292 



EPIDEMIC DISEASES, SANITARY CONTROL OF. 



ough examination of the question, and from a 

 conviction of the indispensable necessity of so 

 radical a measure for the extirpation of the 

 disease in the locality where it first appeared 

 the committee having subsequently heard the 

 opinion of the physicians present, both with 

 regard to the measure in question, and in gen- 

 eral in relation to the means which have been 

 shown by science and experience to be best 

 adapted to put a stop to an epidemic, and to 

 prevent it from spreading." 



In addition to the irregular troops mentioned 

 above, bodies of infantry were placed at the 

 disposal of the civil establishments, and unlim- 

 ited credit was opened to meet all expenses 

 from the Treasury. His Majesty the Emperor 

 sent a special commissioner plenipotentiary. 

 A commission was appointed to act in the mat- 

 ter, composed of medical specialists, whose 

 duty it was to study the subject of the progress 

 of the epidemic, and the proper means of 

 stamping it out, and purifying the localities 



measures adopted against it ; and the instruc- 

 tions were carried out as above outlined, under 

 the direction of Aide-de-Camp General Count 

 Louis-Melikoff, who was sent to the infected 

 locality with the rights and privileges of a tem- 

 porary governor-general. On the arrival of 

 Count Louis-Melikoff, in March, 1879, an inter- 

 national sanitary council was held, composed 

 of the most distinguished sanitarians of Europe, 

 Professors Hirsch, Besiadetsky, Cabiadis, Pe- 

 trisco, and Eichwald. By the advice of this 

 International Council, a general sanitary cordon 

 was established all round the province of As- 

 trakhan, with the object of protecting Russia 

 and neighboring countries of the empire,* and 

 Professor Eichwald advised that the sanitary 

 cordon should be maintained around the in- 

 fected region until the 2d of May. These meas- 

 ures were entirely successful, and the plague 

 did not spread to any other place outside of 

 the originally infected district, nor has it reap- 

 peared. 



MAP OF 

 S, WESTERN TEXAS 



Infected District 



Quarantine Stations J3 and Guard Li 



then infected or those likely to become so ; and 

 in view of the impression produced in foreign 

 countries by the reports of the plague, they 

 should furnish to the government reliable in- 

 formation concerning the epidemic, and the 



The efficacy of this plan, although on a 



much smaller scale, has been sufficiently shown 



in this country. Space is not sufficient to go 



into details regarding it, but an opportunity 



* See map on page 291. 



