The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-07-17
AMONG THE POOR.
Another Visit to the Homes
OF the LoWly.
IMPORTANCE OF CLEANLINESS.
Scenes in the Crowded Dwellings
on the East Side.


Another tour OF inspection made yesterday py
one OF the HERALD stan IN downtown district ior
the purpose Of seeing the mode OF working OF the
physicians employed by the Board OF Health 10 WISH
the homes Of the poor 10 aid the children For the
first year or that tho work was done the results
patent but this year II is found that there Is
even among the more ignorant knowledge OF inc
proper of procedure that makes the physicians
work lighter and the same time conduces to the
health OF the children.
Yesterday the writer went with Dr. C. a Won Ram
donr whose district lies between Rutgers Clinton
streets and Division and the East River. This
portion oil The city, lying out OF the line oil rave De-
tween the business portions oil the city ana the up
town wards, comparatively little known 10 the
rising generation OF New Workers. yet thirty years
ago among the most aristocratc precincts hero
may be found many Of tho Old family mansions, now
isllen into decay and beside them modern tenement
houses filled cellar 10 roof with tho poorer class
OF citizens gsody number OF the old families, re-
tired generation ago ON what was then a fortune,
still live In the old houses But Tor the most part the
district 10 given cheap traffic and cheap living,
aud Two and six story tenements multiply year after
year
WELL LOCATED TENYhESTs.
Good air from the river and incline that gives
good sewerage maze these tenoments among the best
IN the city. this much as to anything else
may be attributed the comparatively good health pre-
vailing there There isn't much trouble except the
summer complaint among the children" said DR..
Won Random yesterday; land even OF that there is
less than might be expected: but what there is, OF
course, has 10 be taken in time, and the greatest
trouble have educate the parents into seeing
that IL Is important"
In passing through Essex street q number OF ash
barrels heaped high with garbage and refuse were
passed. and the Doctor pointing to one Of them, said
''That's what breeds the typhoid lever"
..How often these barrels smp,ieds" asked the
writer Of por,ly German. who sat ia the doorway OF
his beer saloon smoking enormous pipe.
"Wsl, sometimes every three or four days-some-
times u week. was the reply.
An cream vcnder near, sellin gpenny cups Of
his mixture TO the children
lis that good for the little ?" asked the writer
$50 long as 1t is pure ice cream its all right" said
the Doctor, 'but they color it with all sorts Of anlne
culors. and OF course It is deadly then"
CHILDRES's TREATMENT.
No POI Madison street the first house
entered, and proved 10 be large tenement house,
store. built on the usual plan Of such houses,
ana containing a uozsn OF families. On the
ground floor q sick baby, though very sick.
The mother and grandmother, rather superior per-
soma looked surprised the Doctors questions and
said ignanty that they had doctor OF their
IAN right: follow his directions, said DR.. Won
Ramdohr, blowing the invariabie rule IN SUCH
cases. The house was clean ana wei Kept and no
one that had been sick, and its mother stopped The
Doctor for little talk about what TO DO Nurse him
yourself ana don't give him anything else TO eat.
Keep him clean ami cool as possible II he has any
summer complaint give him one-third hmswater 10
two-thirds mix, aud give MIN Ten drops Oh paregorc
three times u day."
Opposite was a block OF i've story and basement
tenement houses, with rooms for ten families In
house. A moderate sized yard tne rear,
advantage which the house arst visited had not, for
there all The closets and coai holes
small cellar perhaps ten Ieet by twenty sizs The
Falls of the houses visited with one exception. were
they can be called by such name, far more de-
sirabe than the average tenements. In No 200 was
Doctor "Wel, he's had intermittent fever and
nov he's got the summer compliant" Have
nAa r aGe'o ao they ,oa n you
'Yos, but Doctor, look a. INN u minute" "Cer-
tsiuiy." Aud leading the way to an inner room,
whore there WAS iresh air but musty smell OF
boIed food and soapsuds lthe place was cleanl The
molhsr drew down small piece OF mosquito netting
aud displayed child sne said was tnree years old.
II was puny and pale, but The mother love in the
womans eye showed mat she saw no defsc,s IN the
little one. "he gave me these medicines, Doctor"
and she displayed Two bottles 'Chaik m xIure and
pareeoric; ali right" SAID the Doctor shaking
Qa nine he said, toucnng his tongue to the other.
,AL rignt; keep on giving these; you can't do
ter" Anu tho mothers lace frightened as she badc
ALL WELL, THANK Gopi
Next door WAS sign winch looked like "Hexame.
tsr shoemaker" and PROVOKED a Joke on The nj lumber
Of feet 60 be covered A closer inspcction however
showed IL to DO Hexamer, and the joke spoiled.
In this house considerable scruboing WA gong on,
and halls damp and clean. "Ali we'll, thank
God" The mother OF iour little onos that played
on her floor, ana sns looked happy despite her pow
ery "Any chidreu here Y" said the Doctor. LOOKING
In At the ext DOOR "None yet,' SAID man, looking
up win a SMILE from his sewing machine. on which
he yes stitching clotuing HIS young wiic 0lasIed,
ana tue Doctor beat a hasIy Next door there
baby aud young mother. VINO stood on her
trusion. smile and q lew pleasant words made
peace. and the Doctor gave her some good advice
about and the precautions 10 take In case OF sick
ness TO which she listened gratefully.
VALUE OF kxcuksIoSs
sNo children here 1 wish there were" said
Somsn on The nexl moor but on the nitn floor an old
hard times think"
My chiio wasn't very we'll two or thros days ago"
said woman IN the next house. land took him on
tho Harlem boats for Trip and he's oil right now"
.'Grcat thing" said the Doctor Take hun out as
often you can" doctor, will you give me
sicket ror excursion" said another mother who
bear.i ti..s. Alter few Inquiries and look at her
httie doctor complied aud then gave another
mother .asther TICKET.
This was Ia a Jour story "rear tenement behind
no. 2l2 IL was sadly dirty and close. There Was
provision ior ventat,on except windows and doors,
and the inner rooms were stale ana ciose A paved
court yard In front was the playground Tor all tho
children, and n dozeE OF them were enjoying II. A
baby carriage afrordcd then. great pleasure and ono
little fellow with "a tin whistle was amusing himself
well as four or i've others at the expense Of the
quetness Of tne place In ono room on an upper hoor
was q woman old that II seemed Impossible that sho
should undersiand what ~as taid to her aud talk IN
telngenty IN reply; but she had a wee baby IN her
arms tending ~ With all the patience oil
grandmother. "lstho baby sick :" asked the Doctor.
"No. MS my aaughter's; Sues out at work Ills
II sick 20 said the Doctor, lutte louder. ''Oh
but II has Jumps under The arms. 0ns came two
weeks ago, ana tue otncr last week. The Jumps"
proved be angry looking bolts. from when the
pain must have oeen intense YET tho little one only
aux months old, was patient, and tried to SIN lie
the Doctor enrrupped To him. sure. took MIN TO
ths dispensary an they lanced Il, said the Old
woman. ..rhars right. Take min again la four or
ave days" said the Doctor
CLEANLINESS HEALrH
The next block visited proved more populous than
tho one Just visited. Nos. as go, 222 224
SIX story tcnementf, with accommodations Tor four
families some floors and Tor eight others. Tue
houses we're well built, however, with good vcntila
sion In the middle and plenty OF water faucets
and broad passage ways. Tho halls through
OUT covered with oiicloth and we're kept
hsre," sad the Doctor, "and the clean mess