The New York herald., 1876-07-21
SAVE THE CHILDREN /!
Work of the New Medical Corps
Among the Poor.
Thirteen Hundred Visits Made TO 0yrrrrOwded
Tenements Yesterday.
FILTH AND MORTALITY.

yesterday. IL was supposed by some when the fifty
were appointed that they would report every evening
The results of their labors OF the day the Sanitary
Superintendent, aud that they would every morning
obtain their Instructions at the Health Board Head
quarters. Such is the case When each physician
was appointed he given special district that is TO
given number OF blocks in a certain ward and
vas made incumbent upon him visit every tenement
house IN 1t, SO that no poor helpless wall might be
overlooked OF course, to cover his district Will re-
luirc from each great deal Of time and 1t is quite
possible that in the dcnscly populated ncighbor
hoods some OF the houses whose inmates require
will not be reached for week or ten days The dis
Iricts in such wards the Seventh, Sixth, Fourth,
Eleventh and Thirteenth where there many
large tenemcnts, have been made very small com
pared with those marked out the uptown
houses. For instance the Seventh ward has been
divded into seven visitation districts with u ply
sician for each district "Wc are doing what we
with this force OF DOCTORS" said DR. James the
ant sanitary superintendent, to a HERALD reporter
yesterday. ITO bring down the terrible death
among the children in the tenement districts. They
have very onerous task to perform. When IL is
borne IN mind that some tenement houses have dny
and sixty families each and ,ha, the doctors have to
90 not only from the ground floor to the top hut
every occupied by family ascertain any
exhaust,ng this trying weather. We arc IN hopes that
II will lead to the hest results.n
MEDICINE.
The Board OF Health expected from the outset when
they decided upon employing The visiting physicians
that they would valuable from the dspen-
yarics, but is stated that their expectations have
been realized. The aid they sanguine OF securing
most especially tho medicine. The physicians
rs matters now stand, have depend almost ex-
siusivcy upon the generosity OF the druggists
A
In tenement He writes out prescription,
and II the parents happen to be very poor bc makes
note OF the circumstance on the prescription, with
y recommendation to tho druggist TO make 1t up
for as small sum OF money as possible. But what
II the parents have no money at ally Then the doctor
is rs powerless as before, anu II the druggist called
upon refuses to give the medicine tor nothing
tors visit to the ailing little ono becomes
mality, worse than useless Tho health officials
hdcnty believe tnat II the druggists generally
made acquainted with the wants OF the visiting ply
sicans this respect they would cheerluly least
the vast majority Of them, make up the prcscrp-
tions for nothing. at all events tor very small
hgure the medicines required Tor children suffering
from the heat from the summer complaint and the
Ike arc very cheap IL is not to be expected that tho
druggists In the moro popuous tenement districts
would be willing TO make up all he prescriptions sent
10 hem by the visiting physicians for nothng and 1t
would therefore that the Health Board
should take prompt measures Ia meet the wants Of the
doctors this respect II they have the power
engage aud pay Tor the OF physicians other
than the regular inspectors they certainly
thorxe the physicians to give order on the Board
for payment OF The prescriptions made up for extremely
CHILDREN IN rExEMExrs
Yesterday large number OF tcnements on the East
side visited tue visiting scians and
many sick children found III wicii, Riv,ngton,
Division, jackson, Market and Cannon streets. A
HERALD reporter IN looking Tor OF the physicans
came across "a funeral IN Ludlow street II was OF a
little child. That makes The thirteenth funeral that
has taken place from these two blocks during the past
te. days" police officer with whom the reporter
get into conversation; 'dnd don't wonder there's
many IN these tenement districts he added, THE
children get no rest NJ night they pick dccayed fruit
OF the barrels here and there, and oi them
half have very little else eat, God help ihem
Go auy The houses along here and you'll
to find sick chld on almost every floor - Following
out this suggestion ana making his search Tor
the Board OF Health physicians the prctext
OF his visit, the reporter entered two or three
Of the tcncmenis In one OF the houses, which was
four stories in height there five children who
suffering from darrhoa, ana the house adoin-
lng the corpse OF babe only year od laid
q small room, and another child oi three lay
the door suffering from prostraton and the summer
fsmplant In Essex street the reporter woman
standing in front of small grocery tore bitterly
another apparently attempting to console her.
The reporter learned from tue groceryman that tho
poor woman was widow who earned her living by
washing She had, before The heated term began,
three children, two girls and boy, aged respectively
vc. three and two; but they were now dead The baby
having bccn buried only the day before Doubtless
this but OF many terrible illustrations OF the
fearful havoc tnat the heat has made in the tenement
districts
will make their first report 10 the sanitary Supcrin
sendent on Saturday morning next and those VINO 20
duty to-day aud who will be visiting the sick chil.
dren Sunday will make the result OF their labors
tnown TO him on Monday morning These reports
Will no doubt give the health authorities more thor
ough knowledge than they now possess OF the real
oi the large number OF deaths among children
the tenement districts OF course every knows
that the terrible mortality among them during the
past two weeks has been brought about by sickness
tupcrinduced by tho excessive heat but will be
interest know why 1t is that IN GER
Tain tenement localities the death rate Is
excessive compared with others.
want OF proper and lack OF fresh air after
the little have become cnervated by the heat the
doctors say, IS the main cause OF the present dreadful
~l,s sToIl hon salI
physician OF the Health Board TO the HERALD re
porter 1--WE cannot shut our eyes 70 the lact that
lor all the chic cause our present tenement house
system IL invitation to death 10 do as he pleases
~iih children In tho summer Time. Let our i.egIsa-
ture pass such Laws that landlords Will have to &C
knowledge that tenants have some rights which they
ere bound to respect }"
rScovxRryc DISEASE
Yesterday the deaths Of clildrrn for the preceding
cay under Ave years OF age WAS averaged ut ninety
nght, making total OF 1854 deaths Ia twenty-five
lays The work OF the new medical stai OF the Board
sf Health began earnest yesterday Before sclrug
or.h on the visits DR. Day summoned The members OF
he corps his office gave practical
ions how TO proceed. Tho doctors required to
sotc every visit paid the number OF children cao.
Vousc well or sick to be used IN future as reference
a. ten clock under fierce and sianug sun. the
doctors started foriL on what is, perhaps, hc most
sn.psivc and the hardest work possible TO conceive
A reporter of the HERALD accompanied DR. Early,
whose district embraces Mulberry, Mott and knka5c,n
urccis, where tenement houses are tack ana children
rho first house entered was No 2.S Mott street nad
she nrs, man encountered was the Jantor ANY sex
children q this house ~ said the Doctor 'uh.
lord no, SIR, THIS the healthicst house In the
nc,gbborhood. The highest ground in thc city, SIR.
All lat and rosy Look al shat one pointing to
dirty nttlc girl with but garment on) see the
likes a. that"
Al the Jsnors talked this way, never acknowledg.
ing q dirty home or n sick child IN H. The Doctor,
however paid little attention to the janiiors, but pro
ceeded lp stairs. The smell was sbominablc and
stining but the children played around as happily
hough they IN the surf at Rocsaway NO SICK
ess mere said the top door, ana the Doe
or left tor Elizabeth street
Si>Bry CHILDREN IN ONE nouSy
Here. beginning with No. 24a, are perfect honey
pmh OF tenement houses, connecting back and rear
haok and white mixed up together
when the doctor entered all the heads were out Of
he windows aud left washing and ironing, and
lbs b,E darky blowing peas through iipe dropped
Tho shooter and To see what was the matter.
slow many families there IN these houses said
the Doctor THIRTY families, sir" was the rcrly