New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-12-12
THE UNDERWORLD
HOW OUR PAUPERs AND CRIMINALS ARE
FED

PENITENTIARY, WORK-HOUsE, ALMo-HOusE, /
INSANE ASYLUM, AND RANDALLs ISLAND |
NURSERIES,.
The subject of diet has within the last few
years been carefully studied by eminent Psychologists
and most o Tie hitherto unsettled questions in regard TO
Authorization have bten settled upon scientific basis,
The results of which, however have not been generally
applied the regulation OF paupcr dietary scales The
extraordinary fapdity with which NewNork has deYel-
oped and the influx Of Immigrants, percentage Of
whom become inmates OF public institutions have de
1pauded corresponding rapid creation OF pauper ns
tutious and In a degree have diverted attention from
economy Of organization Again, the yearly increasing
demand upon the pauper institutions Of the city
have compelled the almoneTs Of the public
funds appropriated for their support, to adopt
system apparent rather tan real economy In order
satisfactorily account for the expenses Of the Depart
Apparent economy, on the other hand is often at
variance with real economy and demonstrated to have
been SO in the administration Of the pauper institutions
of the city. For Instance under tie old dietary a.
Bellevue Hospital owing TO mcaserntss OF de., "nid
often detained 40 the Hospital longer iIa a ,i GU
have been the case had the table been snheen'S p n
10 stimulate more rapid cOuyalc~ccnc; auG' hstl ~
often happened that patients left the hospital in e
encd ply steal condition and, for the tlln5 , ~ Ont
recipients 4" l'i"i htiPvit IL snparent economy
Door POuTsO that, on the whole ihe a.oI, ~ t
which had operated TO reduce ne o 0t Door R1rean
hospital reacted extensively To the Out ,. 80
which would not have been the c9s9 n"u '"' f
second result OF this apparent economy III !le oetS
scale the universal dcHitno lUr LOT, ~ fnoyent re-
Iitj f physIcian for articles marked on the diet
"T vstem prevailed in the Paris hospitals pre-
vios ~ De me OF the Commission Oh "ineh ", AN
Years since lie report OF tl, Commission was embodied
In the dettcs of Paris where one misnt 4E1 supfS
1hcy would have settled these questions long Dclote'
The result Of the studies Of ~ PayrnS Commission nave
",.1,icy anon tlp uarucr institutions OF Ncw-Iork,
and have been found thus far to eOuduce 10 soubu ecO
ON az co1 In cstratinc the normal daily ration for the
inmates o. pa"per isi 'Hilon' IL Is lgt'tn.e 10
mas been found necessary i'm The Authorization OF armies
Again. there rs no parallel between ths uintg a' W.
bospalthc former being conducted with view 10 le-
luti ul. and the latter heinz managed
with less string in respect 10 us inmates AGAIN,
M soldier is allowed by certain ration or food or
ccriZirt IN money while in the OF the pauper,
tre an "a, r, ,lu.cs the dietary is less emphatic.
The rule moy Oc stated therefore. tlt IN idupe lSt
lions for the sick should be the intention to provide
1ool in pioper quantities for ne support 81 me tne
institutions 10 exact LDor rom 'Ae pa1onoS IS
further than may be legitimate Tor purposes Oh
exercise and hence most limited scale Oh net mas bech
found sufficient 10 subserye their aim Physioogists
have observed that IN conditions OF moderate rep0Se,
with The performance Of ordinary muscular labor ana
therefore second consideration must be taken mo a
I,o S t SIMPLY ifs inmates with sufficient food satisfy
the ordinary demands system that the patient
ruay leave the hospital IN physcai oondltoh tnat
renders hun Incapable OF ser support as We isu OF He
fcicut Authorization; and this IS so manlieSty matter
81 binding obhsatoi lhaJ NOiHS neet U' c SseG
prove it, coGcucy. Aedin' 10 eSUSe We unost osCo
benefit 10 TIE patient who ls 10 he fed from he raw ma
he LOST s2li OF m paNpct inS.uloiS, " ~ o h e d
IL Ouly necessary 10 prepare me io"a 10 oe a
as 10 Yield ne day 70 day OF the utmost attain
able variety Monot9ny Of diet IS as inconsistent WIN
real economy nsuicency has been practically proved
10 be- either operates 60 impair the ply steal conG
lion OF the patieLt-he latter through general insult
cheney in all respects and the through deficiency
In particular elements OF ahmentdt0n In pauler dlet
aries therefore both sdcieuey and variety elements
of true economy, and neither can he justly neglected
The former however pertains 70 supply aud the latter
60 distribution; and the problem Is, therefore 70 eect
combination economy. sutciency ana variety III the
regulation 81 hospital dlelaries. - ,,..,., a.,
I'm the administration OF 'he pauIet hosltaIs 81 the
civ apparent economy has been made 70 answer instead
OF real in several Instances Pure coffee, for example, IS
more economical than the auuteiateu aitcIe III that
pure coffee enables the system 10 be sustained with
smaller ration Of nutrimcnt than Is the case Wlth the
duteratca The former may be considered, therefore,
as an accessory anent, while the latter Is SIMPLY beV.
which the article has been inferior grade OF
tea. liable 10 aducratOn than black Besides the
effect % the former upon the patient is always uIeas
,'' " i nyail. No i1st reason can be given why
it should not be excluded from hospital dietaries
5gt never To be boiled II be avoided in the
process OF boiling part Of the aroma upon which
it. beneficial influence depends. is lost third point OF
criticism and worth noting is the fact that the beef
used 81 very inferior quality consisting mostly Of the
1orcquGrers which are less economical tha9 lhe more
Juicy and nutritious round as mas Dee proved ~ recent
report OF Lakes Hospital IN which the results Of
Heightened experiments lucidy set forth Inc con
sumption oi utet at thls INSTITUTION NIeIt tl lol -
exclusively used Is an average OF ten ounces per
suggested matter OF simple economy OF eXpendi-
tUrc say nothing Of ITS effect upon the condition oI the
sOUFs AND SOUP MAKING
Tho manufacture Of soup perhaps the most important
a-cla In hospital dietaries formerly exceedingly
ursceatnc having been substantially based upon the
system adopted IN most eaIing bOusrs Inc bread on
he other hand, Of excellent quality, and called for
All who have had any experience in eating house soups
are quite that not only Is the quantity OF meat
used quite insufficient but the mode Of manufacture u
faulty ana unreliable TO emphatic criticism Inc pro
portion meat IN the general eating house soup j. 40
~ w ~ - m To- , ret ~ ions OF SOM to the original
80 pounds Of meat The meat is hist en- mo pieces OF
five six pounds and having been boiled for three
hours or sometimes less the soup taken out and
served immediately Vegetables, a rule added
While the soup is boiling Swimming Is begun
half al hour after the soup put though as rule,
thc grease is never thoroughly removed. The
quonce OF this rapid boiling is that the aroma OF the
soup Is either partially wholly destroyed. Again, It's
Iutfve value impaired 10 the extent OF the desiruc
lion aroma, and u served an arOinaess taste
less nuriti0nes bOdgepOdge, which u Is martyrdOm 10
s,rulloW and which, having swallowed l. not, in
point Of nuttye value worth the trOable Of swallowing
OF all the catlnehouses III TINS cry nor more man a
dozen can mentioned the soups Of which not man
fctured after this process and the few which might be
mentioned are too expensive Tor ordinary ana everyday
patronage. Nevertheless II II 40 more expensive to
manufacture excellent soup than to produce Kettle
of this naineless cOmpOund-a fact which renders the
keepers OF eating houses utterly me&cusaDle III the
matter.
The mode Of manufacture formerly prevailed at
Bellevue Hospital. aud, OF course the BlackwePs Island
IOspitathe ration being one pint OF SOUP h'e ounces OF
SOuI-Ineat and bread in variable quantity
The brisk boiling OF the soup, beside mparng us nu
frve value through the loss OF aroma, had the effect
harden the meat instead OF extracting Jus hutrllnen
which undoubtedly the Of scientific sOupmahDg;
nnd Furthermore for purposes Of extra diet was utter
Is unavailable. The problem therefore, 10 produce
"A b0iuYO which might be used undilued as beeftea and
weakened about half when TO be served ordinary
commission had already solved the diculty and being
the result o. careful scennc inquiry Inc formula Of
Payen use in The hospitals OF Paris was adopted
Ihe basis OF NJ Payens formula follows Tor the /
making Of 20 gallons OF brolh;
Meat. weighed with the bones. 70 bounds
Vegetables. pounds
Onions dessicaicd in an OVEN. ......:..i pound