SENATORSHIP 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 "health officers 7 ' and " sanitary inspectors," 

 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 "highjinnicks" (hy- 

 gienics). 



Q. What do you mean by "highjinnicks"? 



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 "highjinnicks" in his health district. Some 



