The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-07-26

The Health Boards Inactivity on
the Prescription Question.
III E S T E r @ 0 U r t .
Want Of Proper Ventilation the Chief
Cause of Sickness.

The attention drawn by the 2ERALD to the dificul-
ties in the way poor people getting the pre-
scrIptions put up which the visiting physicians OF The
Board Of Health give Them has resulted in number
OF contributions seat 10 the office OF the HzRALD. and
duly acknowledged, and has also served TO draw out
o Communication from Mr. Charles y. smith, chemist
and pharmacist, which from one point OF view, meets
the emergency. and from another point does not
Mr. Smith writes that ne thinks there must be
some Misunderstanding In regard to the pre-.
scriptions and that he does not believe there
is . druggist In the city who would refuse TO
put them up without charge And he concludes
by saying that he will prepare without any charge
whatever all tor the children that presented
Al his pharmacy marked sdsstitute." Butwhile this
offer may lead the putting up OF lew Of the pre-
scriptions in question without charge the whole
question still left open for Is obvious that all the
poor cannot reach Mr.. Smiths pharmacy any moro
than all can 20 TO the Board OF Health where they
procure their medicines tree Vt charge. What Is
neeoed and what probably be perfected soon an
arrangement whereby the poor people shall be en-
abled to procure their medicines Tree in eacn DIS
trct. Probably In few cases are the parents I'M
able TO pay their medicines, but IL is these few
cases which It IL desirable provide for, and the
amount involved s small that any delay or difl-
Guilty criminal That there are such cases
already been by the writer's notes OF his
experiences company with the physicians, and each
one the ply 10 able 10 tell the same story
Dr. Koch, who has charge OF the district between Hes
ter Eidridge Rivingon and Essex streets, tells OF
Two cases IN particular which his personal
terventton necessary in order 10 procure medi-
cines that necessary to save life.
NOT CENT IN THE HOUSE.
The first Of these of scarlet lever, to
which his attention directed BY the Board OF
Health though situated No. "a Hester street,
which lies just outside his district. Here he found
living IN u tumbe-down frame building family, con-
sisting of a man, mis- wife and two children. They
seemed respectable people, and be was glad to be able
10 afford them relief Tho elder child was found 10
have scarlet fever, though not OF malignant type,
and said she had been ADVISED TO take the
child to Blsckwsls Island. but she had not had the
heart to do IT, for she could not send her first born
child away from her to suffer and perhaps TO
die among strangers Dr. Koch prescribed for the
child, and then told that the younger one was
also sick. questioning he found that us trouble
was cholera iniantum, and no gave second
lions TO be observed, &C He noticed that the
father and mother looked at each other in curious
manner, he about 10 Leave the fsther said
In sort OF half-choksd voice, "Bus wnsre shall
get the medicine 2" lew further questions dcvel.
Tune and that there was NOT cent IN tho house. me
doctor tooK him to = pharmacy on she Bowery, when
his representations. the prescription was put up
Again his attention was specially called to a case at
No. 81 Ludlow street, and on investigating ne found
that woman, Polish Jew, was living there Ia great
poverty apparently, with three children, the young
est OF whom, a babe not more than SIX mouths Old,
in commissions. He gave her prescription, ana
the tears rolled her cheeks she SAID that she
could not get 1t put up, for she nsd not cent
~ Ser ~0n Husband md Was peaa!sr aud had
boon away from home one Of his usual tours Tor
three weeks and thut nor money had She
mi a resD lie.
was corrooorated by her neighbors. he took one OF
her chi dsen, ABOUT seven years old around drug
store IN Hester street, where the druggist found
10 be Wiling to put up tho prescription AZ cost price,
and Dr.. Koch PAID Tor II out OF his own pocket
While may BIO true that In most instances the me-
cessities OF the very poor may DC met, as In these
cases. by private charity. there yet remain cases IKE
described two days ago In the HERALD where
private charity has chance TO respond, as no APP
peal II, and is to meot lhe ex'gencies Of
such that an arrangement urged such as mas
already been suggested.
Dr. Koch Is gentleman who Ia only temporarily IN
New York, and not having established himself in
practice here, ne has the opportunity to devote much
OF his tmo 10 the work OF visitation than others
practice to attend TO- Having the time he has also
the disposition ana II thus happens that although be
has been at tho work only about TWO weeks he Is
first no says he had considerable trouble In gaming
admission TO the rooms IN many houses for the most
OF III tenants his district comparatively we'll
TODD people, who are aoie and willing TO employ their
own puyslcians, aud who are inclined 10 resent any
thing that looks like charity Yesterday, however, tie
| was most Pleasantly received W ali whose houses
were VISITED DR.. Koch says also that there Is icel-
ing OF resentment the part OF some physicans in
private ractlce against the work Health Board,
and related or two instances OF TINS when AZ
| personal episodes not worth recording.
PAv RABLE or TIM DISTRICT.
The FIRST pace visited yesterday Was Hester court,
which good sized yard In the rear OF No lo3 Hes
ter street. on either OF wnich IL doe iour
story hous making rooms IN all Tor thirty
families IN tho rear houses, Two families being on
each aoor The approach to the court Is through an
alley way, which reality only hall through No.
lUa 1t Is about I'VE feet wide, with plank flooring,
BRICK wall At tne side warns the tenants against
| greg ating or throwing any kind OF refuse there The
places mere we're scraps OF garbage that do not
| tend TO improve tho close, hot atmosphere. Every
ai healthy, and the only appeal made to
tco Doctor by motnery looking irish
"XpySody Sick here ~ asked tho Doetor, as ne stuck
his head Inside her door IAN. D0cther, yo moignt
lux aiihcr tho cat, theirs gooa sow replied the
| accoucheur, aid The woman seemed satisfied. evil
dcntIy without understanding the word.
All people In TINS court were interested In the
Doctors erraDd. aud party, constantly growing In
numbers, followed him IRON room TO room. AT
| leugNl a woman was found wno know o. case Ia No
los and tue whole processiou us ~ had now become.
| marched 10 the tnird noor OF that house But the
"casv" proved to be only boy with sprained anKle
ana The spraln was almost cured, the Doctor did
III rs very often so, said tho Doctor. "You may
go through dozen houses sometimes ana not nud a
case, ana ,hen IN the next house you may nnd a
duzsn cises.n
HALF A DOZEN CASES OF SCARLET FEWER.
s'Are therc any contug ous diseases around among
| the cuiiuren ~ asked me writer.
IL nave ha dozen oil scuriet fever on hand,
SAID the Doctor, ''put thsv not OF the mali nant
type. In sucn cases warn the parents ana The
people house 10 let the other chi dren Assoc
| ciule with ones, and Keep the roOas thor
oushiy dsinicc,eu with carboiic aoia Or chloride OF
lime, ana attend pretty seiy TO them. have not
| yet lost n case, 50 lar Az know"
he then led tue way through Grand street 10 No. 81
| Ludlow street. THIS proved to oil block vi
hive story tenement houses, swarmlng Win chdren
and grmy win art. GA The around noor 10 Outch-
sr's hop. with gaping chasm IN the window, bixniy
suggestive oi street rows, ana the nall lies between
tins another shop Tue three houses IN tho block
alike eacn having two stores below anu accom-