The New York herald., 1876-07-22
SAVE THE CHILDREN /!
Further Efforts Of the Doctors Oh
Behalf of the Little Ones.
A Grief-Laden Monotone of Pow
erty, Disease and Despair.
NO MONEY, NO MEDICINE!

The rescue of the poor little OF the city from the
clutches Of deadly disease has been recognized as the
duty of the hour Tho death among
the infant population Of New York. given in the HERALD
few days ago. struck the public with genuine dismay
The little sufferers poweress to plead for themselves
have found their advocate in the great heart the
public and the righteous cry has gone
FORTH "Save the children ~ Responsive to il
the Board OF Health has taken tho mos
energetic measures TO arrest the terrible
mortality which sweeping OF in such unprece
denled numbers the children OF the city. Yesterday.
as will be below, excellent work was done by ~
doctors, about 500 visits having been made. Chossa
nantum the prevailing scourgc and this Is attrib
uted, next to bad food the OF fresh air. The
universal complaint OF tho mothers OF the little suffer-
ana cannot therefore avail Cf the doctors
prescriptions. People are beginning 10 ask whether,
Tor this reason, these children are to DO allowed to die
The this would naturally be emphatic
'Nol from the Board OF Health and the adoption OF
prompt measures Tor this extreme emergency. Below
HERALD reporters, which will give fair insight into
the present condition of the infant population Of the
poorer districts OF the city. The picture cheer
ing one but has be looked resolutely in the face.
stem of No OBS East twenty hrd al rect throuSh rhs
district allotted 10 HIM, which runs from Rivingon TO
Grand and from Cannon street TO the river Dr.
Stein commenced his work about hafpast eleven
O'Clock in the morning on the south side Of Riv-
ington street, east OF Cannon. On the block
between Cannon and Lewis streets there is
a row OF large tenement houses Through
all these houses the doctor and reporter went from
floor floor ana, though there numbers Of young
children in the houses, Of disease found
The mothers most OF whom were German. on being
questioned, seemed to feel proud TO that their chill
dren all healthy II OF them were delicate
they all sscribed 1t 10 the one cause-teething.
On passing No 3l5 Rivington street 1t was noticed
that white
GRAPE HUNG on THE BELL HANDLE.
On the second floor OF that house child three months
old died the night previous OF cholera iniautum.
1t asoeraiped that the child had been regularly
attended during Its illness by competent physician.
Through kvington street TO the river the Doctor pro-
ceeded going INTO each house and through every floor
but the answers were always the same mo child sick
here After getting through this block tho Doctor re-
marked, 'This neighbornood seems remarkably
SsA''Is SO BOAR the e''p river At all events one
might notice that though the people are poor
everything remarkably clean.'' In Lewis. IRON
Kvington to Granl, ali the houses were similar in
spected and the same gratifying results were observed
Al No 2Sy Delaney street child about eleven months
old was treated for
CHOLERA rNrASrUx
an excursion ticket the ST Johns Guild Floating
Hospital given the mother. AT No. 80 Cannon
children, aged and thirteen months.
treated for tho disease, aud at No. ~ Cannon
street children aged sixteen months and thirteen
mott, ,s found suffering from cholera infantum.
All these children were fortunately in lair way Of re-
c,verv.
A. No 546 Grand street, after nquring from floor to
floor, two sick children, who hal mad no medical at
tendance found the fourth floor. Tncy had
been suffering for week from the prevalent complaint
Dr. Stein gave the mothers the ne esssry prescription
and some appropriate advice, also excursion tickets
Tho mothers of the babies, who were French women.
were prouse their thanks Doctor and promised
TO iu his instructions the letter. This was
house visited, and though number of deaths oung
children that occurred within the last week in the
ne hborhood were heard or those mentioned were
only OF suffering from cholera inantum that
TENEMENT rERRoRa
Early yesterday morning another HERALD reporter
accompanied 0 the physicians IN charge of east
side district Tho tenements were nearly all douois
houses the narrow halls running through the middle
and the apartment doors opening the right and en
the front and rear OF the passage Most Of then
contained tw enty-four families. Few held less thar
sixteen families the households averaging four souls
Starting at Essex and Grsnu streets. the physician,
who earnestly Striving TO give timely aid to the
suffering chdron, commenced his work. Carefully
stepping the groups OF parity clad children and
their noisy playmates the Spz and cur dogs of the
neghborhood, tho Doctor made his way to the rear
doors the first floor la his raps the doors
opened. Have you any sick children nores"
was ked at every door, the language bost under.
stood by the occupant OF the room Up the long ilgh
OF starr, through dark and narrow Railways, where
both doctor and reporter foil over the children sitting
sun In dark; stepping back BREATH
suddenly opened door gave forth wave OF vapor with
ian ancient and dshke smell. the search went on.
In NO. IS Essex street 1ftytwo children unuer i've
years cid found Many of them suffering
with eruptlous caused by tho heat The house
occupied by Germans and was clean. In the rear
house adjoining, in ahot under the roof, little
sufferer found almost beyond human help;
Tor parIor and sleeping room The room was clean but
very hot Entering the tenement on The east slice OF
Essex street, to the north side OF Hester the halls
and starways were seen covered with nth OF all de-
scr ptions. All the occupied by Polish
tailors The catler OF sewing machines was deaienng.
In o1c of the halls a woman cleaning fish, Near
her, broken cnair. black with dirt and grease
pile Of meat, partly covered by basket lid Beneath
the chair bucket OF
REFUSE AND GARBAGE
The atmosphere of this dwelling and workshop for
nearly dozen OF peopl. was beyond description horri
BILE Little children were creeping about the floor. The
parents answered mo" to every question put to them,
snd did not seem satisfied until left to their squad
misery. Passing through he ter street toward Lud-
low, the women and children IRON the tenemcnis
crowded about the ba kets Of hard, green ap-
Street a case of scarlet fever was found
ami the proper remedies prescribed. In
small frame No. ~ Ludlow street, with low
ceilings to the rooms, dirty walls and broken plaster,
oisconso olac looking woman found The stairs
with four babies playing about while she nursed an
infant stricken with the prevailing disease. She gladly
took the medical proncrcd and promised take
the children on the Terry boats. This house has
stable IN the rear Coniin uing every
room in every house along the line OF the
d to Brooms visited. Those occupied
\ By G ,rman iamilics were as a rule. scrupuousiy
clean and the children healthy In some cases the
parents first refused 10 reply to the physician, evi
dcntly Tearing that the children would be taken away
] from them. During tho afternoon the physci
] visited those whom he found unwel on the previous
day. Onc mother had not given the medicine pre-
scribed. because neishbor had ordered something
else Many had obeyed The directions OF the ply sican
takenhc children the Terry boats during the
evening trips The streets in the lower part OF the Tenth
ward Ithy condition and need immediate attcn.
The inspectors OF tho Board OF Health will report
at the Central 0dicc at ten O'Clock this morning
Tux ITALIAN QUARTERS
in Crosby street were visited yesterday by Dr. Early.
There number OF little story attic houses
here literally packed with human beings Italians,
negroes and white people all hudded up together.
wnbout exception these houses d.rtest IN
city. The occupants all by trade rag pickers aud
at eve when the rakngs of the day brought for
assortment and the garbage OF tie day thrown into
the gutter, more ioui and loathsomc dwellings
never seen The areas arc packed with old iron, the
basement with rags aud old paper and canvas. The
men and women wash their hands and faces once
week-on Sunday mornngs-and this they term dress
| ing.
The Doctor in the first house he entered found 10
occupied by forty-nvc people, young aud old in the
driest apartments possible TO conceive Of ana yet The
people seem to thrive IN II. Ike pigs All well,
the halt little children each with one gar.
ment on, grovclcd around apparent health hap
pness. As remarkable evidence OF the strength Of
the Italian stomach and loyo of DIRT this settlement
sands out strongly. How people could be healthy in
such place puzzled the Doctor.
In spring street Dr. Early found nine cholera