New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-06-02
Our SMALLPOX Cases.

| Early last fall the president of tho Board
| of Health renewed his application to the
City Council for action to save the city
from the threatened epidemic of smallpox.
The REPUBLICAN earnestly urged that body
to take measures commensurate with the
pressing necessity, and with such force
were the arguments presented that efforts
were instantly made to establish hospital.
Some delay occurred because of general
objection to the transfer to the city of GER
tain property then belonging to the wife of
one of the Administrators. In the end
howeverian eligible site with suitable build
ings was procured, and working with his
accustomed zeal Mr.. Fitzenreiter soon pre-
pared it for the reception of patients. The
Board of Health was satisfied, the majority
of physicians approved, and the public
breathed easier.
Previous to this disgraceful squabble
had been gong on between the proprietors
of two rival private hospitals, struggling
fer the custody of the unfortunates, for
whom the city paid price per head. 1t
was pnbllc scandal, but neither of the
contestants cared for that At the time of
the establishment Of the city hospital DR..
Anfoux claimed under a contract for the
transfer of smallpox patients and DR..
Hayes under an act of the Legislature des.
ignating the Gutenberg Hospital as the
place to which the city should be COM
pelled to send its sick.
Under this act Mr.. Hayes made applica-
tion to the Superior District Court for an
injunction to restrain the city from sending
smallpox patients to the hospital it had
erected and was supporting for that pur
pose. On an exception the injunction was
dissolved, the case went to the Supreme
Court and was remanded to be tried on its
merits. The injunction thus remained in
force, but the city continuing to take care
of its sick. Unwilling to wait the deter
mination of the case Mr.. Hayes took a rule
to punish the city for contempt, and this
rule Judge Hawkins dissolved, refusing to
take action till the case was heard on its
merits 1t comes up in that form to-day.
The case will probably turn on the con-
stitutionality of the legislative act, but a
few words OF the moral aspect of the facts
in the case will bring the matter before the
people in more tangible form.
The city established its hospital in re-
sponse to universal demand, in the face
of an absolute necessity, and the conviction
of all disinterested persons of the total
;noaocuoov Of ouoh ;nst;tutiop. a. thop ov
iEted. In it the sick are treated by several
physicians who have given special attention
to the disease, and cared for by experienced
nurses, and parties are permitted to nurse
their own sick. 1t is removed from the
settled portion of the city, but lis conv enient
of access and the location is healthy.
What was once the Luzenburg Hospital
was burned down, and the buildings on it's
site are not equal to those of the city. Al
though it occupies large extent of ground,
yet the location is eminently unfit. On one
side is swamp. and the other side is
thickly settled, and petitions have been
presented complaining against the location
of pest house there. What is the relative
comparison between it and the City Hos
pital on the score of attendance and care
we are not informed, but one of the diff
culties experienced by the Board of Health
was the reluctance of friends of patients to
allow them to be sent to it.
But, considering the two institutions
equal in every respect, there is an objec-
ton to the claim of DR.. Hayes, which the
Legislature should have discussed, and
which we think is proper for judicial con-
sideration. In sending patients to the pri.
two different arrangements. Under one,
81 so per diem was paid, the other, from
$35 to $50 was paid, per capita. In the
first case, it is for the interest Of the pro
prietor to retain the patient in his pest
house as long as possible. In the other, the
sooner he died the more profit was made
No one would be so cruel as to suggest the
possibility of any physician being so dere
lict in duty, and so wanting in humanity
as to neglect The poor unfortunates who are
under his charge for the sake of gain. Bu
the affording the opportunity, and holding
out the inducement, Is SO wrong in princi
pie, that we can not see how any court car
sustain it.
On the other hand, when the patient
comes under the care of the city there is M
such reflection to be N ade. 1t is not th'
object to keep the patient short or Ions
time, but to discharge him when the danger
of contagion has passed. The expense anG
care is the same. Since January ther,
have been received 34l patients, Of whom
70 died, 13 of them being moribund-tha
is, dying within three days after admission
This is loss of twenty-five per cent, ant
the average mortality of those attended
outside is much greater. The expense O
the hospital, with this number of patients
was $is03 54, and under the arrangement Of
$35 head, 1t would have cost the city
$ll 1886, small profit of 249 per cent only
to the contractor.
The question of money is not the vita
point of the case. 1t is whether the city
shall have the care of its own poor anC
sick; whether it is at liberty to provide fol
them as we'll or better than a private con
tractor, or be forced to waste greater sun
to his advantage; whether, in short, they
are to be taken care of tor their own SAKE
in the interests Of humanity, or for &
stipulated price as premium on infection
And that is the constitutional question
under the act which the count is to con
slider.
VALUABLE IMPROVED REAL ESTATE AMI
STOCK AT AUCTION BY THE SHERIFF.-Wt
are requested to call public attention tt
the sales at auction, to be made this day