New-York tribune., 1872-03-28
A THREATENED EPIDEMIC.
ALARMING INCREASE OF SMALLPOX.

| POPULAR ERRORS IN RELATION TO AMBULASCEs
AND HOSPITAL NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
WHO FAIL TO REPORT TIE DISEASE TO BE
! PRosECUTED-DR. M0RRIss SUGGESTIONS
Ever since the outbreak of smallpox in this
city, Dr. Morris his corps Of Assistant Health In
spectors have been unremitng In their efforts To DISCO
sInapox patients, and either TO remove them to the
smallpo hospital Blaekwelrs Island, or 10 isolate
them in such way TO the danger Of infection
from those In the vicinity Many persons entertain
strong prejudice against the hospital stories having been
freely circulated that the patients in that nsaton
do not receive that degree Of and attention which
they would II treated home by the family physician
and nursed by relatives 1t is aso asserted that the
sons who have charge OF the anbulanee are rough aud
awkward and do not perform their duties In an seoeps
BILE Patients it alleged, are bundled INTO ihe
ambulances and when they reach the hospital are eT
hausted by their Journey, and that large proporoo o
the fatal due TO the rough treatment reserved
Whether false these statements are believed by
q very lazge number OF persons and especially ny TIE
| lower classes.
consequence OF this prejudice many physicians are
induced to conceal cases. Notwithstanding the OEnaaees
OF the Board Health expressly forbid such c'ucea
ment and Impose heavy penalties Tor eontnAons AN
to report cases Of smallpox other contagious a. 7es
The members OF the Board of Health deny thai o.lss~
ness undue roughness exhibited by those WIN have
charge of the ambulanees and affirm that II any reh iD
| stance can be proven the offending emploJo Sil oe
promptly dismissed With reference TO the mortality IN
the hospital, the City Sanitary Inspector says the pro
portion OF deaths to the number Of cases IA much le~s
private houses and that the statelsen, that
patients do receive good treatne nj is FALSE; ts re-
ceye better treatment than at home beeaus, tso 3d
| yantages are greater. The patients c"u-
stantly under the eyes Of experience" phyr-
cians and the utmost attention Is paid tol yenaa-
ton and other details. In regard 10 exhsi
quent removal, DIR. Morris says that tIc
reported In the first stages of the diseas' oai rsi
would follow the removal Of patients. Ply siean-
arc reported every week for wifu violations o tbs
itary code relative reporting contagious disor- and
the Board is determined to make examples Of tr"-e
offenders, who knowingly mperil the public health an
Only BY the utmost exertions the part Of ho 'tv
Sanitary Inspector and his corps Of asss lts nr ne
the direction OF the sanitary Comnlttee has agai .'T
mia and BrooElyn The dthy condition OF the s.e,s
adds to the peril and for several weeks the most carci
supervision the part of the health authorities viii
required to stay the epidemic with which u" cav -
City Sanitary Inspector Morris reported tAc n', ~
the following physicians and others who have failed 10
George Parker Of No: s97 Eighrh-ave., jan n,
Sau rG% k WI With smaDox & an lei
the attack and subsequent death Of man nanef Curry
I Health Inspector sent to investigate the mailer d.
salh Calman of No 3s BroOmest neglected 70 report
the cases of Mrs Fredericka Roedng and her chdrr'
Isdor, Charles. and john sick with smallpox al No.
Cnton.st The Health Inspector found the dese body
of Charles ROedng In the house DR.. Joseph Pfefc ~
No East Tenst failed 70 report fae ease o' ie.
|
st. He first attended the patent - Oh M.reh
10 and did not report the case mt March e. D. L5.s
the case OF sn & Ssen ca an, age "H @ 'G
gave a certificate that death resulted from ID.
! 0'Han0n stated that on Friday last the e. n was
& 20 n TINS cry aG P bcs0 S0 sa Soieaa by
| The matter will be investigated by the Coton'n Ihe
| Offenders. The following Communication Of tue ,1ty
Sanitary Inspector was read and placed Oh h'e'
| DR. MoRRIs's
sf.r =
contagious diseases reported to this Bascan for the two
weeks ending March %
:,lse TTPIaA rySio sc;s'- N''' ;; @s,- 70 3.
n Ti5 Ts4a@Daiion Min Of the records Of these cage, Of .p
pox reported during the week ending 23d inst ehbit no
yaecinaed since childhood Nine Of patents had
been vaccinated; six had been revaccnated az
various intervals from six months 20 seventeen years
since all unsuccessully; the remainder hal no" been ~"
AithoSgh the unusually large number of pr;ed
for the last week would 10 Indicate stld'n and
rapid increase Of this epidemic think due o" other
house-tO-hOuse visitation has been instituted dn' Tho
east OF Thrd-ave. ana Bowery and south of Fou h
s where the disease had been most per-isten ~ toe
result OF finding 43 which had been sccntca IS ~
these discovered last week. This search; m pns
known TO the people and .s haq "a
causing botn ply sicans ana citizens 10 report cases com
ing under their observation promptly Nearly AL 81 tho
discovered had been kept by their friends without
medical attendance, far we can YET learn T1a ~
until the city is thoroughly canysed and boh Irend,
aud physicians will be reported TO your Boad FOR legal
action whenever found violating the law IN tis respect
one nrominent reason for the early removal or Theses
hospital lies i'll the fact. that during thc hNb
three four days of the eruption there Is no lhe
slightest danger 10 the person IN he removal whle ne
danger OF shock to the system Is much greater - the
disease advances to its eliminating point As c0n-e
quence, the degree OF iatalty ana the peIo"hte OF
deaths by this disease is increased by tue fact m lie
| lay treatment and hospital care winch Yonld uu-
doubtedy many who perish for the want or such
| assistance. There seems 10 De a grave error
| pervading the public mind, as wen AZ tnat Of ihe
medical profession with regard to the removal o hospital
patients suffering with this disease, which upso hero
TO correctit Is thisthat every patient mus - taken
TO hospital This is not the fact No paten moved
from his dwelling when the circumstances w' varrant
his remaining IL the public can be secured oS lCrfcJ
solation of the patient at home, from cont unation
with this oathsome poison, the rule Is has always
been, that the removal shall not be enforced. o thus
fact Public Health Officers, are alone responsible
the judges, aud In instance each
fully considered 20 this one necessity, the pubhc hav
ing paramount rights against the Individual Under
such circumstances. Another false impression tn
initiate the removal in the idea that tho largest
proportion OF removed TO hospital do not
while the fact is statistics show, that much less
proportion hospital than among
and retained at their own homes.
No well informed medical deny the fact thai
patient having such oahsome aud infectious disease
should be excluded 10 the last degree from any contact
direct indirect, In such manner that ts poison
could not be communicated 10 another person, yet s
an almost daily observation that physicians do careesss
conceal such patients and boast OF II % others o. as
achievement OF which to be proud For such h oondIev
there be Justification, and only morlneation'
among the honorable members OF the profession At th
shameless violation OF their professional oaths They
have violatOrs OF the laws which they Themselves
helped make. and deserve the condemnation Of tho
public well as Of their professional brethren.
THE BOARD OF HEALTH.
Or. =. Oakley Vanderpoel, the new Health
ofcer of the Port, met yesterday with the Board OF
Health for the first time Communications received
from Naylor Co. and Others complaining Of the Gthy
paarl hall