The New York herald., 1876-07-20


'uv 10 ~ H.. 4o'
lotai.
All OF these under Ave years OF age. The
.oard OF Health the extreme necessity OF some
ihiny being done to lessen this growing mortality,
hence the appointment OF lty physicians to visit the
tenement houses ana to do their best to the lives
N the littc ones.
The first thing to do to district the city. This
vas done early yesterday morning, aud at one =. NJ.
tvery physician had his district allotted him and started
eut on his Humanitarian but somewhat disagrecable
nuty. The Board had some trouble in getting MY
doctors to do the work. for nearly every man IN The
profession OF reputo has US much as he can do to-day
10 attend to HIS private practi. Calls made
lpon the police surgeons ana a majority of them re-
iponded. That there
fact generally impressed upon tho corps, and
Ibcv were required to get TO WORK at once. With the
mercury at 9S they started out on their professional
duty. The ncghborhood OF Police Headquarters
sbounds with tenement houses, and the doctors dis
rctcd In that vicinity had not far to travel in order
10 begin their work.
reporter OF the HERALD accompanied one of the
physicians whose district the side of town.
10 the most thickiy populated section between the
Bowcry and the East River Walking up Broome
street the Doctor struck the immense tenement be-
ginning with No. 200. There was little white
Ureamcr OF Grape upon the bell handle The entrance
was crowded with women and children, half clothed,
trying 10 get in the breeze in the baways-a breeze
laden with slenches proceeding from green
looking cutters IN front and the hall empted garbage
box
the top OF an old wicker basket
.Faitb, and there's plenty OF them, zur We had four
funerals OF here tho last wccknearly as many as
they had over the wayn
''Are you a doctor, siry"
Board OF Health
Here iaix, there's plin.y for We to do. But the
divil bit of good does The doctors seem TO do Give
'em plny OF nourshing food days and fresh air, and
keep cm quiet aud COOL ana how The dvii Is any
body TO do t7''
There were thirty families in this house. numbering
by the better order OF mechanics. There were sick
children every family different stages OF dease,
OF them children arms Nearly all had doctors,
and In such cases nothing was done beyond giving gen
era advice ana 10 impress upon the mother the neces
Blty carving Instructions OF the regular
physician. Many women seemed To regard the Board
Of Health representative as an intruder and nlimnted
they were perfectly able to look alter The welfare OF
their children without any free aid
Passing up to the third fourth and nth floors the
real place for work was discovered In one room was
little girl OF about nine years OF age, bearing in her
arms child OF, perhaps, two aud a nall years us
little arms looked like ppestems and quite as white
It's eyes sunken and blue around the sockets Now
and again would start and cry and stretch as though
in pain and then sink back again quiet The Doctor
approached, and the following conver saton ensued:-
DocToR--Are you caring ior this little boy!
GRI.--Ycs, sir.
DocroR-How long has he been sick ?
Girl -Four or nye days, sir.
The room dirty and the air exceedingly foul,
and the Doctor took the little ones hand and said
Cant you change this little ones clothes ;"
GIRL-Mother said was TO let him be TIL she came
back.
GRL-She's gone out to washing. She says she can't
tnord 10 stay home and watch him.
The poor little child was in the last stage OF the
tscasc anu tho Doctor gave II as his opinion that II
Sould not live through the night. said he, you give
rour mother tn prescription directly she comes in
nd these tickets (or the ST Johns Guild Floating
HospitaD, and tell her she must take him out the
water or the boy will dic.n The htlc girl took the
tickets aud began TO cry.
A movement was made lor the next apartment
There little coffin IN the room with wax candle
standing on each side OF II, woman weeping, halfa
dozen children half naked playing on the floor. There
need of doctor there
Through the house the medical adviser proceeded
Wherever there were young children the terrible
cholera infantum was found Some OF the children
seemed well cared Tor and properly attended to- In
structions were given in every case ana where poverty
prevented their purchase, tickets Tor the steamboat
ride were presented. over hour spent IN this
house. ami then the Doctor left for the immense
story structure few doors above. WHAT noise and
stencil There at least nifty children on the stairs
and IN the hallway, their faces grim aud dirty, hair
dslcvecd snocless and apparently hungry. Somc
were sucking ice they had stolen from a by
others eating green corn and hall ripe tomatoes.
Those who vc IN decent dwellings can scarcely I'M
nglnc that thus tenement life Tho mercury front
OF barber shop the fret floor stood at 96 Inside
the temperature ranged from that TO 100
DO you know whether there are many sick children
n this house,? asked the Doctor OF the first woman he
met.
II have none SIR; but next door there's We
savc had lots OF deaths here Mrs Reilly on the
Ioor above her little girl with the dysenlery yes
er,ay, aud she's most crazy and her youngest is
uck. Nearly all the little children IN the house arc
stckn
visit through the house proved the OF
her statement On the floors, propped In chairs, in
bed II the arms OF mothers and sisters, were found
The poor little creatures, white and sickly weak
and as TO bring tears into the eyes of tho
most unsympathctic Tho Doctors advice In nearly
every case was
GIVE ruyM FRESH AIR,
md strangely enough this seemed TO be the thing
they could not have Medicine they get for moth
inr plenty of advice but fresh be worked Tor
and paid Tor. They mast struggle with the weary hid
for miles the and pay tor fresh air The trouble
and tac expense prevent hall the mothers cong this,
and the only hope Is lost and the children die.
1t is estimated that the Health Board corps uadc
over 500 visits yesterday. The circumstances attend
ing each visit much alike. The disease Is much
The same IN all cases. but tho degrees of poverty
lnerout aud the consequent indifference ana lack OF az;
,cntion Yesterday ''brokch day. This morn
Ing the corps will start out carly and accomplish much
moro than they were able TO on Wednesday.