The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-09-30
THE SANITARY CONDITION OF NEW YORK.
Statement of HE City Inspector.

construction the Health DEPARTING nt OF when Tue io'
lowxng Is the substance
Cry IssrEcroRs pEeAfryxSr,
Nrw YoRK, sept. IL 1861.
To THE HONORABLE THE COMMISSIONERS TO AMEND me
ov riH CRY or NEw YoRK-
GrynENvN-In compliance with your resolution OF the
9th inst have the honor present for your consldera-
ton certain reforms and alterations in our sanitary sys
tom as applicable 10 the department over which nave
the honor to preside which beg leave TO call your
early attention.
On the Threshold OF my inquiries az to the most eth
system FOR the protection OF the health OF the Guy,
Of the embarrassmens which have attended all pro-
positions aud plans for sanitary reform have come from
tho quarter to which would naturally look for practical
suggestions and harmony Of opinion refer to the medi-
cal profession to which, while regarding 1t with all re-
spcct and anxious the aid Of its enlightened counsos,
have vanity looked for that harmony Of sentiment by
which have been wiling To be guided. In this disagree
ment among doctors, often alluded TO complaint
which become chronic have been compelled TO call
in such other gdcs necessity Of my posi-
sion If the guardians of tho health OF the city I'M
posed upon me, counsel from my own practi
cal experience City Inspector during the last two years
Az executive officer OF the most important branch Of
city Health Department, have cn compelled TO deal
with f.cis wiile learned medical expounders have
been busy with theories, and shah endeavor to present
briefly such praccl Vi IS my not untvorabie oppor
tunity for ~hservs ion has cn;ibed mo to form.
After referring to the nnt raj ais to good health which
the city enjoys, iir. es,vn goes on to say
Possessed O, these nat al advantages it Is not strange
that many yea hero seemed 10 he little disps
ton adopt ANY efficient system uf sanitary precanton
and, ia word, that 1 heath Of the city, well guard
cd by nature, sho ia be let 80 take OF ITSELF and
ungua Ged by any clio 90 human Skill. AT first
duties performed by the Clerk OF the Common
Council, and IL I'll within few years past that
the attention OF that 10Y WAS called TO the fact that
In .lgd
liabilities To the importation % disease and with tho SAM
iary necessities which we're tis consequences OF in
creasnS popliaou The prey,ois cIeess policy must be
superseded by some ther course o conduct more closely
approaching to system 1t is interesting and nstrrc-
tive 10 mace tie N eHens ~ the city authorities after
their first earnest attempts to protect the heath Of the
city ana their ella u Ia new vacation, which the
predomHaat trait seemed to D. an utter want Of know
leule OF al lDe prci api laws which form the basis
o sanitary success. their movements were Nicer
tain and TIER success limited, there Is nothing strange
such a cnRoa OF thin.s or a moueut 5 c, nsideration
must convince Us thai qualifications necessary to
vators OF the public health are rarely II ever dreamed of
in the selection Of members o. our city councils.
However ias5 may be thcir intentions, with what
ever zeai they may be disposed TO dedicate themselves to
this Incidental but most important branch public
duty, what portion 10 conmusity ever dreams, in
their seact1n, Of the qua lhoations for the
sponsibe trust 81 guarding the public healthy SO little
be expected OF them Ia tho discharge of this branch
their dutes that Il would DC almost unjust condemn
them or a Of those duties, delicate and vital
they are, the lefio m,noe OF winch entered
into the n,l,s Of thse who elected them II NAV be
safely said Lt lho selection Of candidates for city
councils tie pIDa o, Then it, for tho preserva
ton OF the noath Of the CITY is thing almost
Other tests, whether OF Partisan ggoGnds higher
grounds Of the weare OF the city may be required, but
this test, suTUy NOT the least I'M ofant, has been and
will remain uAhecdel.
Delays o legislation IN many sautary sometimes
almost devitane, may when applied To tho pabc heah
bo productive al almost lrIepa able risries Frou
presentations oi n!ts by the City Inspector resuir-
nIac ilte aGtJ 10 he tune of the correction OF
abuse, siicfent .oro udy ease 10 gave widespread
drs,on TO the mis- hef anu lbs without ANY ntcntion
inf
derance tn ms suggestions The pablo health being but
ipcident 10 the ordinary of business, too
apt to BE- postponed by tho pressure Of other matters
which engross tne sinos oi our city representatives.
But the say Of ;esCHance be elect al be prompt
and equally prompt 1T be tie tnerposton barriers
against the nr duclion Of disease which may be keDt
back, but Introduced, with diculiy be checked
exsted. For these reasons there should be auower
existing oihcf banGs that may be ready to b. used as
he cNigency may arse, AID divided responsibility,
which may shit The borden % inaction from booty TO
another, should b. tho sl tu 20 h. permitted. There
other complications connected with the presentsys-
tenn, which necessarily bring with thon mactiou ana de-
lay al the very crisis whsn action may be impera,vcy
demanded.
The Common Council first acting III one capacity as
local legislators Gnler the disadvantages winch have
called your attention. those dsad vaneges Decom. doaby
apparent when they resolved into exclusive body
subject aione anu the whole process becomes
characterized with IA inenciency which would be
gs rea as dcrous that the subject is d, too
vital importance 10 be lghty dealt with. whan the
matter has thus been banded about it comes up the
third time in the body where ii orgmatei,he crcuml,
in the circle where IT baraa having IN the meantime
made the slightest advance towards the preservation Of
the health OF the city, the warding of mDeadng aay
ing actual pesttenec Such s the construction Of the
Board Of Health one branch Of sanitary system and
the other the Commissioners Of Health, open to equal
objection from the manner ct its organization the
want OF sufficient power This body is composed Of six
persons besides the Mayor, who is member er ofco
II consists oi the President uf the Board of Aldermen
the President Of III, Board OF Councimen the Health
Otrcer, the Resident Physician The Health Commits
soner and the City Inspector It will be seen that the
l,apnnl ~. IN .l
members, AMI the board has tho benefit o three medical
officials but not having conferred upon it the full powers
possessed by the Board Of Health it cannot ia many n-
Stances carry into effect the measures deemed by
cesssry for The preservation OF the public health.
The Board Of Helitn, from the first Of January last
down to the present day has not held single meeting
10 consider the sanitary necessities of the city With
such system there DO wonder that the sanitary
condition Of tho city improved that tAc CITY IN
spector is crippled his power OF action This respect
Nor must the consideration be kept from view that the
members OF the Common Council the Board Of Health
and the Commissioners OF Health, all from the man
of their app inment, subject TO partisan influence
70 expect perfect sanitary system under such condi-
ton Of thing, Is TO expect i'm disability The lrst
groundwork OF reform, opinion OF the undsrsigncs
is TO bestow upon body dirsenlly constituted all
power the sanitary Affairs Of the city, and until this
js done all o. her proposals d reform will be deprived
their essentially her, A ,ial features.
To escape pr sent compcatis is the first great point
TO be gained aud, this point secured, simplicity prompt
ness and efficiency may be ubsttated for ineficency
complication and delay. These osiTuctions removed
tho groundwork OF reform is at once prescated in sys
.
cherished and respected for the good works which have
boon the frats of its abors refer to dispensary
system, tho powers OF usefulness Of which may so eX
tended as to meet most if not all the sanitary require
mcnts OF the day The benefits which this city IS daily
receiving from the all furnished by these dspensar.s
cannot beover estned The Eve dispcnsarie dist buted
throughout the city numbered patients during the ycar
1860 l35 5 1850 to the whole population half
OF the ctys aonua Illness The proportion Of foreign to
native dispensary patients has been rs high az three
quarters TO oneqaater bet during the last years
has stood in the proportion Of 81 81 Not ss than
-four hundred and fifty patientsan Of ninety TO
each dispensary-appiy daily and receive immediate aid
ami attention from these institutions. is estimated
that the per ccntage of deaths seventy seven hun
dredths OF one per cent These dspensares while they
constitute the most important branch OF public aan
tary system rarely mentioned in connection with that
system. far the acton Of the Common Council
or the Board of Health il concerned. Their useful
chiefly supported by voluntary contributions annual an
preparations from the Common Council and occasional
small contributions from the state. In their
ana internal police they auticss Posscss,po fhe
general confidence of the people they are presided ovor
and their affairs directed by Oar best cze,s nroCas.
siohal as well professional The whole labor is ora
tuitous and equally their distribution Of medicines
Their importance to the city pecmiagy view NAV he
estimated 10y the statement Of few facts Wer tho
destitute sick 20 whom they minister TO be controlled 40
fhrong hospitals and almsbouses and the vae OF az.