quarantine practices, explores the legal and scientific debates surrounding 19th century quarantine efforts in New York City. The author draws on firsthand accounts and medical reports from physicians stationed at Marine Hospital, the epicenter of quarantine at the time. The author argues that, had quarantine stations been run by the federal government, rather than by the state, tragedies such as the burning down of the hospital by an angry mob could have been avoided. The text lays bare the motivations of the parties involved to reveal the deficiencies in the system, system deficiencies that endangered not only immigrants but staff. The author asserts that the focus on ships and cargo rather than on personal health opened the door to preventable epidemics. These failures raise questions about governmental efficiency, the humanity of quarantine practices, and the effectiveness of fear-based public health policy.

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