The Cecil Whig., 1877-09-01

contemplate DR.. Chancellor nowhere
in his report uses such an expression,
either generally or specifically, to say
nothing of the repetition of the word
disgusting" in the same sentence
Nor is the Cecil county aims house
designated as exceptionally vile," as
stated by DIR. Ellis in the opening state
ment of his letter. As careful read
ing of DR. Chanccllor's report will dis
close, his strongest expressions are only
used with reference to certain aims
houses in the State, among which that
of Cecil county is not included. This
is noticeably the case with reference to
the Washington county aims house,
which, he says, should be presented as
common nuisance" Throughout
his report he speaks specifically of the
condition in which many" of the
public institutions were found. "In
most of these institutions cleanliness is
an unknown luxury" &c. Not only
does he not use the expression attributed
to him by DR.. Ellis, but he expressly
states in reference to our county aims
house that ntercommunication of the
sexes is the primary evil characterizing
it, and which, to use his own language,
"cannot we'll be avoided in the present
ill-arranged building" Upon the sani-
tary condition of the house he makes
no special comment, and of which DR..
Ellis defense, proper enough in itself,
and no doubt warranted by the facts in
the case, is entirely gratuitous.
Directing attention to the main charge
against the Cecil INSTITUTIONAL prop
agation of pauperism,-we confess we
see very little in DR.. Ellis specific de-
malls to weaken the force of the general
statement made by DR.. Chancellor -
True, DR.. Ellis, from his necessarily
large experience may discover some
inaccuracy of statement in the report as
to the number of inmates, their ages,
and minor facts of comparative little
Importance, in view of graver ones, but
the one undeniable conclusion still re-
mains that pauperism has been propa-
gated at the county expense, and still
is, possibly to a limited extent DR..
Chancellor charges no more than this.
But outside of this fact, and not accept
ing DR.. Ellis letter as raising any ques-
tion of veracity with DR.. Chancellor,
we maintain that the former comedies
enough in the closing sentence of his
communication to warrant the imme-
diate reforms urged in the report DR..
Chancellor says of the house ait was
"untidy and disorderly." "In both
" buildings the departments for males
" and females are separated only by a
narrow passage, and the evil result of
"the free communication between the
"sexes is manifested in the number of
"illegitimate children born in the
" house." DR.. Ellis says, better dis
"cipline is needed. The sexes can and
ought to he lodged in separate houses.
"The methods of buying supplies for
the house ought to he changed"
Better and more furniture is required :;
bathing and lavatory appliances are
urgently needed, and there is abso-
" lutely no provision for the care of the
" sick who are constantly being sent
there" and then, as if determined to
complete the Indictment against the
present insuficiency and ndincompleteness
Of the house, deprecates the absence
of hospital accommodations for the re-
spectacle poor Of the county, and finally
tenders DR.. Chancellor the thanks of
every good citizen, if out of the commo-
tion he has raised this good may come.
1t would be difficult to determine, after
reading the opinions of both doctors,
wherein the discrepancy of statement
lay, if, indeed, it exist at all If the
fair name of the county be involved in
this question, the one report states the
necessity of reform just as strongly as
the other
We cannot, then, accept DR.. Ellis
letter as in any sense a refutation of
the statements originally made by his
associate of the State Board of Health,
but as in the main corroborative of
every material statement contained in
his report so far as it related to the
Cecil County Aims House.