New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-01-26

night TO its home in the heated city, which
| is perhaps a small, crowded, badly venti-
| lated room, with furniture and clothing
! saturated with foul smells where it will
| soon lose any benefit it may derive from
| the days airing
| If these excursions prove to be of benefit
| to sick children, as | believe they will. how
| much more positive and substantial result
| would be gained by a residence of a couple
| of months in the country, where pure air.
| good water and wholesome food, with out
| door life, can be enjoyed until the Cypress
| i've warm season has passed. At first it
would seem impossible for the poor to avail
| themselves of such mode OF life. even if it
| should prove efficient for the preservation
| of the lives Of their children-that must
take the child with its mother or nurse
| away from their homes and out Of the city.
But perhaps, the first point of Importance
| to be settled in such question is, would
removal from the city to a healthy rural
district preserve the lives of any consider
able number Of children, who, if net re
moved, would perish3 This inquiry will be
promptly answered by nearly every ore
familiar with the course and treatment OF
! infantile disease in the affirmative.
Ii, then, the measure proposed has real
merit, and gives reasonable promise of
lesseiling intantile mortality in cities, it is
| the duty OF some one to point out a feasible
'
Is il probable the poor would avail them
selves of such measures as are here sug-
gesteG for the preservation of their chill
dren, at a nominal cost or without expense,
when it would disarrange their ordinary
domestic plans and separate the wife tenn
porarily from the husband, to whom her
! services are perhaps essential in their mode
| of life! Ny Judgment is that the parental
| instinct will always be found equal to the
interests of the occasion, ready to indOrse
| any temporary Inconvenience, and to act
in accordance with the best matured judg-
| ment of the profession for the preservation
of the lives of their children.
Next, what kind of an institution. COM
| mensurate with the wants of large city in
this regard, could he inaugurated that is
really practical and worthy Of the indorse
ment of the medical profession, the encour-
agement of our Legislatures and the phllan-
thr0pist!
l believe that free park or camping
ground, sort Of sanitarian of one or two
thousand acres or more in extent, selected
with reference to its healthfulness-at an
elevation above malaria-its accessibility,
the abundance of pure water, with well
shaded walks and Fairgrounds, to be i'm
proved be cheap summer tenenents, free to
all who have sick children, as a summer
residence. would in a great measure supply
this desideratum.
This institution should be governed by
proper and fixed rules for admission, the
preservation and order of health, and be
under the general management of a recog-
nized sanitarian. The park should be
provided with suitable playground,
and u gymnasium, schoolhOuses and
chapels. SO secure the pleasures and ad-
rantages Of . vel. regulated village home
for all.
Good moral influence might thus BE
planted and !ostered ia the breasts of many
of the rising generation. that under the
guidance Of Providence would develop the
higher and nober instincts of humanity,
and shed q benign Snt!uencc over theiy
whole lives.
The rich can always leave the cities and
find healthy country retreats for their chill
dren, but the poor can not without aid. No
special interest has hitherto been mani
tested by any eity for the health of the
families Of this class Of the community, and
no clearinghouse or summer resorts
suited to the wants of the poor. as far as
am informed. have ever been opened: and it
is very questionable if they. with their
manners and style of dress, could at pre-.
sent lind accommodations in any consider.
able numbers near any of our large cities.
Where could sites suitable for the purpose
indicated be found! | would answer that a
search would develop that there are plenty
cities. = situation on navigabie water. or
on a line Of railroad, should be preferred.
Elevation, too, is particularly desirable. as
it removes the danger from malaria. and
secures q cooler temperature tOV the greater
part of the twenty-fOur hours.
Every 10. feet OF altitude above tide in
this region approxmates to being in tenn
perature equal 10 that found at one degree
of north latitude.
The thermometer falls one and a quarter
degrees for every 300 feet Of perpendicular
ascent. 1t is probable that the best results
woUd he obtained for .anitarIan OF this
kind on some elevated ridge or mountain
spur. above the line OF ualarial influence,
where The air is pure and cool, the water
good and abundant; where provisions are
cheap, and where the normal temperature
during the summer months does not tog any
considerable period of the day range above
So l feel shat it is the duty. not only of
large cities. but of individual States and
the nation, to do whatever is possible to .
preserve the lives of the great army of in |
nocentS that are now annually sacrificed nv |
n disregard of the laws of health. and the F..
impg cunious condition of a majority OF i!
parents Of the fabOring classes in our large ]
American cities, who are unable to remove |
them even when sick to the county during |
the heated term.
| therefore suggest as measure to meet |
this urgent want, that each of our large |
cities should secure one or more extensive |
tracts of land suited to the purpose in an |
elevated region, and improve them in a
manner suitable for free park, for the pur-
pose here indicated.
Special care should be taken with all the |
improvements so as to insure free and COM
plete ventilation. Good underground drain
age should be made so as to keep the park
free from annoyance from closet deposits
Stops, and waste water.
The parks should he under the immediate
supervision of medical and civil police to
preserve order and salubrity, and should
either be so large or so numerous as never
to be crowded las that would establish the
evils Of city iife,) and all improvements OF
the grounds should be made with a view to
encourage and enable the children to be
kept most of the time in the open air.
The grounds should be properly laid out
with shady walks and drives, and improved
i'll every way that could cODduce to health
by the erection of cabins, cottages and |
houses for the accommodation Of
with their sick children and nurses
during the summer months.
1t might and would be proper for cities to
contribute means to send patients 10 the
park, and IN some cases support by cOntri-
button sick and destitute children and their
mothers while there.
The openin. of free parks as summer re
so'ts 20: ;Ile poor -. ] believe, entirely
feasible. and in q humanitarian view. Ger
.ainly deserving o! the most serious :onsid.
Grafton. 20 the statesman the measure
mast present an encouraging prospect 20.
the preservation OF human life. the increase !
.! population and national pros pef.ty.
When We consider chat the census OF 1870
shows That there is in Che city o! New York
JGt one child under fifteen years o! age I.
every woman between the ages of fifteen