The New York herald., 1875-12-08

| or tho Central Park?
Professor CLARK have boon formed that visiting the
Park at night, AMI particularly sailing on the lakes
has produced several or intermittent oyer This
Dehg he case these ponds and lakes must be produc
REroRrEE-What effect has our sewerage systom on
| the public health2
great deal Of the typhoid fever and kindred affections
dphthera, &c. Is caused in this way These low forms
| tenement houses.
REpoRrER-wnat measures necessary to secure
beneficial change in present sanitary condition and
| to remove sll sources OF maarial poisoning
Professor CLARK-In the first place better system OF
sewerage is necessary The waste lands in the uppeI
portion Of tR city should be first dked and drained
and then filled in. BY dumping refuse matter and street
cleaning on land saturated with water you but increase
1 the danger TO the public health. In connection witt
these improvements If overcrowding tenement housei
is prevented the sanitary condition Of the city will "
much improved
of tho University Medical College WAS found at Bellevue
and expressed himself willing to answer ali inquiries.
! REPoRrER-Docor, what IL your opinion as TO thq
statement that malaria IS the principal cause OF our
high death rate2
Doctor LooMIs-I consider that the opinion is per-
iectly correct, there can be no doubt that malaria
trouble enters into l9arly every form OF the disease
] prevailing IN the city. never remember time since
nav practlsed here that We have had go much sick
| ness dependent on malarial influences Formerly
case OF intermittent fever to certain extent rare.
Du at the present time diseases that have been hitherto
looked upon as not very dangerous have become very
fatal, owing to the poisonous effects Of this masm
malaral diseases chiefly preva2
DR.. loohIs-ln my private practice find dseascs
dependent on this trouble in every part of tho c,tv n
particularly the line Of Fourth avenue Tho class Of
diseases prevailing In this city has entirely changed
within the past ten years Dipthcra is dependent oD
defective sewerage, and until complete change IA
made in entire health system, and tho necessary
remedies applied we will continue iu our present ur
healthy state.
DIR. FRANK Il. HAMILTON
or Bellevue Hospital, was tho next person to whom
application was made for information on the subcc
and the following are his views:-
Among the reasons which may be given why New
York less healthy than other cities of equal size
the following First New York is not only large and
overcr0wdd city and commercial city, but 1t is
city II Is not paved thoroughly its sewers, gas piper
aud water pipes not perfected but they being
constantly disturbed exposing the underlying
soil which Is filled with decayng vegetable matters.
The cobbe and rotten wooden are receptacle,
for dirt, and it is impossible to keep them clean Sec
ond, large proportion OF tho population emgrant
and of class who do not know what cleanliness means
Third, this is an eminently democratic country IL
which the voice OF the people is law and where th,
people want dirt they must be permitted to have it.
Whoever deprives them of this privilege by enforcing
sanitary ordinances must expect to lose their votes
In short it is not TO be expected that New York will
for years to come be as healthy older cities and al
cities in which laws can DO more vigorously enforced
The people VIII have to be taught first by pestilence
perhaps.
Ing the sanitary laws-by the present system a on
man powcrS
Dr. HAMmroS-I believe intelligent medical man,
OF good common sense ana stiG back and who
has avors to ask, would do moro to give clear
and healthy city than dozen men with divided re-
sponsibility
observation-disclosures, what is tho cause or tho preva.
lsncc of dphtheria2
Dr. HAMlLroN-Al I know about il is that 10 romes
with dirt and foul odors, and toset rid or it mus
remove these
After a considerable hunt
PROFESSOR JAMES r. WOOD
was found, and, in answer to inquiries stated that
although he deeply int rested in sanitary matcri
sti without examining the subject carefully he woulf
prefer not to give full opinion ont the subject
REPoRrER-ro what extont does maarial and mi
Professor WooD--T believe that great amount OF ouI
present bad condition, as regards public health, IL
caused by defective drainage and IN the upper portion
OF the city tho swamp land increases the bad santary
condition by producing an immense amount cf mala
rial poison Another great source of disease IS the
condition Of the tenement houses 1t Is disgrace "a
any city, and the owners should bo held and severely
punished. The cmanatons from defective sexerag,
is immense source OF disease, and until this sys
TEN OF drainage is thoroughly rcmedied. and ths
swamp lands in the upper portion of tho city e,cvcy
drained, the city VIII remain In us present unhealthy
condition.
Wishing the Professor good day, search was mad
after
DIR. LEWIS A. sAYRE,
who was found at his Office.
REpoRTER-Dr. Sayrc, have called upon Won TO go
your views as to the present condition OF the pubs
health.
Or. SAYRE-My views this question tho sam,
now as when was Resident Physician TO tho city,
are the same rs stated IN my reports this subjcc.
Tho present unhealthy condition OF tho city nearly
entirely due to the wrctchod and defective system
drainage aud the choking up OF all the ma Lral water
courses without giving free vent for tho escape OF
cumuiaied waters. BY tho present system consau
pipe that IS laid and sewer trench mnde allows the
capo OF malarlal 20 son.
REroRTER-What are your views regarding the pres
cDt condition OF the swamp lands in the upper porto
Of tho city,
Dr. SAYRE-It would DO much better for the hcalti
OF the city both present and future: il the officials lcf
this place alono or did the work properly The prcsen
plan Of illing IN these wet lands bH forming fresI
sources OF pestionce and disease Every dram that
opened every pipe that Is laid in thai section in ate
times viii cause disease aud death by permitting thu
escape Of deadly gases the result OF animal and vegcta
The proper plan for this district is to dry tho land
hrst by dykng them in from the tide and the construc
tion OF proper drains When this Is accomplished tn
lands can be filled in without any danger to the publ
health.
REronrER-what IS your opinion to the tcnomcn
Dr. sAYRE-My views on this question are contained
my report of 1865, and time has only confirmed the
ruth Of them. They lollows:-At present most
of the tenement houses in this city absolutely
1t for occupation and they may be divided into three
those which, by slight modification
and Improvement in ventilation be made habitablo
second those that by reconstruction aud limited
md third, those which, by no possibility,
codld be made except by destruction and rebuilding
As they are now they are pesholcs that breed typhoid
and typhus fovcrs not ony destroying the inhabtants
within their walls, but becoming the sources of its
TO other and more respectable parts Of the
city
REpoRrER-what changes necessary to iIaprovs
.he public healthy
Dr. SAYRR-wo mus, have a complete and thorough
change in our sewerage system The drainage of
tenement houses IN fact all classes of dwellings, must
be altered and improved The drainage OF swarnE
lands must be accomplished No other health board
In the world has more power authority than that
charged with the public health of this city. 1t is no
ault or the laws but SIMPLY in carrying thsm out
DIR. EI,sKfNE
called in relation this subject ard stated that
In his practice no found maarial disordars from tho
Dost and richest dwellings down to the tenement house
That there was question but that the present san
lary condition OF tho city very bad Our cntiro
system Of sanitary engineering and administration OF
health matters was wrong and until q complete change
was made wo could expect but little improyeme i in
tho public health.
PROFESSOR John {. DIAPER,
Of the New York University, called on and stated
that as TO the actual sanitary coalition Of the city ho
could give no opinion, but that ehange In tho present
sanitary system would undoubtedly be beneficial Tho
Professor considered that responsible man at the
mead OF the Health Department could do moro effective
work. and give better value for the money ssont than
Is accomplished under the present system
number Of other medical gentlemen were visitod
IN relation TO this question: but declined TO giyo their
views the subject
study OF the foregoing statements establishes tho