The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-16
The Winter in Town.

Now that the duel is over with, the town
begins TO settle down TO steady work, If lt
can be got, and to solace its hours of leis-
ure with such amusements rs suit its tastes.
The winter is going on pretty steadily
after the ol1-fashioned style, and the
promise is OF plenty of snow. In fashion,
able society there is activity, for New
York il very rich city. but the theatres
are having dun time OF it. Even the
churches complain of tho times, both ma
teral and spiritual. Things in general are
not very lively and the heavy political
cloud stiil darkens the prospect.
But We can rejoice over the good health
of the city. That could scarcely be better
than il il. We have no epidemics, and our
death rate IS low. Although poverty l.
prevalent, yet the measures for It's relief
seem to be efficiently applied where public
charity Will be accepted, ana the private
solcitude for the poor and afflicted is
crediiable 10 tho people. At the dispeu-
saries and hospitals the provisions for the
care Of the sick poor arc very complete.
Every person needing medical aid who
can get to a dispcnsary eau obtain il there,
aud If unable 10 walk, can be treated i'm his
own dwelling, on application to a dispen-
sary, by physician employed for the pur-
pose. II the sick person Is not able to re-
main al home he is sent to the hospital
and there cared for until able To leave.
JUDGED, there is no city IN the world where
the sick poor are able to receive better at
tenfion than in New York. Our dispen-
sary and no, pital system is Il great glory of
the metropolis.
A happy popularity Of this winter is the
almost total absence Of smallpox IN New
York. The smallpox hospital on Black
wells Island is now nearly empty, only
two or three patients remaining, and there
is next to none Of the disease in the city
Itself. The Board Of Health during the
last year was very assduous and thorough
in yacclnating everybody, ana our present
immunity from this odious disease is
largely due 10 that fact lnLondon small
poX is now prevailing TO an alarming eX-
tent, ana exciting the earnest attention of
tho authorizes, the medical profession, and
tho press. OF lnte there has arisen in
England q good deal of opposition to COM
pulsory vaccination, IN which leading men
have taken part, Nh. GLADSTONE among
iN' Hhihh'4' uuN NfINlil1 mo H'dl'l Olll-
GERS Of London, in consequence, have been
obstucted IN their efforts NJ Naceinaf ion.
! Everything which involves the interfer-
euco of Government with the private
affairs of the citizen Is 10 be guarded
against, and only tolerated whore abso-
lutclY necessary TO the general good. In
this city, therefore, we have never Mt
tempted 10 enforce compulsory vaccina-
ton. There is no law here requiring vac
cnation; but the Health Board, through q
special corps Of vacciuators, use their best
efforts 10 induce the poorer people to ac-
ccpt this boon. They have succeeded re-
malkably well in overcoming the prcju-
dices against 1t, AT the same time that they
have regarded the rights of those whom
| they have sought to project against infec-
| ton. They have vaccinated tue inhaDit-
! ants Of tenement houses quito generally
and met with little opposit on which their
| arguments could not silence.
As consequence. we are now almost
without smallpox at Il season when the