The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-02-11
SUNDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY II, 1849

in by way of joke, and we hurried past him to
"Whai's The matter9 Don't like the placer"
"Csn't say do, Peter, queer spot; rayther lone
some for sleeping spot"
"Never heard anybody complain OF It..
"When did these people dleP'
some last night, two dis morning"
"Does everybody that dies In the hospital come
"Yes, all come to my house. Some bury from
here who got friends got money. Come here,
soon he die.''
"What's that room!'
'Dat one? Where doctors Gut up de body"
"Cut up the bodiesl You don't pretend to say
that everybody who dies In this hospital is dlssect-
"Non. Cut HIM up to see what he die Of. See
many funny scene here. l sows ,em up when de
"What hole?'
s'That hole under de table; 1t lead away down
INTO de Nerd river. Sewer, youca him, ehP'
w Yese dyS 5. es G b OF
shave"
Peter then opened another room, where there
said the Coroner held his jury over the bodies Of
those that died in the hospital and that the doc
tors lectured here Up stairs, by circular stair
case, we found a sort Of anatomical cabinet-pre-
served babies, and legs, and 6ngers, and SOULS,
and all that sort OF thing.
"Seen enoughP' says Pete.
PLENTY" said we.
"Now 20 wild you to the marine building" and
along, stories about Dr. Post, Dr. Buck, DR.. Smith,
Beck and all the other head men that do the cut
ting and carving, and dosing, and physlcking In
side those walls. AS we entered the marine
building, we met man coming out with coal
scuue in his hand, and hole In his throat. He
whispered Pete as he passed,
"Who Is that old chap, Pete?'
"Name is Knsty-been fireman here SIX year.
Cut his throat twice."
"What did he cut his throat twice for?"
"Cause he didn't kill himself de first time"
I" But what did he cut II the first time tor -
."Cause he love putty girl. Leetle girl no love
"What ID tool to cut his throat for wo-
man." said we. "Great many more fsol dan
him about de women" replied the philosopher Of
the dead.heuse. Here man came tor Pete, and
north building, and wanted our chaperen, and 50
Pete lett live reporter to take care Of himself,
while he put off to handle the dead man.
We soon secured another pilot In the shape of
nurse. We stated our business, and he very will
sort Of ground cells, with doors leading into
main passage, which extended the entire length
oft building. Noticing our surprise at the bars,
and bolts, and fasteniags Of the windows, evil
Termed us that the entire floor had never been
used slnce the maniacs had been transferred to
Bloomlngdale; and "God forbid they should ever
be, said we, for our blood ran cold at the idea Of
being chained In enc of these loathesme damp
cells, even if person should lose his reason.
We ascended to the next heor and went amsng
the patients; many were sailors, but all were not
The floor is divided up into large rooms, and
near each is the nurses room. generally a maa
cured, and having nothing else to do, is willing,
for IS month, to nurse the patients In particular
ward. There are on this floor three wards.
containing in each ward nine to twelve patients.
m m w ire 4,
ed; 6remen, freshmen blown up blasting, broken
legs, and arms and SOULS, and fractures of all
Kinds, persons run over In the streets or stabbed
in fray. We cast our eyes over them; bat we
have no room for details. Some were reading.
playing drafts, and whistling away long weary
hours OF pain and suffering, n well as they knew
how.
On the next floor we found about the same mum.
Der Of wards, but much more clearly, and evidence
of woman's care and watchtulness. The nurses
were females, and among them we found an old
Martha washington: She made us :. Welcome, and
on that floor had had legs or arms amputated, or
eyes injured, or collar bones broken Attached
TO each ward 10 room containing Croton toun-
tain, bath with cold or hot water at all hours.
Again we rose to another flesr-same wards, but
filed with all the cases that cannot be mentioned
We would recommend every sailor, and every
young man who Is fond of floating about town,
and going to bad places at night, or of get
ting acquainted with strange, women, to
spend an hour in those wards, and then
be could see it's effects IN all the most
loathsome and disgusting forms. The smell
was dreadful. Fine looking intelligent young
death by inches. We would not be nurse In
one of these wards for Bill Astors income. The
last call we made was upon the House Doc or, as
he il designated. He was a young man, and had
walked that hospital for two years, and would now
remain for two years more. He Is constantly on
hand. The head doctor generally goes through the
hospital every day. attended by about a. dozen
simple looking pups that we suppose were his stu
dents. Here a tin horn blew, and seeing. from
every ward persons hurryng out with tin pals and
large earthen dishes, we asked the nurse what it
meant.
That ls the dinner horn
"These persons do dine then9' said we, some
what surprised.
"To be sure they do-;hem as is living"
al should like a bite myself"
"Come, then. and dine in my ward, with the
There was long table, well rubbed down, but no
table cloth. We took seat.
care you a patlent!' said one chap, with his
head bound up.
"For little WHILE"
What's the matter ~
Consumption"
care you a sailor Custom House duck EhP
"Then you got no business here; your place 10
IN the main building. Well, you had better wait
until the House Doctor examines you"
"Thank you. What do the governors give you
for grub p
1--WE gets soup every day at dinner"
every good. What else ~
"Bread"
No butter -
emo" Bad"
"We get common bull beet every other day,
and every other day that we don't get beet tor
dinner, we gets mush and moasses, and Sundays
we gets only rice and mclasses."
Who gives you your feedP'
We takes turns and gets it, aud one set keep
the room clean, another cleans the dishes, and We
all as is well enough helps them as isn't we'll
enough"
"We, there Is nothing like 1t, we must help
each other in this world, If we wish to be happy
Do you get tobacco"
"If we pays for 1t, and chews 1t on the sly, and
if we smoke, we has to 60 down In the yard; 1t
Amt allowed"