The New York herald., 1871-03-03
THE SMALLPOX.


During Five bays In ihe Smallpox Hospi-
tai-A story Oi Blood and Death and
Fearful Suficrings--The Doctors at the Hos
pitai Interviewed--The.rR Refutation Of the
Dutchmnn's Statement.
A gentleman giving his name as A. Herman, re-
siding in Aoboken, N. j., called mt the HERALD
Office on Wednesday with communication, written
by himself and giving his experience OF .lvc days
In the Smallpox Hospital On Dackwell's Island"
Mr. Herman had been In the hospital for We GAYS
suffering from the dread disease and left 1t a few
days since after being perfectly cured. This com
muncatlon was intended 20 startIe the public into
an idea Of what horrible things are done In the
Smallpox Hospital First. lie started by saying that
he, suffering only from the first stages OF the dis
ease, was put IN room in which were three pa
tients, two of whom were convalescent, while the
thld was IN the worst stage or the disease.
Second, this man, who was the sckest,
fell out OF bed twenty times during the night,
Keeping those other patients In the room awake
thereby Third, a little boy VINO was IN bad state
oi disease fell out or ped and died few hours
thereafter. Fourth patient In the last stage OF
the disease died with his face covered with tnck
blood. Several other charges such that the night
orderly saii IN reply a remonstrance in regard to
patient, "G-d d. him, let him die; what the he'll
do carep'' that the night orderly, "a dreadful,
stupid lrishman," brutay treated another orderly,
whom he got discharged next day 'under pre- tence'
OF his having been
DRUNK THE NIGHT BEFORE;
that Catholic priest was allowed into the wards OF
the smallpox hospital, TO attend spiritually 10 the
patients, when patients wife, even, was excluded
on all OCCASIONS; that he tRerman) ate only 1lty
cents worth OF food, and had to pay s4 80 for it,
and that said food was bad; that the orderly,
occasion, when ICld to give narcotic TO a patient
in two dQuna hp med aiciu pot I'm
The communication containing the above charges
was oi such startling KIND that HERALD reporter
lost time IN getting up 10 BlacKwell's Island TO
see for himself what there was III the allegations.
Alter calling on the warden, Mr. Fitch, who has
nothing at all To with the management OF tho
smallpox Hospital. he was escorted 10 the hospital
buildings and introduced TO the doctors charge
OF the lnsututlon. IL so happened Lnat the hree
doctors who are IN charge ol the hospital In
the once and The reporter proceeded TO iAtcrrogate
them as to hermans story. Herman made no
Charge against the doctors Simply cOndning his OBJ
sery aLions 10 the dreadful stupid" lrishman who
Is the night orderly SO mat the presence ol the latter
became necessity The ordery's statement was
TO the eiiect that he never made Of the ey-
preston Cd d-n him. let him die; what the hell
do care p that he never refused any assistance
asked 10y patient; THAT he was on duty all night in
the hospital never ieit and, though ne could not be
In two places Ut The one time he was always about
the wards; that the boy who fell out OF bed oid
die until next morning. and that the delirlum seized
nirn suddenly aud then he jumped out OF bed. me
man VINO died was IN
THE WORST STAGE OF THE DISEASE
all along and In ms delirlum tumbled out OF bed
sometimes, though the sheets were tied over the
bedclothes IN The usual way TO prevent him from
doing 50. Tie assistant orderly was discharged for
drunkenness, ana several lersons saw INN drunk.
including the doctor IN charge that night and while
drunk he treated hun the orderlyl badly. When
ever patient ie out OF bed IN tile delirious lever
he always Helped him back again, though some
times lor short time he might be attending some
other patient.
endorsed the answers gwen by the orderly. The
doctors also gave ngh character to the orderly
attentioh TO duty iney state Gat 1t mas been their
/ Gus ou Ior some time past to question every
patient wnen ing the hospital alter recovery as
TO The attention they mad received, and the answer
uniformly is q satisfactory one. invariably the
patients pro1er their thanks 10 the doctors aud
speak mighty OF The attendants. L. Is noteworthy,
say the doctors, that patients who enter the hospital
really SICK are always the
MOST LAVISH IN THEIR ENCoMIuNs
| upon the treatment they have received, while those
| VINO are sent there when suffering rom merely the
early symptoms OF disease, and who are, therefore,
in toeraDly good health and enjoying exceneuC an
pettes are always to complain. The doctors do
not heed this mucn, however, for they know that
smallpox hospital ls no place for q sound man 60
be, and he sees everything around him with q dis
| gnsied eye. Even medical men cannot help beng
oiseusted with the loatnsome disease. The replies
OF the ooctols to the four points raised by Mr.. Her.
man, who as has been said already, entered
the hospital almost TO the surprise the doctors SO
slightly was he affected by the disease, may he sum-
med up as fOlOws:-
FrThere being liz patients in smallpox hospital which
@ @ bed 1 as s OF 80 % s
been despaired Of before Mr. Herman hospital
two BOY s seS mot have
ne died 20 opned They did not believe his failing
EootA7Ihe man who died bad hope of recovery In
his case hemorrhage had set and
thick blood hls and the rafting his throat.
AS to the complaints about the food they are not
OF much Importance. Whatever tile doctors order
must be supplied, and the Commissioners of Chart
ties and Correction hence have hesitaled in paying
the bills for extra supplies. There Is no doubt
that the assistant orderly who was discharged was
IA fvhr and
did not know him. The orderly denies having given
two doses In one, ana the doctor who prescribed the
medicine informed lhe reporter that even had he
done so 1t would not have fastened DEATH As to the
ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS PRESENCE
In tue midst OF smallpox patients, administering hts
religion TO the dying and The SICK 1t is matter that
concerns the reverend gentleman himself as most
sensible people will readily ADMIT.
oucn are the two sides OF lhe question The COM
plants made against the management or the hospi-
tai have been STAGED, and IN the same spirit the
answers given by the managers have received equal
attention. II would seem tnat
THE GREAT POINT OF TROUBLE
lies In the want OF room for the accommodation OF
patents Mr. FITCH Warden OF the Island, informed
the reporter that he himself superlntended the erec
years ago, and the idea then was to con-
sJruet building suitable only for the
were to be OF that class who could easily afford TO
pay all expenses incidental TO Tie sickness. Now,
Us mas been stated above TINS building is crammed
with liz patients IN various stages of the disease
and no arrdngements can possibly DC attempted by
winch the wards would be regulated according to
hospital consists Of one regular orderly and one
regular nurse tor day one night orderly and one
nIgni nurse, with tnirteeD helpers in all
III IS stated oy the doctors that the disease this
year has assumed more malignant type than IN
previous years. During The last two months there
nave Deen $50 patients treated III the hospital OF
whom nty-eight died. Ia 1870 there were 969
ca IS In ALL and Ia 1869 there were co. cases, OF
whom hiiy two died.
The Disease III BROOKLYN.
There were only five cases Of smallpox reported
IN Brooklyn during the past week. In Tho month OF
december there were l30 cases. January e2 cases;
In February, los. The patients now at The Platbush
HospItalare dong well, and Or. Cochran, Health
Officer. does not anticipate any further spread OF
the contapion. Every eNertion Is being made by
tine authorities OF the Sanitary Bureau to guard
against the ioathsome disease becoming epidemic in
;hat ciiy.