SENATOESHIP AT ALB ANY -1864 -1865 109 



for persons and papers, summoned large numbers of wit 

 nesses, and brought to view a state of things even worse 

 than anything any of us had suspected. 



Against the citizens committee, headed by Judge Whit 

 ing and Mr. Eaton, Boole, aided by a most successful 

 Tammany lawyer of the old sort, John Graham, fought 

 with desperation. In order to disarm his assailants as 

 far as possible, he brought before the committee a num 

 ber of his &quot;health officers&quot; and &quot; sanitary inspectors,&quot; 

 whom he evidently thought best qualified to pass muster ; 

 but as one after another was examined and cross-exam 

 ined, neither the cunning of Boole nor the skill of Mr. 

 Graham could prevent the revelation of their utter unfit- 

 ness. In the testimony of one of them the whole mon 

 strous absurdity culminated. Judge Whiting examining 

 him before the commission with reference to a case of 

 small-pox which had occurred within his district, and to 

 which, as health officer it was his duty to give attention, 

 and asking him if he remembered the case, witness an 

 swered that he did. The following dialogue then ensued : 



Q. Did you visit this sick person? 



A. No, sir. 



Q. Why did you not! 



A. For the same reason that you would not. 



Q. What was that reason? 



A. I did n t want to catch the disease myself. 



Q. Did the family have any sort of medical aid! 



A. Yes. 



Q. From whom did they have it! 



A. From themselves; they was &quot;highjinnicks&quot; (hy 

 gienics). 



Q. What do you mean by &quot;highjinnicks&quot;? 



A. I mean persons who doctor themselves. 



After other answers of a similar sort the witness de 

 parted; but for some days afterward Judge Whiting edi 

 fied the court, in his examination of Boole s health offi 

 cers and inspectors, by finally asking each one whether 

 he had any &quot;highjinnicks&quot; in his health district. Some 



