The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-05-18
TIE SMALL PO-Y HOSPITAL.

TIE SMALL POY HOSPITAL.
We paid visit few days ago, to the
aforenamed civic institution, situate on the
outskirts of the city, on what is known as
the Schutzenplatz; and as it is not likely that
many of our readers will shortly 60 and see
this establishment for themselves, we thought
brief account of its operations may not
prove uninteresting at this time
DIR. S. G. BEowN, one of the City Physi-
clans, took charge of the ePest House," (,s
the place is very often cal]ed,) on the first day
OF January. There was at that time but very
scanty accommodation for patients, and com.
plants were loud and frequent. AS we did
not examine the Hospital at that time, we, of
course, cannot soy whether these complaints
were just or not But soon after Dr.. PELzER
took charge of the Health Department of
the CITY, there was an entire change in the
management of the place. By the arrange
ment made between the Mayor, on the one
part, and Surgeon DEWITT, on the other, the
United States Government furnishes rations,
medicines and hospital stores for this institu-
ton. The energetic physician in charge
visited the place daily, and saw to the com-
fort Of his patients, and 80 successful has this
exemplary administration proved in the re-
suits Of the hospital practice, that it must re-
fleet the highest credit on the physician who
was instrumental in introducing such laud.
able reform.
The grounds and buildings are admirably
adapted for the purpose, and are by no means
as much damaged as we were led to suppose
by q report on the subject, recently laid be-
fore City Council. The main building has
two foors,-the upper one ball room once,
is now a large ward, filled with rows of bed
steads, covered with comfortable bedding.
There is another ward down stairs where the
nine-pin alley gives proof of the changed desti-
ny of the place. A we'll arranged dispensary,
under the charge of the Steward, Mr.. REID,
is in an adjoining room, where our old friend,
Mr.. KAMLAH, used to dispense his more pala-
table physio. The rooms aro kept clean, and
we'll ventilated; and while it is, of course,
not desirable fate for the Schutzenplatz to
serve as Small Pox Hospital, lit is unquestion-
ably the best locality in and about Charles
ton that could have been procured
1t is pretty generally known, we presume,
that there has been good deal of small pox
here during the past six months The disease,
however, has abated very considerably, and
there are very few new cases now occurring,
and, in the course of another month, we
should not be surprised to learn that the last
patient had been dismissed from the Schutzen-
plats, and that DR.. PELzER had closed Its
gates.
Before proceeding to the statistics we must
remind our readers that the cases treated in
this Hospital, with very few exceptions, have
been paupers,--n large majority of them
homeless colored refugees, whose constitution
was much impaired by want and hardships
in its varied forms. That the mortality, under
these circumstances, should have been 80
slight, is no small credit to the surgeon in
charge. ............
The number treated in this II Hospital, from
January l, 1866, to May l, 1866, is 522
deaths ll9. Of these gases 25l are marked
"mildj" (which, from the absence of oil dis
tinotions in the report between variola and
Uarioloid, may be considered to embrace the
milder types of both,l and 27l cases are
marked "eonfuent."
DR.. BRowN's observations on the virtue of
vaccination as prophylaotio are interesting,
and will doubtless prove startling to many.
Of 256 patients known to have been SUCCESS.
fully vaceinated prior to the attack, 81 died
lover 8 per cent? There were 1914 cases
known not to have been successfully vaccinat.
edprior to the attack. OF these 70 died (37
per centy Q Il a5.J ~"
There are many more points of interest In
viting notice, but we have perhaps already
trespasscd too much upon the patience of our
unprofessional readers, and will therefore