The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-05-19
The Health or tho City.
CITY INSPECTORS DEPARTMENT,
NEW YoRK Mnu 1870


The Health or tho CITY.
CITY INSPECTORS DEPARTMENT,
New YORK, May, 1852.
To the Honorable Board of assistant Aldermen
ofthe city Of New York.
Gentlemen The City Inspector respectfully
begs leave to submit the following in answer to 4
resolution of your honorable board, adopted April
-, l052-the said resolution being as follows
'Ihat the City Inspector report to this Board
by what law or ordinance the said appointment of
j. 5. Mcneil, at salary offorty dollars sixty-sx
cents per month, for granting and recording burial
permits, is made. Also, whether tho said No 1873
Houston street is not his (the City Inspoctor's)
drug store. Also, whether the said Mcneil is not
his partner or clerk in tho said drug store And
also, what number of permits for burial have been
granted during the year 1857
n reply, the City Inspector would respectfully
state that the said No. 379 Houston street is not
his drug store. The said store was formerly owned
by him, but has not been for time. and is not
at present. That the said Mcneil is not his partner
or clerk and that the said Mcneil is not appointed
by the City Inspector, the employment of the said
| Mcneil not being of an official character but that
the said Mcneil is employed by the City Inspector
and compensated for services rendered, by virtue Of
| the power and authority vested in this department
by ordinances of the Common Council, requiring the
City Inspector to grant permits for the removal of
the remains of deceased persons from the city for
burial and further ordinances specifying the duties
which may exist in the city, and to cause its re-
moval forthwith - also, the power vested in the
City Inspector by act of the Legislature of the
State OF New York authorizing the City Inspector
Ito adopt such prompt measures to prevent the
spreading of any contagious, infectious or pesti-
lential diseases, MS might be requisite
The City Inspector deems the powers thus vested
in this department. in the discharge of its duties as
the guardian of the health and lives of our citizens
against the spread Of contagious, Infectious or pes
tental diseases fully to authorize the City Inspector
to take such prompt measures will best guard
against prevent the spread of such diseases by
q II vii fuai1i fata
secure the speedy removal of the remains of deceased
persons Believing that this matter would not have
required any action on the part Of your honorable
board, if the amount of labor performed nature of
the services. at all hours, and the accommodation
given to our citizens and the protection afforded to
their health and lives, by the prompt removal of
deceased persons, had been understood, and the
absolute necessity appreciated and that for the tr
fling sum mentioned, much larger amount is saved
to the city. The City Inspector would beg leave to
state few reasons why the said Mcneil has been
thus employed by the City Inspector in the exercise
of the power vested in this department.
In the year 1899, an ordinance passed by the
Common Council, requiring the City Inspector to
grant permits for the removal Of the body of any
proper certificate from the attending physician had
been received.
At that time, the population of the city was only
300 geo, and the mortality for 1889 was 1914, and
of this number but few removed from the city
for burial, compared with the present population of
5l7 900, and mortality exceeding 10000.
Since that time, cemeteries or burial places
have greatly increased in the vicinity of the city
and the number of removals has increased every
year. The burial of the dead amid the busy haunts
Of the living being repulsive, and the public
health requiring that no more nterments should be
made in grounds being sacrilegiousy broken up and
built upon caused by the rapid increase of our city,
the Common Council, acting upon the suggestions
OF this department. prohibited any interments being
made south of Eighty-sxh street, unless in private
grounds. from and after the first day of May, 1851.
Permits for removal have consequently been required
to be granted and recorded, amounting in number
to 20000 from that time to the date of the present
| report,
1t will thus be seen how rapidly this part of the
business OF this department has increased, without
corresponding increase of facilities for the dis
charge OF its duties.
The manner in which the employment of the said
Mcneil became necessity to this department may
be thus stated
The Office hours of the City Inspector are fixed by
ordinance "from O'Clock in the morning to 5
O'Clock in the afternoon, daily, except Sundays
During the prevalence Of the cholera, the active
services of all connected with this department were
constantly required to be cxertcd in the labors of
the. department.. and the resid0pcc and place of
business OF the City Inspector visited daily by
| great number of persons for burial permits APP
| plications were made, and are made Mt the pre-
sent time, at all hours of the night, in pre-
| paration to remove bodies by the early morn
| the services of two persons were required to
perform this duty. OF course, the Office hours Of
the City Inspector did not require that these per-
mits should be granted AT other hours or any other
| place than the Office Of this Department., but the
prevention of the spread of the epidemic did; and
the City Inspector, in the discharge of his duty
| with due regard to the public convenience and
| good, authorized the granting Of permits, at his
| place of business, at oil times. And it may BIO
| proper here to state that for these services the
City Inspector, or the persons in his employ never
asked for, or received any compensation from tho
| city.
| Having disposed of the business. and the nubl;c
! good and necessity continuing to demand the
granting ofpermits at the above place to accommo-
date the large and populous portion of tho city
| above Grand street and east Of the Bowery, more
| especially as about five thousand interments are
annually made at Williamsburg and in its neigh
borhood, and as. in very many instances, it is ut
tery impossible owing to the absence of physicians
from home, or the city, and other causes to obtain
the proper certificate until the funeral train ia ac
/ tually under way to the place Of burial Almost
daily during the past year, and at the present time
| funeral trains stop at the store No. 379 Houston
street, for permits, when Il they could not be OBJ
| tained the funeral would have to be- postponed or
remain over, subjccting the afflicted families and
friends 10 great unpleasantness and inconvenience;
ana II IS possible, IN cases Of contagious or infec-
tiops diseases, frequently causing death.
i In the summer season this accommodation Is in
dispensabie, as your honorable Board will at once
| perceive.
The prevalence Of small pox, typhus and other
feyers. having required that this facility should still
exit, the City Inspector employed DR.. Mcneil to
perform this labor. during all hours and on Sundays
I as a measure conducive to tho public health
If the business of this department had been con.
fined to Office hours ut the Office Of the department
the services Of least FIVE clerks would have beer