The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-07-16
TENEMENT LIFE.
A Doctors Visit to Twenty
Crowded Houses.
DANGER TO CHILDREN.
How 1t May Be Avoided and
Disease Arrested.

risd on by the Board of Health during five weeks Of
the summer season given In the HERALD on sun
day In description OF the Witnessed during
series OF visits made by Dr. Leo ono OF the fifty
physicians employed by the Board OF Health TO visit
the homes Of the poor In these ''domiciiary
visits" which, by the way, gratefully received by
the people whose houses the physicians 90.
especial reference is had to the condition OF the chill
drsn, although all who need unable to pay
for medical aid receive it freely. Five thousand
dollars devoted by the Board Of Health to the five
weeks work, and It would DO hard 10 say IN what
way the same amount OF money could be made 10 do
more good.
Yesterday the writer accom- panied DR.. W. +. Dun
can portion OF his route. His district lies be-
tween Broadway ana Macdeuga street and West
Houston Spring streets THIS portion OF the city.
though by means the worst, yet contains consd-
cradle number Of tenement houses. some OF which
among the worst. Tall, sfx-story houses, with
two ana three families on foor, and rows Of rear
tcnemsnts win no airholes save the windows open.
Ing upon tho little paved courtyards in 'front.' nu-
merous, and although the drainage and ventilation
Of the district vastly superior to those In other
parts Of the city, there Is yet Tor much poverty
and suffering TO lie hidden!
scan there be any Improvement on the system Of
tenements for the homes OF the poorg" asked the
writer.
'sNone, long land 10 DEAR" said Or. Dun
can "But II the drainage anu ventilation could be
made good the system would be all right enough
have been VI this work now for three summers"
he contin ned, "and although could not at first
that much good done. yet see a great ieal.
At first whom went around could hardly 60. into
the peoples rooms, but now have no trouble. II
pays, however. in the education OF tho people. In
almost every house which 60 there children
who suffering from darrhcea The mothers think
IT'S ell right The little one Is testhiug. they say,
and they neglect the diarrhsa, or II they DO anything
for It they give rhubarb castor oil some other
irritant. We them that tho disease is danger
Gus, and tell them give little parsgoric to use
lime water and miiI."
THE FIRST HOUSE Visited.
AS this explanation finished the Doctor stopped
in front OF No. ss Houston street 1t IS Of block
OF I'VE story tenement houses, the ground floors OF
which are occupied by small stores The sidewalk rs
narrow and unnecessarily cIut.ersd with goods and
dressed children, barofootsd and black with tan and
street oirt, played everywhere On the sidewalk, in
ths halls ON tue stairs and In all The doorwuys IL was
almost impossible TO, avoid stepping on them On
entering the street door the nail run
straight through to the door, was, tor ten
ement house. passabiy clcan-that IS, there were no
piles oil dirt along the sides No garbage spilled,
and the DIRT only what would naturally accumu-
late ia a day two from trampings OF perhaps
thirty grown persons ana as many children coming
from dirty street, The rear door opens what the
tenants call the yard place probably ten feet
deep the width OF the house Four leet VI the
are taken up by row OF water closets, half dozen IN
number, which were in isir condition.
.On the ROOT and the sidewalk" answered a
Stout good natured looking German woman,, who
stood looking the Two strangers with civil curiosity
ONLY rKETHING
After watching DR.. Duncan! for u few minutes one
houses three hours anu yet miss not OF tho SICK
Knocking sharply sn door he would enter csrs-
monte and say quickly. but courteousy, SHOW are
your Have you any sick chiidrenY" IPthe answer
WIS yes as II Was In ABOUT in len, he would
call for Tue chd look at IT, iesi les pulse, ask
three questions and write prescription. 'These
all absut tho thing" he said, land Tho
mothers all think Il Is only teethng." Sipgnlariy
enough the arst an example OF this. In back
room the second floor Of the house mentioned Sat
q woman busy with needle. On u ragged quilt on
shs door lay child "Auy SICK children ~ xea the
Doctor. us ne opened the door mo" said the woman
"Anything the matter with that baby?' asked
ths Doctor, seeing that something was the mat
"a d the Doctor swell, she's sot little ainrrhGan
getting her teethr' "Ycs." well, the teeth have
nothing TO do within Your cha Is very sick, aud II
you don't take care she will Due" IL seemed cruel
or weep, ss The mothers who read this would do.
did look Interested, however, and paid attention 10
the direcous she received and Will probably for
her child and save us litc
ROOMS
In all these tenemcpts tnere Is little variety. The
large room, front or rear Is the Kitchen din,ug aud
sitting room, and apparently the dressing Tor
family. Here are ono or Two windows. In ire inner
room or two rooms. the case may be, there
beds. There Is nohipg supcrnuous unless few cheap
pictures be called 50 There Is nothing more uxur-
Gus tnan straight chair with PIE &C Of carpet nailed
ON In place Of the original scat. Some OF the
are clean, but more dirty and FOR OF tnis
swept for q week nor scru bbed for months. On tho
hoors are neglected scraps OF food rugs, piaythngs
aud rubbish.
SHOT on rHE FOURTH.
In tho next house IN this block--No. 95--no sick
ness was found, except boy who lay PROSTATE w',h
bullet wound IN The temple. .How did Il happen 2n
asked tue Doctor and tho good mo, hers tongue (shc
was good mother) was uniooscd. at wns Fourth of
July, sir Me by was down 10 staten Island wid three
other Dyes, an another boat was near 'em Wild two,
three more, an they sh oosin' Don. shoot peb-
biss, says me BY an Que o. INN ups an Shoots hun
jd-t so. On. Docther, whn 1 see him come home,
M he the Oldest O. four, and can't worruk, for
he was at worruk and ms father makin' tin
he'd die. Ys dou't think he WINS Tho appeal
10 an opinion she could rely was MADE with
nm expression OF anxiety and motherIy love that
touching glance around the three rooms showed
everything to be clean as soap could make aud
nothing was In disorder. lhs Taco VAS honest, the
eyes kindly aud fearless, and the expression
which ennobled her your boy Is not out danger
yet, but he IS dong we'll Keep his head cool and
THIS, aud DR.. Duncan penciiied prescription ana
left, followed by shower OF blessings.
Next door. ON the top noor, was iound u tenement
aud four children. Tue floor was lthy. Two buckets,
one holding garbage anu The other arty REUSE stood
On the door. NOS fire Durncd in the cooking stove,
prsmacy. Clothing, dishes, cooking. utensils, cs,l
uren's paytnings ana indcscribsble hitter OF all
kinds Of things we're piled Two Pine tablca
a cheap novel lay ON ono Of tho four chairs
glance INTO me bedroom showed that Its
condition was no better than that OF
sue larger room. EYES," SAID the woman
10 reply TO the Doctors query. "Tve a sick child
here" IL was poor, little tning, not year old,
with emacatcd iiubs and great, staring eyes IL was
dirty, and barely COVERED with dirty rags ike its
mother. II don't know what's the mater" she
said. "Do you nurse tho ch,ldfn asked tho Doctor.
SWELL no; nos much" she said. "Tnat is, I hsveut
waned her, but wben moved here neglected 10
nurse ner aud she doesnt take the breast much"
"wnat doe hc catf" ''On, tho same as We all do.-
"scrofulous enlargement Of the gIands," said DR..
Duncan, aside 20 the writer rs he handed The mother
n prescrip There was no hope Of teaching her
20 keep her home or her children clean, made
no attempt to do II, yet Il was hard 70 sec how child
could and grow such a place One or Two more
babies steethingr were found here, and, Of course
the teething turned out 10 be diarrnUa
srRAxoE DIsoRDERA
In the next house was found proad-h ipped jolly
woman whose was red hot with the heat OF her
ironing but WHO laughed mcrriiy rs she wiped the
sweat from her face. ''sick, no; my baby amt STICK
She's got little darrbmi, though" ana the same
was repeated. She proved q little aux