The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-03-28
By the Mayor:
OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH,

Board of Health, held on the 23d inst, the ac-
companying reports on the memorial OF the
Faculty and Board Of Trustees Of the Medical
College Of the State OF South Carolina" ana
the medical Society of South Carolina,
which memorials were referred to this 6oar9
after careful consideration, unanimously
adopted.
Under the direction o. the Board, have the
honor of forwarding the same for your consld-
Grafton and approval Very Respectfully.
Your obeGient servant,
GEORGE s. PELZER, NJ. d..
City Registrar and Clerk Of Board OF Health.
The Board of Health, to whom was re1erred
the memorial of the Medical Society OF South
Carolina, which mem morial was slgneo Dy
twenty-four of it's members, several OF wnom
are prominent physici.ls Of the city, and one
of them large taxpayer, acknowledge tnat
although there is displayed throughout the
memorial spirit that rltimates more feeling
of disappointment in not having heretofore
been able to carry out the wishes OF the Irus-
tees OF the Roper Hospital, and 1t ls our
opinion that had the Council yielded 10 the
FREQUENT memorials OF the Trustees OF the
Roper Hospital for 4 renewal of the agreement
for an appropriation of $4,000 annually, this me,
mortal would not have been sent, nor would
they nov have charged the City Council with
eytrayacalce and the Rasteful expenditure OF
money. We presume that the signers OF that
memorial will allow, after comparison OF the
amount Of taxes paid by them, and by the
several members of Council, that the latter are
also interested in the efairs of the city, and if
bIameable for extravagance, which they do not
admit, have paid taxes to much greater
extent than the memorialists. or the twenty,
four signatures, eleven make no returns OF
real estate, one made return, but did not pay
the tux. one paid tax on real estate amounting
to S1G02, and the reman ten PAID an age!e-
gate of 1850; eleven o. the signers PAID no IN
come tax; thirteen pad S59G.35=total amount
of taxes by memorialiAts S3157.35. Seventeen
aldermen paid tax ir their own name on real
estate, s539S; on account Of others, as trustees,
executors or agents, sl100; on income OF sales,
s5G94, ,S3-total tax bT aldermen, S18, 1928.
Excess Of tax BY Aldermen over that paid by
me norialists, s14,936.l8, or six times as much.
In the comparison OF expenses made Dy the
memorialists, they tal;e the population OF the
city before the war, and assume that ID conse-
uuencc Of the population OF the city beng one
third lower, that tire expenses should he pro-
portionally less, ignoring altogether the greater
amount OF pauperism among our citizens, who,
previous to the war, we're in comfortable if not
af9uent circumstances; and the records or our
hospital and alnehcuee will show the names
of many such persons, and out OF the assumed
reduced population there is probably an in
crease Of fifty per cent. in the number reluir,,
ing medical attendance COW, when compared
with the same population previous to the war.
The reply of the Board Of Health to the last
memorial OF the Trustees Of the Roper Hospital
as to the number of cases treated, and the cost
of the present Health Department to which
this Board will call the attention OF the memo.
rialists, We would also call the attention OF the
memoriaEsts TO the Registrar Report Tor last
year and to the report that will soon be pub
fished, as it shows o striking decrease IN the
exoense per capita of the present Health De-
nartment. and when compared with the cost Of
the same before thu war. The ignoring alto
gether OF the increase of the number OF pauper
freedmen places the administration IN false
light before the community. The memorialsts
know full we'll that previous to the war that
slaves were paid fol- by their owners IT sent to
the hospital, and that it was source OF income
and not an expense. Tho referring, OF the
Civil Engineer does not incur any expense to
the city. When the Board Of Health reports the
cost of the same, and it is agreed 10 by C0un-
ell, il Ill your view it is extravaganza, it might
DO well for any class of citizens to protest
against tho same, but the simple reference
could hardly warrant such an outDurst OF IN
dignation, unless the memorlallsts feared the
contamination Of such an alteration, might for
ever defeat their cherished scheme OF obtain
ing entire control of the Health Department.
and renewal of the old arrangement for. the
amount appropriated (S5001) by the city to the
Roper Hospital Az to the assertion that the
Workhouse cannot be made a respectable hos
,,ital. there is difference Of opinion among
tho medical men. At a conference held in the
Workhouse building, ut which three or four
medical men (whose opinions are entitled to
1espect), the remark was made by one Of them
0tbat it would make one Of the most magnif-
cent Of hospitals, and that the Roper Hospital
was one of the poorest constructed buildings
for hospital purposes that had been erected
for that purpose" -.-.t g..
The memorialists state 'that by as curious
and perhaps illegal combination that the Shi-
rsr's Dispensary has become entangled in the
extensive net work" Upon reference to the
proceedings Of meeting Of the Trustees OF
the Shirar's Dispensary, held December %,
1866, DR.. j. ]. Chisolm, one Of the signers OF
the memorial, offered the following resolution,
which was adopted:
HTbat the physicians elected by the Board
of Trustees OF tho Shirar's Dispensary will,
for the present, form an integral part Of the
medical organization Of the. city, under the
supervision of the City Registrar.
of the Roper Hospital have contemplated and
epdeayored to coasummate an arrangement
with the military department very similar to
that now existing between the city and the
military, which is SO freely commented on and
condemned by the memo: :ialists, which, if the
application is carried iHto effect or not, will,
we trust, answer all charges as to the expen-
siye copartnership between the city and the
mihtary, and the web Of red tape which they
advise US to sever.
The opinions ofsome OF the signers ofthe me-
mortal must have undergone amaterial change,
as the Board recognizes the names Of unsuc-
cessful candidates for position under the present
Health Department, and one OF them was one
of the strongest advocates of the ordinance es-
tablishing the Health Department, and for
some time held a position under it, and we say
as they do. In conclusion, let us not be mis-
understood. We acknowledge the right OF our
citizens to scan an of our acts and make any
suggestions that is for the good OF the city,
and we trust that The citizens will give the
Council credit for having done what they be-
lieye to be right in the establishment OF the
Health Department, and which, after trial of
twenty-six months, they have no reason to undo
for the accommodation Of any paD ticwdr class
of citizens, or for the Advancement Of the in
terest of any ore Institution, and which the
Health Department regard, and statistics will
show as being as economical and as efficient as
onv plan that has been suggested.
1t seems 70 be the first time in the history of
the profession that so large body OF me1lcdl
men could sign document recommending pub
Inc provision for one class OF the people, leaving
another. and by Jar the larger and more lndi-
oent class. on the bounty Of some outside
source.
Nayor and Chairman Of the Board.
sc. COURTENAY.
T. B. OAKES.