The New York herald., 1877-03-02
NEW YORK HOSPITALS.

FIFTH ANIMAL REPORT OF THE LOCAL VISITING
COMMITTEE FOR BELLEVUE AND OTHER puB.
LIc HOSPITALS OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK.
The htih annual report OF the Visiting Commute.
for Bellevue and other public hospitals OF New Yori
Guy has lately been submitted to the State Charities
Aid ASSOCIATION aud contains Interesting state
ments relating TO the present condition OF public
hospitals. The Visiting COMMITTEES Is composed OF q
number OF our New YORK ladies', who kindly devote q
portion OF their leisure hours to tho inspection OF the
city hospitals and, being entirely ds sntorestcd labor
ers IN tnis work OF charity have succeeded In remedy
Ing nnumcrable evils that had crcpt into the manage.
mcnt OF these Institutions The officers Of tho Visiting
Committee arc Mrs Joseph Hobson, President; Mrs
Lydg NJ. Hoyt, Vice President, and Miss Rosaic But
ler Secretary The following ladies upon the Eek.
ccuiive Commtee:-Mrs Joseph Hobson, Mrs Lydis
N. Hoyt, Miss Rosalie Butler, Mrs. Alexander HamiL
ton, Mrs Henry Y Lcavitt. Mrs. r. 1. Youmans Mra
W. Farrar Smith. Mrs. Joseph Knapp. MIRA Marlbo.
rough Churchill aud Miss wisner. The Visiting Com.
mttce is divided up into ten standing committees,
whose duties cover tho inspection OF all the public
hospitals IN tho city.
In he report recently furnished and dated February
l. 1917 after briefly stating the objects proposed
by the committee at organ izatiou some nvo Year,
back, namcly:-Firsl, ITO visit the hospitals. with
view to the mental, moral and physical improvement,
reforms In these hospitals as may DO practicable u
The committee aude to political influence In tho toll
lowing language Tho administration OF tho De-
pnrimcnt ol Public Charities Correction has prop
ery nothing To do with potcs; yet, like every other
department. OF the city government u IA simply po
h.ica machine There Is not appointment fro,o
that OF the Commissioner TO the lowest subordinate
which may not have political lcance and while
this system lasts the results must DO the same.
by this We do not mean that the appointments all
necessarily bad On tue contrary, some are very good
but thcy are good IN spite oI system, not consc.
qnence OF It. The commissioners are daily ANA hourly
hampcred by political considerations, which ought
10 enter iutO their deiDerationsp Au Instance
is then gwen Ia the report wherc the influence pro.
tectng an incompetent person was so great that the
Board could not Withstand IL. The commitiee then
ADVISE the appointment O Commissioners Irrespective
OF political opinions, TO be removed only Tor cluse ns
they would then DO tree 10 establish the system OF
minstratiou they deemed best Tor the Interests Of
those under their charge. Further they aad:--
"when the cizens ot New York determine THAI their
puDic charities are not 10 DC managed with reference
10 partisan politics. but on enlightened prllantnrop.o
principles. shall have the right anu
not IN then. And until this result is attained. tins
committee must continue to investigate aud protest.
and ~ publish their investigations ana protests" I"
SUPPLIES AND CLOTHING
Referring 10 supplies the report says:-"Among tho
rclorms most needed are, nst, the proper dsriouion
OF food, linen, drugs, &c Theoretically, each patent
costa u certain sum per diem, ana that entillcs
him allowance iood per dietary bedding
and drugs. Why, then. should The allowance varyf
Why saould vegetables nave been lacking Tor several
we ks last autumn Why should POI aoes have been
given certain wards but six times TWO weeks and
nothing supplied IN their place? why IS CONDENSED
milk sometimes go watercd as to AFFORD no nutr,meuli
Why snoula one ward have many sheets required
anu another show a constant dehcicncyS Why
there always in all the institutions scanty suppy of
soap2 Why drugs SO poor that lner effect cannot
be counted upon and Why do tue supplies run short
every Decembers'' The want OF proper supply OF
linen. aud especially towels Is deprecated by the
mtce aud In tho report they stale the ioii.wils
facts-"in tue opthalmic ward ~ Charity Hospital
clean towel day 10 gwen tor The whole wara; la
ward for skin diseases one ccan sheet weekly rs al
lowed per bed; while IN Tho ganercne cry sipcas
shn has aEn(s.e
care OF his patients' Commenting The above tue
only remark the committee have TO make rs one OF
asonisnmcnt that the patents are kept AS clean AZ
thcy are.
The report speaks favoraby OF the nurses b1t calls
attention to the TACT that the Chief of stan has
work than he can properly attend TO The heating and
ventilation OF both Bellevue and Charity Hospitals
spoken OF as notoriousy bad ans the new system Of
heating venlilatng Bellevue Hospital spoken OF
as complete failure speaking OF TUG Maternity
aud protest against tho surroundings OF Charity Hos
ptal, did VIC not hope that tho necessity or IL would
cease when the Maternity Pavilions ESQ much needcd,
are built spring We hope that III planning these
pavons, the Com opers viii avail themselves OF
the assistance OF she experts OF the Saic Chares AID
Association which has been offered them; and then
they will subject themselves 10 the reproach whch
the failure Of the expensive heating apparatus in Belle
yue has brought upon them nor TO fatal results Ike
the late mortality IN the Epilsptic Pavilion on Black
wells Island" j"
HEQsEsr FOR A LYISGIS HOSPITAL.
The committee in the report Cali attention to tho
necessity for establishing Iyns.in hospital the
CIV aud publish Two mcnor ias addressed by them 10
the governors Of the Society OF Iyins.in Asylum
OF the City New York. In these memorials they es-
pec,ay refer to the ''strect cases" who cannot bo
moved Black kwcll's Island and state Instances
where death has beea tho result OF the exposure
ing the Journey to the island They suggest establish
ing lying hospital OF Ten beds, ana give est.
mate OF rent. furnishing aud cost OF running such
esabis hmcnL Rent aud running expenses they place
Mt s. 5SO and cost OF furnishing 81, $50 with an
outlay vi less than $4,000 such hospital could be
for hrst year Inc reply OF tue governors, how
ever not favorable stating that at special
ing Board to the resolution that
this time to establish an asy ium Tor yIngu
ases An application oil similar nature was then
made TO the Commss toners OF Cnsrtes ana resulted
IN the Nursery aud Chiid's Hospital consentng re
only be temporary.
In conclusion the committee statcs:-''The readcrs
of this report will perhaps lay II down with a ccne
that the work OF the committee has been useless
and that II has effected nothing by lis Ave years
labor. But the visitors do not so regard II; ioi
though they that much, very much, remains be
done they also know that much very much, has beer
already accomplished When they recall the disorder
profanity, drunkenness and immortality when met
them every side hvc years ago; when they rc,ncm.
Der the vcrmIn and Nth, the indncrcLce to suffering
and the absence OF Christian influences IN the hos
pitas, they acknowledge wiih heartfelt qualification
that those abuses exist no more Vicious people
longer parade their vices btempcrahce is suppressed
order aud cleanliness, though not yet attained,
garded as desirable, and spirit Of emulation among
the different institutions has been aroused which
healthy ind OF the future. Let not then bo
discouraged; but trusting IN Him who INSPIRED tho
work. let us confident that with the aid OF
force public opinion, we sEA ~ last succeed
making our public institutions models for all other
cities.