New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-05-02
NEW ORLEANS
nae MARINE Hospital,
EDITOR REPUBLICAN:
"Andiatnr ct altera pars. /,

The article in your last Fridays issue,
"The Old Marine Hospital" has induced
me to say few words in defense of Mayor
Flanders, who, think has been uniustly
dealt with for his endeavors of transferring
the insane to the named locality.
l hope from your known impartiality that
you will not refuse to allow the following a
place in your journal. The writer Of that
article, the cold Marine Hospital" is, I'M
questiOnably, formidable warrior to en-
counter. Endowed with lively magma
ton, a pOetcal painter, and happy com
poser of stirring sentences, supported be
sides, by host of ''army officers, surgeons,
physicians, builders, architects" and last
though not least, "humanitarians,' who all
pronounce against that locality, the chances
Of a successful contest are but small; STILL
protected by truths heavy armor, l intend
to venture the hazard Of the combat.
In painting his trightful pictuLe of the di-
Iapidated building and surroundings, the
writer ponders on the Impression, which
the .'unexploded shells, twenty-four pound
ers," will have upon the poor devil luneys."
L
gists informed us, of how far and in what
manner the cheerful prospects of poor
devil luneys" are blasted in looking at I'M
exploded twenty fOur-pOunders, though the
looking at unexplOding ones so near might
be guessed more accurately. The next
thing bearing heavily upon the impression
of the "poor devil luneys," we find men
toned, the open space in which the 'dank
grass grows modify" 1t may be that
lively scenery, a place where nature
abounds with cheerful pictures of an ever
changing landscape, will have benefting
influence on some of those untOrtunates de-
prived of reason, but it must be compare
lively of a subordinate consideration. Even
if it was of paramount necessity, where,
inquire, could such place be found on the
alluvial soil on which the metropolis of the
South has been reared A quiet, different
and more important question is the salu-
briUy Of the place where the insane are to be
confined.
The writer of the named article asserts
that salubrity is entirely absent, describing
it as "a locality over which the masmatlC
breath Of the neighbOring bitches and drains
roll and cumber like a fog; over which
hangs an ever-present cloud, growing deeper
and heavier as the night approaches, and
when the sun goes down this malaria Shud-
ders through the gaunt and lonely rooms
like the shade Of malignant spirit" Does
the writer earnestly believe that when that
building was erected for the purpose of a
hospital, that the question of salubrity Lad
been entirely overlooked No. There were
men Just as wise and cognizant of the laws
OF hygiene at that time as there are now. If
the salubrity of the place has changed since
by the draining which has been established
and is still gong on, the change undOubt-
eddy has been for the better. The malaria
which "lurks about the old Marine HOspi
tai" can not differ from that of the Hotel
Dieu and Charity Hospital, and has any one
ever heard an alarm raised about the insa-
lubritv of those institutions
Yet if there exists a difference between
those places, by its free position, on all
sides open to the access and change Of air,
the locality of the old Marine Hospital
ought to be preferred. So much fer theo-
retical views. But now permit me to say a
word of my own experience with that hOr-
rihe old Marine Hospital.
l have attended many patients in 1t from
the time it was used for a hospital OF the
Confederate army up TO the time 1t was
under the charge OF Surgeons Schwarz-
valdez and Gray, of the United States
army. / have performed IN that same hos
pital some of the gravest operations, aud
a single patient did | ever loose from sep
tic;pmla, the most fearful disease ever met
with where malarial is prevalent; nor do |
remember that at any time there was an
extraordinary number Of patients suffering
from malaria influence.
So much, then, for practical solution of
the questioned salubrity of the much de
cried old Marine Hospital, though "Mullet,
supervising architect, orders the sale OF the
building on account of its unhealthlncss and
disease; an old, white-headed physician
turns aside from the building IN disgust
and two other physicians have given Ger
tihcates attesting the disease that turks
about these arches and wreathes about the
regiment of iron pillars like snake.
am not personally acquainted with MT
Mullet. that small, wiry, IndetatlgaOle,
available and versatile gentleman, who can
handle hundred irons at once lie may
be "A very energetic and capable architect,
but with regard to authority in hyglenIc
matters and diseases, we are in the habit of
looking for other sources of information.
An old white head, even of physician, Is
not equivalent to healthy and wise brain,
and when physicians certify that disease
is creeping around iron pillars like snake,
we consider it of a very harmless nature.
Grant it, even. that malarial diseases did
prevail in a hospital, are medical men to be
tJGnd at the present time so ignorant as not
80 know how such hospitals could, by
proper means, be changed INTO the most
healthy abOdes 1t is my earnest cOnvic-
ton that the transfer of the "pOOr devil
luneys" to the old Marine Hospital is not
the worst favor bestowed upon them.
One far worse is the utter absence OF that
proper medical treatment their disease re-
Guires. While psychology is one of the
most difficult branches of medical science
while the most eminent men OF the medical
profession have been chosen by enlightened
governments to attend to the mental dis
eases of such unfortunate men, and whereby
so many have been restored to the full en-
ioyment of their mental faculties here the
attending physicians have been selected by
partisan efforts, in total disregard of the sci
pntiGc capacities such position requires.
Mayor Flanders has done well so far May
he continue to render his services for the
benefit of the poor and the helpless.
| have but one word more to say. The
Marine Hospital is (which no one denies) in
a dilapidated condition; but the money for
repairing it is certainly not thrown away
and if the city administration could induce
the United States government to sell that
locality, the city ought to buy it, by ali
means. The time is not far distant II 1t has
not already arrived, when humanity will in
sist on the establishment Of founding hos
pital. The building is large enough to rem
der it useful for that purpose Many life
might thereby be spared which is now des-
tined to destruction, and many woman
saved from remOrse, and even from the gal
lows 1t is really a wonder that such an
enlightened community az ours should have
done SO long without such an institution.
Most respectfully, INSTRUMENTATION
NJ l. MI.