Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-02-01
A NEW CHARITY IN BOSTON.

Boston has established new charity for the
benefit Of its suffering poor. 1t lie distinct from
the Aid Societies and S0up-houses, and different
from both in its management and the class
whom 1t is designed to relieve. In large cities
where the cost OF living is 80 much greater than
our own-sheIe the poor dwell in squalor and
misery huddled together IN cheeriess tenements
"a double duty is entalled upon the philsn-
thropic in the procurement Of food for the hun-
cry and care for the sick. Promiseuoas or in
discriminate charity svals but little either IL re-
leving the sufferiRgs Of the destitute or staying
the tide Of sickness which sweeps over such To-
cLities, IS has been proven by experience but
since 30 much has been accomplished under e
systematic plan of benevolence in providing food
and clothing for the hungry and naked, Boston
has conceived and put in operation plan where
by the sick, and especially children, are fur
nished with such conditions as promote recove-
~.
We have not the information with which to
minutely describe the workings OF this new char
ity-Diet Kitchens. AZ it is cAIed-but com
prehsnsive idea is obtained from AL article in s
Boston paper. The kitchen is sustained ss all
other charities are, by voluntary contributions,
and is managed by one or more persons selected
FOR the purpose Reguls. cooks are employed,
and various articles OF diet are prepared under
the direction of physicians who order only the
most nutritious and least hurtful diets. These
include beef tea, milk, coffee cocoa, egg beaten
with milk, yarious kinds Of broth, oatmeal and
Indian Cruel, simple puddings of nee, fsrins or
hominy. and fresh meat, sfording ample va
rb I'M il. liz nhar
The physicians I'VE suppose their services are
voluntarily given, but cannot speak with posi-
uveneas) in their order. or prescription, write
tue number of the article desired for each pa
tielt, and upon its presentation at the Kitchen
the order i- tillec and the patient furnished with
just such article Of diet as is best suited to their
condition.
In addition to this, a regular nurse is employed
to visit the patients whom the physicians recon-
mend to her; she goes from house to house,
dressing sores and wounds, bathing the patients,
making their beds, and seeing that they have al
rha comfort THAR "'----.- "a. -.,s A.
her reports one can easily learn just where
clothing, bedding or fuel are needed. although
applications for such things are not made either
to her or to the housekeeper at the Kitchen
These necessaries are provided from another
quarter.
Boston has two OF these charities i'll operation
one with its dispensary and another as all in
stituton separate and distinct from all others
Neither have been in operation but few
months, but each has accomplished much good
The first named is working upon capital les.
than $780,, but distributes food to from ifteeI
10 twenty persons daily. The other is conducted
upon 3 much larger scale and was started upoI
paid up fund Of q, 900. but lts usefulness ant
demands have so increased that this amount
will not be sufficient to carry it through the iirst
year as calculated.
This ID about as full particulars as we are able
70 gather from the paper before US. They are
sufficient, however, to impress the reader of tht
worthiness of the charity, and with the conv.c
ton that beneyolence thus bestowed is not mis-
directed. In its usefulness it excel even tha
most necessary charity which affords relief to til,
well poor. for sickness and proverty combined il
not only helple-sness bur death unless relieved
With heslth the destitute may exc out scant,
subsistence. but sickness brings with i, an sbjec
pFostration which prevents effort for the pro
cnrement Of food, and reduces the patient to
condition where he Is more dependent upon an,
needy Of the charity Of others, Have We an,
-ach in Wilmington