Alvin
Randolph Sweeney was born in Grand Chenier, Cameron Louisiana on September 2,
1881, the fifth of 12 children born to Columbus Carter Sweeney and Aurelia
Miller Sweeney. His father was a physician in Gran Chenier, LA and clearly influenced
his son to choose the medical profession.
Dr. Sweeney was educated in
private and public schools on these same islands, and taught school there
before leaving to attend Acadia College in Lake Charles in 1900. After two
years in Lake Charles he attended Texas Central University at Greenville,
Texas, graduating in 1904. That same year he enrolled in Vanderbilt Medical
School, transferred to Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
graduating in the class of 1908. [1] In 1908 he married Rilla
Adele Ingram of Fort Worth, Texas. He
practiced in Port Arthur, TX and Enid OK before receiving his commission as an
officer of the Public Health Service on March 3, 1913. He became a passed surgeon May 13, 1918 and
then promoted to Surgeon on May 7, 1922.[2]
Sweeney was made commanding officer of Gallops Island
on January 3, 1927. During Sweeney’s tenure, communicable disease had seen
dramatic declines which were maintained by his vigilant efforts to fumigate
vessels and continue examining them for rats. In fiscal year 1927 Sweeney
reported fumigation of vessels was done at the docks in Boston and occasionally
at the quarantine anchorage. A total of 732 rats were recovered. Of these, 5
were Rattus norvegicus, 307 Rattus alexandrinus, and 420 Rattus rattus. All
rats recovered were examined for plague but none were found infected. Sweeney
noted that in view of the widespread prevalence of plague and the large number
of vessels from plague-infected ports entering Boston the menace from this
disease is apparent. The rat proofing of vessels to protect against the plague,
was especially valuable under these conditions.[3]
In 1928 Sweeney made arrangements to care for the
quarantine functions at the ports of Beverly, Salem, and Lynn, Plymouth and New
Bedford, Massachusetts. At the two latter ports a local quarantine officer was
appointed to take care of the work. In 1929 he saw an improved class of vessels
entering Boston with many making progress in rat proofing thereby reducing the need
for fumigation. In 1929 Sweeney’s staff inspected 1,047 vessels, 71,464 seamen
and 47,534 passengers. A total of 25% of the passengers inspected were examined
intensively for vermin infestation. The system of making combined quarantine
and immigration inspection, inaugurated during his first year continued with
satisfaction.
At the Boston Quarantine Station 161 vessels were
fumigated, Zyklon-B and cyanogen chloride being the fumigants used. Sweeney
conducted experiments to determine the effect, if any, of these fumigants on
foodstuffs. Experiments to determine the comparative efficiency of cyanide and
carbon sulfide and tetrachloride gases were also made. [4] In 1931 Sweeney learned
Congress authorized 24 hour quarantine service and this meant resources might
be required to meet this higher standard of performance. On March 23, 1931 Sweeney
urged the Surgeon General to provide the requisite resources for Boston to keep
up with this anticipated expansion of services.[5] The Surgeon General’s
office noted that increased service must be justified. Sweeney quickly determined shipping companies
could live with 16 hours of daily service so no resources would be needed to
meet the congressional mandate.
Franklin Roosevelt nominated Sweeney to be Senior
Surgeon and his position was confirmed in 1933 by the U.S. Senate.[6] Sweeney was relieved of command
in Boston on August 1, 1935. The Boston
Globe covered the luncheon celebration honoring his eight years of
outstanding service. Sweeney took the opportunity to praise Boston for its
world famous schools, and its vital economy at a time when the great depression
was badly hurting the rest of the American economy. His eight year stay at
Gallops Island was one of the longest assignments for any commanding officer in
the U.S. Public Health Service history. Attending his farewell party was John
F. Fitzgerald, a member of the Boston Port Authority who predicted greatly
improved business for the port in the ensuing year.
Sweeney had numerous assignments in his busy
quarantine career including Galveston, TX (August 11, 1915); St Louis, MO (December
3, 1916); Fort Worth, TX (assignment ended: April 27, 1918); Fayetteville, NC, (September
17, 1918 to June 30, 1919); Stapleton, NY, (July 18, 1919); Ellis Island, NY, (October
12, 1920); Port Arthur, TX (June 18, 1925). Boston, MA (1927 to 1935), and
Philadelphia, PA (1935). [7] He was a member of the Washington Health
Council, a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, a member of the
American Academy of Political and Social Science, the American Medical
Association, Washington Medical Society,
Association of Military Surgeons, American Public Health Association, and a 32nd degree
Mason. He retired on October 1, 1945 and accepted a position as Superintendent
of Gallinger Hospital, Washington, D. C., where he served until April 27, 1949,
when he became ill. He died at the U. S. Marine Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland
on April 17, 1954.
No comments:
Post a Comment