The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-07-14
HELPLESS and HOPELESS.
Glimpeee Into the Inner Life
Of the Poor.
HUDDLED IN TENEMENTs.
The Sanitary Inspectors Looking
After Sick Children.

Board OF Health was begun last woek. Board bav-
ing employed an extra force o! fifty assistant sanitary
inspectors Tor that purpose. These assistants
gagged Tor the term OF 1--WE 500 zach for
term. In conversation with HERALD reporter yes
torday DR. James, OF the Board OF Health, described
the object aud general plan OF tho inspection io
lows:-rhe inspection Is undertaken with a view,
principally, the relief OF sickness among chill
drcn. The overcrowded parts OF tho city
divided into districts each OF those
Is assigned TO the OF assistant
sanitary Inspector who IS required TO 60 from house
TO house and IRON block TO block The plan generally
followed by the inspectors Is TO 20 entirely around
block before beginning on another, though OF course
they are lett to their discretion tho matter
they not required 10 their whole time to the
work, because most of rhem Lavo practice OF their
which they cannot neglect. They are instructed
10 examine into, report and prescribe for all
OF sickness but particularly sick ness
among children. The sick who are under pro-
iessional not interiered with, because tho
same professional etiquette Is observed in those as 10
other cases. The services OF the inspectors are In
tended for those who from neglect poverty have
no physicians Even IN cases whore thcre Is
sickness they often able to advice TO vent
lation, Diet cleanliness &C., that Will prevent dis
ease Many druggists have notified the Board that
they will put up the prescriptions OF the inspectors ut
have IN times past shown themselves willing TO do
this For such persons are too poor to buy mcdi-
cnes tao Board keeps a stock hand and dispenses
tnem application. -t.sa.'sH
HEALTH. hSfl"
$50 far, Z" said Dr. James, eve are ablo to report
worry satisfactory condition OF the public health Not
much diar.hoDal disease, which il tho Chief summer
disorder. has yet been reported. The mortality Is
about the AZ last year, ard that you must re-
deaths Tor the nineteen days. rom June 20
the present date aggregate only three
Tor no time last year, that have good
reason to be satisfied"
Ths reporter thon introd aeed 10 DR.. simeon N,
Leo, OF No. lob West Fifty NTH street, who has
charge Of SANITARY district No II, bounded by Div-
sion, Hester, Essex, Rivngton and Attorney Streets
and inviiea to accompany HIM round OF
inspection This district was CHOSEN because It Is
OF The most densciy populated IN tho city.
The first house visited No. 40 Essex street. be.
tween Grand and Hester streets. Nearly all OF the
ton emspt houses this locality are built alike There
Is a hvs-story brick building on tho street, through
which u long, dark hallway leads 10 the
stairway aud TO q small obong courtyard tho rear
Across tho courtyard Is another hvs-story house
called the 'rsar ouilding," aud crowded like tho
front with pale, dirty, sckly looking chiidron and
hardly more prcpossessng adults DR.. Leo went lrst
into tho building and entered the right front
ROOM II was occupied by Polish family. THIS room
Is a type OF these tenement house nabilations.
IL IL ABOUT ten feet by eight with little
dark, almost bermcticay scaled closet rear
sleeping room Two or throo chairr, liable aud u
almost intosrsDie, constituted the furniture OF The
room. Tue woman, clad ~ u Potsicost, was cutting
old baby, plump enough, though pale skinned, WAS
lyi ing upon his back beating with
ms ls's bare arms ana ss. Louis S.r only other
years, attracted the Doctors attention Tho child
cap resembling The cap ot wisdom, bui IN reality
cap ignorance. Tor tho Doctor Ifliug It
| discovered q great roll Of tangled and matted hair
"what Is Inisr" asked DR.. Leo, In Hebrew, Of The
| mother, VINO could not speak Eugish. The woman
answered tnat the enid had been weak and sickly
anu according 10 The custom OF her country, she
lieved II lot his hair grow unt II dropped OF
disease would drop oil WIN 'Cut OIL you want
tho child TO got well, " said the Doctor
room, added 10 the reporter, .'She would not
Gu. II of 10 save ner nien The womln's husband
absent he Is journey tailor, his faulty
III mpch better crcusnss noes than many Others In
As Dr. Leo ascended the narrow stairway he called
the reporters attention 70 the window at the back OF
It, The object Tor which the window cut--viz
vsntiiaton, was practicay defeated ny the rear wall
OF The adjacent house. which was only about tour
| "Doctor, there's a awful sick enid in that room"
SAID u nltie girl who had followed US up STAIRS. point
ing door on the lott OF the iaudspg The Doctor
entered. A sri OF eight years lay upon her back
upon a pii0w 10 the niude Of the moor. A mar
|
body was exposed, aud her iaiher sat flaming
hor Inevitable hcatca stove kept tho Temporal
ture up 70 heat The quick breathing, burning
Dyes scarlet tnted tkiu OF The child panty
enough what was Tho matter Win Der. '.ScarlcJ
lever sad tho doctor. rnc family onsIsts OF hus-
bana, wife AUD Two children. Bertha, iour y ears DID,
Is suffering rom general debility. The mother Is pa.o
smaciated ana has Just returned from week.
spell ia the hospital The husband ID cdIer OF iaacy
paper trimmings Tor walls aud maBtoplecea Though
the furniture tony three chairs ana tsDic) POOR
the room was tooraby clean and tod WIN
money to i've on. DO began TO say that
he mad a In three days, while the Ianl-
Tor every day. whom his WHO burst INTO
and cricd Iikc enid The sleeping closet
close and musty The third aoor, front occupIed Nv
German family clean aud better ventilated than
Ucow Lena, aged six years. had rod spiotcnes (hvea
ovor her body, caused by heat. On tho fourth loor
right. Trout little boy Two aud half years Old.
Ia his motner's arms suffering IRON d,phthcria Ho
has been sick fourteen days; eats nothing. As
scrbing tor him. 0u the hfth floor an In
fsul. ton months old, was found suffering from
her arms and walked about the floor. This woman
has Two children. Tho room, Ike the Others, was
superhcated by stove. washtub filled with dirty
water stood pom two Gu AIRS znotner upon the floor
anu soed clothes wcro scattered about in
In the mex. room was woman with three cuiidreu.
Ic, the youngest, one year old, has dy sentery Had
adocior three weeks ago, but none since Tue poor
shrveiied ht.lc white nco was pitcous to bonoid
IL have besn," sad the doctor The way down
stairs. ''iu most OF tue great cities Of Europe
never saw any where sacn bad ventilation there Is
IN these bouses II could have my way | should
MAKE every landlord build his nou with ventiai-
ing snait NJ least cn leo, square IN The centre and
would have largo bathroom each house where tho
children could 10 daiiy TO batLe That wouIa 70 q
long way toward keeping them healthy. Just how
nitny they are. J"
norBEDs oP DISEASE.
In No. a. Essex street the scenes enco entered In
No. 40 wore repeated thor general aspects la
most every room there ailing or sick child,
aud want and misery were but too common 0cca.
sionaily there was peculiar like the following:
In room the second noor, root, OF tho build.
INA we're u man, woman ana SIX children Here
tue man, JEWISH rabbi, was hooing school The
seven Books OF Moses and The Hebrew Daily Prayer.
book, coverless dog cared lay upon tho aDle
lore him. When the doctor announced himself toe
woman went iuto The little sleeping closet aud
out an infant IN "A shockingy emaciatcd condition.
The child ncshiess that every point and curve
OF liz Itle bones was plainly visible
low skin THIS child. not larger than Ordinary ~.
iaut o! year, was, tue notbcr said, tour years DID,
ana had been IN That emacatcd condition since
her birtb. she has never beon abe.to walk talk,
has always been iistisss that The mother can
not tell whether or not snc N deal Upon the third
door OF tbs building was rank, smell hut