The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-07-23
WHEN DOCTORS AGREE.
What Medical Men in New York Have Done
aud Are Doing for the Poor.
Facts in Regard to the
Dispensaries.

sity which exists for q generous pecuniary, AS
wen as moral support OF It's noble EFFORTS, the fol-
lowing statement is given. The facts and figures
presented will, 1t Is believed, rebound greatly to
the credit OF a class OF earnest, hardwOrking and
not over well paid gentlemen, who supplement-
years OF study by lives OF seltsacrhcing neroism,
and who though often satirized. are our arst and
last props in llfe and always ready to lend US
a helping hand through lite.
To begin With 1t may be as well to present the
rather startling TACT that 200 900 persons an
nnally attended by physicians in the city Of New
York free OF charge, and that half million OF pre-
scriptons are prepared and given to the poor
each year by these same doctors. BY and by we Will
see how all this humane work is accomplished,
but II will be found worth white jnst here to con-
slider now there comes to be necessity tor 1t.
TIE tenement house population OF New York Is in
round numbers 100000. AS the charity patients
are all from the tenemeuts we find that
oNE-THIRD OF THIS POPULATION
rs annually Frustrated by diseases largely induced
by confinement III overheated and badly venti-
lated rooms, by noxious gases rising from ill-con
structed drain pipes and defective sewerage, ana
RON causes incidental TO the crowding together
of SO large number OF human beings deprived OF
proper facilities for preserving cleanliness both Of
their surroundings and their persons. The causes
OF disease existing TO so alarming an extent have
been briefly Indicated But the question may be
asked, Why, these people are industrious, do
they not lay by something for "a rainy dayS'
They would not then be forced to accept charity
IRON the public IN general the doctors in partic
ular. The answer Is here. or these Goo, 900
dwellers in teRements 100, 600 are working women
and working girls, and over 200, 900 are children.
These working women and girls sew iurs ior four
cents an hour, they make vests Tor five EACH
thav, ron ole for oifrhfn a roir "a
they make shirts for from fifty five to eighty cents
a dozen. They work so long as work can be OBJ
tanned, or while
STRENGTH AND COURAGE LAST
When the busy season is over and work fails, or
when their health breaks down, they starve or
beg, and they apply for medical AID TO physicians
the dspensary for the poor, or die. There is. to
be sure, another alternative, that many who are
young and unwilling either to die or beg choose,
and that last sorrowfu election fills our streets
with outcasts and our hospitals and prisons with
the saddest OF al human wrecks.
The men are of all trades, and get livelih God
for themselves and families as best they may.
Some are small tradesmen. who reap harvest
plentiful scanty as the case may beat all sea.
sons OF the year. Others are mechanics and labor
ers, whose means OF existence are affected by
every nuctuation that rolls the tidal wave down
from the monetary centres through all the chan.
nels OF manufacture and commerce. A prosperous
season may bring them o rich return for their
labor, and nest egg may be laid away in the
bank. A season Of disaster, or the periodical re-
currence OF
HARD TINES,
will soon dsspate their little hoard, even II the
failure OF great banking house has not locked
it up for ninety days or for eternity, Scientists
settle all these matters BY the 'laws of labor"
lovno "A a thot ~ N.
but the good people Of New York never preach
Adam Smiths sermons when the hungry. sick and
dying are at their DOORS
At this moment, when the children OF the poor
are suffering ana every effort Is being made by
the charitable to care Tor them, II may be well TO
give a list OF the d:spensaries where physicians and
medicines may be obtained without cost. The Io-
lowing will also prove valuable as q directory for
the use OF those who have SICK children and may
recommendation or any OF the physicians attached
to the dspensaries Will be TO the same purpose as
a card from the visitors OF the Guild.
THE CITY DISPENSARIES,
where medical examinations, advice and prescrp-
tons can be obtained Tree oil cost, by the poor
they are thus easily accessible and Though as has
been stated persons IN each year avail them
selves OF the benefits offered there are still great
nrst time In the present article. From the army
OF sick children on the lists Of physicians attached
barge used q noating hospital by st. Johns
Guild. In this way an educated discrimination
M ee m
and when the little ones are returned the doctors
who have Them in charge at their homes can note
treatment.
In this connection the following list of dispen-
saries and brief memoranda OF facts relating TO
The New York Dspensary. BOUNDED in 179l)
rs s Of OF wnSe ana ee
annually attend 1000 patients and give out 10000
prescriptions.
OF waverley place and Christopher street. II has
twenty-three physicians, who have attended dur
ing the past year 1000 patients and issued $4,000
The Eastern Dispensary stands on the corner OF
Grand and Essex streets: 1t mas eighteen physi-
pounded are nearly equal In number to those or the
Northern Dlspensary.
The German Dispensary is at No. G5 East Eighth
street. 1t has twenty physicians and during the
past year H. patients were treated BY Its stan.
The New York Free Dispensary tor Children, 10:
Gated at No. 400 East Fifteenth street, has star
OF sixteen physicians, who last year treated 2,672
patients
widely known In the city, Is at the corner OF
Second avenue and Twen y-thrd street. IL has
stan Of twenty three physicians last year treated
Bellevue "Burean Of Surgical and Medical Relief
for Outdoor Poor" Is located at the hospital loot Of
Twenty:slxth street. East River, and has att ached
to It's STAFF lorty-six physicians. These have at
tended %, l27 patients during the past year, and
have issued 81, 0S3 prescriptions.
The Western Dlspensary, at No. 3S4 Ninth ave-
nue.. for women ana children, mas ten ply sicians,
treated last year 845 patients and gave out $50
prescriptions.
The Central Dispensary, No. o34 Eighth avenue,
mas u stan OF twenty-five physicians, had las; year
b,206 patients and issued 10, sO4 prescriptions.
The Northwestern Dispensary, corner Thirty
sixth street and Ninth avenue, has twenty-six
ply sic ans on It's stan, who iast year attended
1881 patients and delivered to them total OF
q, 9GS prescriptions.
me West Side German Dispensary. No. 1872 West
Forteth street, has six physicians, cared last year
Tor 1855 patients and issued 1888 prescriptions.
Holy Trinity Dispensary has eleven physicians
and curing the year 2,437 patients. 1t is at the
corner OF Madison avenue and Forty-second
street
rhe Northeastern Dispensary, very popular
among the poor, Is located at No. 222 East Fifty.
ninth street. Attached to It's stan are tnirty-our
tended to 2l,e5e patients and issued 5l,S7s pre-.
scrptions.
is at No. l26 East Fifty ninth street. 1t has ten ply
scians, who treated last year 424 patients.
The Yorkville Dispensary IL at No. l<s2 Third av.
enue. There are ten physicians there, who treated