Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-12-01
DIR. LUPPO
FnIseh0ods against those whose
Charity for him should have
Prompted Better Words.

Comes to the Front with n Batch OF /
FaIsehOods against those whose
Charity for him should have
Prompted Better Words.
San Francisco Chronicle, November 18th: |
CDR. John Luppo, formerly practicinR in |
Los Angeles, from whence he went to Mem |
phis as a volunteer physician to attend yell |
low-fever patients In that city, has Just re- /
turned, although 1t was reported that he had |
succumbed to the epidemic, which Frustrated /
HIM for few days. The doctor is not over !
complimentary to the management of the |
Howard association in Memphis. He states |
that his experience led him to believe that |
there was much of reaching after pecuniary |
gain mixed up with the benevolence of the |
Towards. He represents that, IN common |
with other physicians, he found it difficult to |
get prescriptions filled, and represents that |
the average of untitled prescriptions would |
reach forty per day out of fifty prescribed. |
The acquisitions, however, were never re-
turned, and may be used by the officials as
vouchers to show that the drugs, etc were
issued. In cases where it became necessary
to prescribe stImuiants or dehcacies, the
utmost difficulty was met with. frequently
a third, and often only one-fouTth, of the
quantity asked for IN the acquisitions would
| be furnished, although the utmost economy
consistent with circumstances would be
also made unnecessary objection to remuner
| atIng nurses other than those they employed.
| In fact, It was nearly impossible to procure
compensation for nurses who were not sent
| by the Towards. DIR. Luppo states in en-
| phatic terms that many of the nurses pro-
vided by the Towards were drunken and
| otherwise inefficient wretches, and that there
| were some thieves among the number. He
| IS also firmly of the opinion that the relief
| funds would have been adequate to relieve
all the proper wants of the Memphis COM
| munlty, had they been carefully distributed.
| He is not positive to whom the blame should
attach, but says that there was mismanage-
ment, and even worse"
MEMPHIS, November 80, 1873.
EDITORS APPEAL-My attention has been
called to the above statement In the San
Francisco Chronicle OF the thirteenth in
slant, made by DR.. Luppo, of Los Angeles,
| who was recSntly connected with the Howard
medical corps of this city. So utterly alb
surd are the doctors statements, to say the
! least Of them, that they would pass unuo-
| ticed by us if they had been made to parties
| intimately acquainted with the management
OF the Howard association of Memphis. l
! might refer you to other physicians, or to the
representatives Of such prominent journals
as the Chicago Tribune, who were here and
cCgnIzant OF our affairs and management, for
IN answer. 10 the people on the Pacific
slope, and particularly to the citizens of San
| Francisco, do we owe profound gratitude.
| They heard our CRY of distress and with q
benevolence second to no other city or coun-
try, came to our relief. We are told thai
the school children Of San Francisco with
held not the treasure they had saved up
from infancy IN their little Understanding
10 buy Herewith, peTchauce, some coveted
toy-but emptied 1t into the treasury of the
Citizens relief committee, aggregatiug over
six thousand dollars. To them, 70 James C..
Patrick, the Jealous chairman of that COM
mlttee; to Aaron Stein, of Wells, Fargo e.
Co. g express, and to all who came to our re-
lief when black winged death lowered over
our fair city, and the grosns of
the dying. were heard on every side,
to them, | say our hearts will ever be
thankful for such urselish charity. For
their sake, lest they may think DR.. Luppo's
statements true, and that their offerings
have been Improperly applied by US, deem
it necessary and just to them that the
same be answered. What might have been
the moving cause that stimulated the doctor
to come two Or three thousand miles from his
pleasant home to this city, where it was be-
neved to be almost certain death for
stranger or any one unacciImated to come,
can never be known by any one save the doctor
himself. Perhaps this stimulus had much to
do with the experience alluded to, which
doubtless was peculiarly personal to himself,
so far as reaching after pecuniary gain was
| concerned, for l am positive that members OF
the Howard association were not actuated by
any such hopes or motives, even though the
strict rules and regulations of the orgapiza-
ton permitted, which was not the case. 1t
may be that our benevolence was extended
too far when we paid the doctor as we did
frst-ciass members of our medical corps.
Those who were not here and did not witness
| the true state OF affalrs-thIrty thousand eiti-
zens out of a population of about forty five
thousand having fed from the city, many of
them scattered throughout the surrounding
country, in every town and hamlet, in tents
and rude novels; with only four or FIVE thou
sand of the white population left, the balance
for the most part q thriftless set of lazy
negroes and thieves, who provided about the
city for the sake OF plumber; with nearly all
of those who had remained on the sick list; SO
nearly was this the case that the footballs of
some passer-by as he hurried after physician
or the rum6lIng of the doctors buggy along
the streets, only told that some other person
| lived In agony and distress beside the little
band at the Towards Headquarters; cur
stores all closed, all Of the undertakers dead
but TWO, the drug stores all closed but two or
three, and but twenty-five Towards here
with all of them at one time down but four,
threatened riots among the more turbulent
class of the blacks, the property Of the city ID
! be watched-can never, Snc, never, appreciate
the arduous duties which deyolved upon the
relief organizations of this city during that
| trSll2 DcIlOQs 1udI There were lIrtGuldrlJleS
| committed cannot be doubted, nor can any
sane man expect otherwise in the hurry and
hustle and excitement which existed. ] never
heard of prescriptions not having been filed,
though it may have been so in few in
stances. | would say that not more than ore
in hundred went untitled. Many of these
prescriptions were filed by druggists who
are well-known and stand as high as any one
in this community; others were filled at the
| Howard drug store, which was supplied by
the Howard association for the benefit Of des-
titute persons, consequently no money was
received there for the medicine furnished.
therefore deny, as absolutely false the state
ment made by DR.. Luppo, that untitled pre-
scriptions might have been used as vouchers.
| admit that acquisitions for stimulants and
delicacies needed for the sick were not filed
to the extent desired, for the reason that they
could not be gotten at any price, frequently
when most needed. These acquisitions are
still on file In our office, and will show that
the amount called for was cut down to the
quantity we we're able to furnish at that time
The instructions Of the Towards were that
no requisition should call for more than
enough to last for one day; but, contrary to
this, many were made out for week S sup
ply, many of Dr.. Luppo's being among the
latter class. Had such requ!sltIons been
filed, we would have been bankrupted before
the fever was half over. A ''nuTse-book''
was kept by us, IN which the name and resi-
dence Of the patient and name OF nurse were
entered, and nurse ticket issued, which
ticket had to be signed by the physician or
member of the association in charge when
ever the nurse was relieved from duty.
Where the case was urgent, the physician or
member was instructed 10 appoint tie nurse,
and obtain the proper ticket. Without such
ticket we declined to recognize the right of
any to compensation before having the claim
thoroughly investigated. 1t Is a matter OF
regret that several of the nurses appointed
by DR.. Luppo gave US considerable trouble
because he failed to supply them with the
requisite 'nuTse-lckets. 1t was impossible
for US to know the competency or Incompe-
tency or personal habits of the twelve hun
dred nurses on duty, but gave explicit in
structions to the physicians to discharge
and report any incompetent nurse. Whether
this was done In all cases | cannot say, but
have no doubt there were some incompetent
| among SO great number. DR.. LuppO as
surred me personally before leaving that he
was well pleased with what we had done.
Ii therefore surprises me the more that he
should have represented Us In such false
light. In conclusion, | simply wish to say
that, so far as l know and believe, no mem
| Der of the Howard association was actuated
! by Any other than tue purest motives OF hu
| mainly toward the unfortunate who could
not help themselves. To believe otherwise
| would, in my opinion, be doing gross mus
! tce to both the living and martyred dead of
our little band, many of whom fell victims
to the scourge, and now sleep In honorable
| graves. The liberaliiy Of the world has been
| such as to supply US with funds sufficient to
meet cur own expenses and distribute large
! " to all of the surrounding country where
! the fever prevailed. A. D. LANGsTAFF,
President Howard Association.
II HEAVY IMP0RTATIONS
Naorknn RrnS