The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-04-10

MARINE HosPrTAL, QUARANTINE, !
STATEN ISLAND, April 3, 1851. (

L NlAflNk I1O>PlTAL, QUARANTINE, \
\ STATEN ISLAND, April 3, 1851.
/ TO THE EDITOR or THE HERALD.
Sir:-My attention having been called to ms
cious article in the Tribune, Of the 9Th inst, re
journal, together with the subjoined statement.
Respectfully yo9r obs srt servant T
| Physician Of Marine Hospital.
From the Tribune Of the 5th April, 1911
MORTALITY At STATE issIrrurIoss on Staten ISLAND
Marine Hospital, under the charge Of DR.. Campbell
Stewart was e57 the number Of deaths le. ratio
mortality IL per cent The number of patients dis
charged from Seamans Retreat in 1850 212J; mum
Der of deaths l02 ratio Of mortality less than per
The latter institution Is under the charge Of DR. Board
man
From the above statement it is made To appear
that the proportion Of deaths at the Marine Hospi-
tai mas been nearly three times as great as at an
other similar establishment on Staten Island.
While exoneratng, which cheerfuly do (know-
ing the contemplate whence the article ema
natcs), the worthy and skillfu physician Of the
Seaman's Retreat, whose name is associa ted with
my own in the above article, from all preknowledgc
OF, participation in, unjust and unfair a state
ment, l deem it incumbent upon me, in justice to
myself and the assistants associated with me, to
correct the false impressions which are attempted to
be made upon the public mind at moment when
important matters connected with the Marine Hos
ptal under the consideration of the Legislature.
In the first place, then, it will be perceived that
different periods have been selected by the author
Of the article in the Tribune. for a comparison Of
mortality-that of the Seaman's Retreat is calcu-
lated for the year 1850, and that of the Marine
Hospital for tho month Of March of the present
year. The mortality is also calculated in an
erroneous manner. Instead of the proportion of
deaths being given to the whole number treated,
the ratio is estimated upon the basis Of discharges
and deaths.
Apart from these considerations, however, the
results of treatment in the two institutions cannot
be compared with any fairness. The one the Sea-
mans Retreat, is general hospital for the recep-
tion Of sailors sick of all diseases, including surgical
cases. and large proportion Of syphiltic cases. the
mortality Of which latter should not exceed one per
cent, according to experience in foreign hospitals,
and in our own Cty Hospital, where great numbers
arc received.
The Marine Hospital on the other hand is re-
fected with contagious and infectious diseases, and
all cases of small por and pdrioom are sent from the
"Rdreot" TO The "h1arne Hospital to Be there treated
1t is generally admitted by medical men, that the
the reception of contagious Diseases and Of persons
recently arrived from sea-often sent on shore in
dying state-should be much greater than in any
other hospitals, except those appropriated for sick
children, in which the mortality is always heavy I;
hence, should the proportion OF deaths ut the Qua
rantine Hospital exceed that of other institutions,
1t should occasion no surprise, should it reflect
upon the medical treatment. But is this the case
in reality and is the mortality at the Marine Hos.
pital greater than that of other hospitals. There is
an old and true saying that figures will not lie,
and 1T is by means of these that shall show that
the success of medical treatment Mt the Marine
Hospital, during the time that it has been under tine
charge of the present medical officers, will bear fa-
vorable comparison with that Of the other large in
sttutions Of cur city
The New York City Hospital and the Bellevue
Hospital are known to be as we'll managed as any
similar establishment in the country, and the medi-
cal gentlemen connected with them deservedly oc-
cupy the highest position in their profession fence
they are selected as proper institutions to be com
pareu. fnr n IN il aokla viii
the Marine Hospital
During the period from April, when the present
officers were appointed, to december, 1919, the
whole number OF patients under treatment ut the
Marine Hospital was 3,2l5. The per centage Of
deaths, including Us deaths from cholera, was
about Isl per cent; and the per centage, excluding
the cholera eases and deaths, but including ship-ie
yer, Uyphus small pox, and all other diseases,
less than II per cent; at Bellevue Hospital the
general mortality, excluding also the deaths from
cholera, little over IL per cent. The mortali-
ty at the City Hospital cannot be accurately COM
pared with the mortality at the Marine Hospital,
because Of the large proportion of general and mild
diseases there treated the numbers Of syphilitic
cases, among which, as already stated, the deaths
are only about per cent; and, also, because of the
number Of surgical cases which die within a few
hours of admission and which it would be unfair to
include in the rate Of mortality. The deaths at
Bellevue and at the City Hospital perhapsfewer
| in proportion to the numbers treated than at any
other large general hospitals. At the latter the
general per centage, including sudden deaths and
coroners' cases, is about liz, and excluding these
only about per cent The results in particular
diseases, however, can be compared with fairness
and the following table shows the mortality at tn.
three institutions in disease which is the prevail
! ing one at the Quarantine, and more fatal even
| than small pox, viz :-typhus fever. The oficia
| reports for 1879 furnish the following results -
TlrIItS CASES TREATED.
Napbsr Deaths Ratio Of Mortality
Marine Hospital. ......ol3 liz about II per cent
City Hospital ..........2I 20 10
Bellevue Hospital ......23l - 10
From the above figures, il will be seen that the
mortality at the Marine Hospital from typhus fe-