The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-07
THE HARLEM HORROR.
A Boy Carrying Water to the "DumperS"
Dies Before the Doctor Comes.
A PROMINENT PHYSICIANS OPINION.

The HERALD's disclosures OF the condition OF the
Harlem mats aud the nature OF the material used
in nlnng them up 10 the established grade OF the
streets that favored ~ section OF the city nave
had the effect nos ONLY or astonishing those living
on higher and healthier ground, but also OF waxing
up the inhabitants OF the region known AZ York
vile and Harlem anew 10 the privileges they enjoy
by the grace Oh McQuade and the Boards OF Health
and Police reporter day or two sinc5
CHANGED to be IN the company OF two physicians
living in Harlem, when the conversation turned
on the articles then just published In the HERALD
when one or them asked, "Is the matter really 80
bad as they represent ~
Bad said the other; 'drive past them II you
DOUBT It. Why they haven't begun TO tell IL all.
couldn't If they tried. have had after
case from that one cause since they began dump
ing that stunn
"But," urged the first. iii that is why nos
report to the Board OF health and have them in
terfere %
\ 1t should be remembered that this doctor had
/ not been long in the place.
"Reportrn SAID the other. and there was o
world OF sarcastic meaning In his tone, "why, IL
\ has been reported on Q dozen times. the Board
OF Health know all about it well as any OF us,
and that Is all 1t amounts6o Why, had
i A PATIENT DIE
from it about year or SO ago. aud reported
the last OF It, so far as know"
Afterward the reporter asked this physician
who desires that his name should not be pub
lsheu-for more detailed statement OF his views
when the Doctor said IN substance
THE DOCTORS STATEMENT.
'T have practIsed IN this neIghborhood foH
about ten years, and before that, as you know, In
the army, and believe know something about
malarial poisonous exhalations and can say
ma a in
types and characteristics or disease throughour
all that region since the dumping commenced OF
course II is not quite so bad In winter. especially
when it is so cold as 1t was last winter though
4 then could trace, as thought and still think
\ the influence OF TINS poison. For instance, |
\ found cases OF pneumonla-of which you
know we mad good many-presenting
should say showing more typhoid tendency IN
that LOCALITY than IN any other around here. lt
Is, however, IN the spring, wnen tue stacks OF
| refuse dumped during the winter are opened and
spread out TO lester aud decay unaer the not sun.
thai the poison is most rapidly generated and we
see its most marked effects Now, previous TO
this hllng IN the eglon Whereabouts was not too
healthy but was not essentially worse than other
| similar locaties-in TACT. not SO bad as many;
but since me dumping ground was established
to fight as any physician about here can tell you
Tne trst year. for instance, that they oegan 10
bring this stun here we nad what amounted TO an
epidemic OF cholera morbus OF very obstinate
| type prevailing In and all about the nlled in
! area-somethng we had never had beforen
! 'You spoke, Doctor, about having patient die
! from this poson-what were tue circumstances
DEATH FROM MALARIA.
at was the case OF boy of a0out sixteen, who.
being anxious for WORK, took q JOB TO carry water
Ior the men AT work spreading this refuse. After
few days he complained, one afternoon, that ne
/ didn't Iee well,' out went to work the next
morning. About ten O'Clock | was sent for IN
great haste, bu; before could reacn toe house
period oil less than half an hour-he was dead.
Under the circumstances refused certificate of
4 death. and an inquest was held at walcn APP
peal ed as witness and expressed my opinion
that nc had died overcome py tnat tremendous
4 poison. A verdict was rendered OF death nom
intense malarlal poisoning and there the matter
ended 50 lar as ever heard.n
why ia shis poison 80 peculiarly intense Doc.
torr'
because IL Is generated by the action or the
! sun on masses OF matter chiefly vegetable and We
! scarcely know what else"
dead cats, &c. persapg.n
s'No, there Is not so much carrion among ft, aud
II there ere IL would NOT be bad. / would say
that the worst exaalations, IN so lar as POISONING
Is concerned. arise from excreta ana decaying
| though certainly offensive enough 10 the sense "
smell.r
1T is urged by some that these doors cannot be
very unnealthy wnen the men at work In re-
moving anu spreading this refuse are Oil ropuss
men,
.sRobastl They are nething OF the sort. That IL .
popular fallacy. Visit thee in their homes talk
with some Of them and You Will find very few OF
tuem robust men, and the mortality IN their fam
lies IS SIMPLY appalling. Go into one or tnelr
houses and ask how many children they have. and
see how often you VIII get the meancnoly answer,
II we had,i five, six. nine or ten, as the case may
4 be, but they seldom nave many and they are never
nealthyu
GLOW can this state OF things be remededw
81 see but one way. We all know the virtue
earth as a dtslniectant. therefore, cover theso
mats deep with good nocest eartn and stop dump
ing any more such stun here and the nuisance
u