The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-06
HOMES OF Thu SICK.
4 Herald Investigation as TO How Our Char
ity Patients are Treated.
WHlT THEY EAT And WHERE THEY SLEEP.
BIackweIrs Island Bellevue and the Park
Hospitals Reported Upon.
THE LADIES' CHARGES TOO IllPuLSIVE.

The public pulse is always responsive to any
allegation that might reveal want OF the kind
hest care In the public hospitals. Such want
would exhibit human nature in most deplorablc
aspect. and would give the lie TO that progress OF
civilization so mucn boosted Of. When a charge
ls made against any institution in which the poor
aud helpless sick are obliged 10 dwell,
1t instantly becomes a matter OF important
duty TO investigate, and, If possible, TO
remove the grounds Tor the complaint.
The sick are themselves helpless 10 do this, and
relatives and friends OF the inmates Of charity
hospitals are TOO poor and too powerless TO make
even an attempt for redress. Whatever reasons
may have existed for accusations against the
charity hospitals OF this city and county in years
past, most careful examination has proved that
at the present time the two principal institutions
OF this sort-namey, the Charity Hospital
on Backwell's Island and Bellevue Hospital
In the city, are undeserving OF censure for
carelessness in the performance OF prescribed
duties or Tor neglect IN seeking to make the nos
pltals more and more fitted Tor their humane and
necessary purpose. For short time past rumors
and comments have been in circulation relative
to alleged gross abuses in these two hospitals,
and these were resting upon distinct and author
itatvely pronounced allegations, which had been
made by the ladies who compose what Is known
as The 'Visiting Committee for Bellevue and
other public hospitals" 1t is admitted by
all who have become aware OF the good
Intentions and the exeruons OF these ladies
that they mean wen, but in the face
OF such a one-sided statement as tnat
which has been issued by them their third
annual report, It becomes very injudcious to
place too much credence upon opinions and in
ierences which are really wish as TO what might
be or might not be, and q report OF what is
actually the fact. Represen tatives OF the HERALD
yesterday visited the Charity and Bellevue hospi-
tails. seeing for themselves the condition in which
these institutions were. and it must be admitted
that the allegations made IN the ladies' report
were found to be without foundation in any
essential particular, and that both the hospitals
presented an appea ance highly creditaole To the
medical gentlemen under whose control they are
placed. Evidence also afforded which would
Beem to dsprove the charges so often made that
the Commissioners OF Charities and Correction
have been for the most part niggarGly in meeting
the acquisitions made upon Them for medical sup
plies
CHARITY HOSPITAL BLAckwELL's ISLAND.
The reporter who visited the Charity Hospital
soon found DR.. Kitchen, the gentleman In charge
Of the medical stan OF the hospitals on the island.
The object OF the visit having been explained the
Doctor repned by saving he would afford every
facility TO the HERALD to make an investigation.
he said he had read the third annual report OF the
Ladies Visiting Committee, and knew all the ALE
cations While he pronounced the report TO be
untrue so lar as the charges against the Charity
Hospital were concerned he admitted that these
visiting ladies' were very earnest in their efforts 10
do good, and might to some extent, as they had
already done, help in improving the general con-
dition OF the hospitals.
The reporter was then taken to the once In
following information was recei ed:-wIthin a
PERIOD O. two years there was no soap IN the hos
pital during two weeks and three days. But dur
Ing these seventeen dayswashing was done the
same as usual, the washing 1uId. OF wulch there
was an abundant supply on hand, serving every
purpose. The charge tnat instruments ana drugs
were not July supplied, the doctor explained by
.howng that all the instruments actually necessary
were 10 be mad IN the institution, and no month
passed over without requIsltion being made Tor
some instrument. No attempt was made to Keep
up with the market IN the invention OF medlca
instruments, but the hospital was supplied tor all
Dece ssities. AS TO drugs, the Medical Inspector
had sometimes cut down the requsltOn some
what but this dld not make any essential differ
ence, as the drugs were aIwavS sent whenever a
special requIstlon was made tor them. IN Fcbru-
ary, 1874 no sugar was received az the hospital or
eeveH days, but there mas always been since mat
time full SUI ply ON hand As TO the allegation
that the hospital was at times without milk, the
doctor showed that ali the mix used IN the hos
pital condensed milk, purchased at twenty
cents quart, and could not. therefore, have been,
as allegei, diluted 10 something like
chalk and water. There had never been
a scarcity OF milk the hospital he
bad been supplied when 500 patients were to con.
sumo 1t was rldicued, as acquisitions for iood
had never been denied by tue department. OF
Charities ana Correction. Inere mad always been
an abundance OF meat. IL was claimed that the
assertion as TO the uncleanliness OF the house
mr. ugh want OF CrOton water, absurd, for
the reason That the buildings mad never wanted
for Croton water aud mad never measured 1t out
10 patents. as alleged. the mistake IN this re-
gard arose n ON the act that IN the latter part OF
December, for several weeks the salt water supply
not obtained owing TO defect IN the ma
chinery when was not repaired. change IN the
Boa I'd OF Commissioners OF Charities and Correc-
ton meantime occurring. In January this year
a total OF 215 tons OF coal were consumed
ana in February l55 tons. Last year there was
n consumption OF 1871 Tons IN January, 300 IN feo-
ruary and 1875 IN March. These totals included the
coal used Tor stoves. Evlnently the officials
agreed tnat with such consumption of coal aud
a full supply OF Croton water the mousse should be
kept clearly. lnslnuatloDs having been thrown
out that the inmates were but poorly treated IN
the matter ol board, the following was submitted
as the amount OF food allowed each DAY for every
ordinary pauent:-Bread, 30 ounces; tea, quar-
Ter OF an ounce; sugar, ] ounce; milk. ounce
hominy ouoces mUlasses ounces; bee, ~
ounces potatoes, ounces; puduIDg, ounces;
vegetables ounces. on Tuesda,s, ounces
OF resn PORK are given Win ounces
OF beans, and on FRIDAYS SIX ounces OF hsh IN lieu
OF meat. In very delicate cases the doctor can
Oruer almost what ne peases. serious charge
made was mat against the nurses ana orderlies IN
the hospital IL was an ola story often reiterated.
Tue truth was that not a single nurse or orderly
In the hospital mad ever been prisoner. ana only
females mad ever been patients IA the hospital.
Jhere were fourteen female nurses ana sixteen
ordernes, and edch OF these III her or his respeC
tive ward, mad conyaescent patent as an as
sistant. These were at all times IN the hospital
hlV OF the female prisoners from the Pculten.
tlary. serving out Dref terms OF sentence. VINO
were Obliged TO do the Washing ironing and SC uD-
binE but these were not ~ any way
allowed 10 interfere with the patients,
and n yer with the nurses as assistants.
1ne dlsctphne was good that III
nearly every Instance in whcu reiapsed patients
returned 10 the hospital they asked to ue located
In tnelr old wards AZ 10 the beds, the cieanu-
be sand, tnat each bed mas three sneets two lars
o. blankets ioiten hreel, spread ana two pillows
and these are Kept perfectly clean. There are, Of
course, TWO receiving wards, one for males ana
Que Tor lema.es, anu patients come 10 those on
stretcbers rom the city, the AimshOuse and the
HOfknOuse, whose condition u TOO leeDle TO
allow them TO be Datned properly, ana OF course a
LIE must ne saved IA these two wards rather than
hurt the patient by un bathing. As to the CLOTH
ing OF patents VINO are found with vermin on
them II is Immediately burned.
INSPECTION OF THE WARDS.