New-York tribune., 1880-03-07
MEDICAL YIGHT SERTICE IN CITIES.
RESULTS OF THE sYsIFM IL PARIS AND OTHER
FOREIGN CITIEs-DIsfAsEs THAT BREED AT

RESULTS OF THE sYs1FM IN PARIS AND OTHER
roprIGN CITIES-DIsFAsEs THAT BREED AT
NIGHT.
Dr.. Henri Nachtel, Of Paris, now in TINS cl'y,
who has spent some time in carefully examining tue
night medical service Of Parts and other European Sys
tens recently Vresouted statement OF those systems
TO tbe New York Acaqemy Of Medicine As result. the
Academy appointed committee, consisting OF Drs. j.
W 8 Goulcv. l.. G. Jaueway, T. NJ Bronson ana foicyce
Raror to further investigate the Might Medical ser
wee" as X exists IN Europe ana 10 make an e'lS
rerort az to It, prlcticabl III the CITY OF Ne"1oh'
DE- Nachtcl has bscn attending the family o. Count dc
L4ssops in New-YorK aud TO a TRIBUNE reporter VINO
met him ut hc Windsor Hotel he gave an inier' sung
accour; Of the nee, s,ity Of sach scryc among Inc
poor rs WI as the richer class of the city and OF Us
practical working in foreign cities.
"Manv families" said Dr.. Nachtel, have 10 ia'nP
physician an1 in case OF sudden and serious illness ol
Of grave accidents many Of which occur III toe nisaI
often do not obtain the romp' attention that they need
autold that in Ncw-Yo there Is provision for such
cmcrcanccs Ifan accident occurs IN the stree the
roi,c 9TH .,r te, gaphs for an ambulance, 10 remove
the patient toa Hospital; but he has no authority I"
send for py ,c'au fora person SO injured or l"r on'
ken suddenly ll' at s private rcsilenco suoh ser
vice rs cx.st. abroad would not only be a hunane
tninc FOR everybody but il would enable the medical
profession obtain vailb,, statistics o. diseases occur
neln tie night IN NewYoilL as is done IN Paris ana
elsewhere 40 EHop>"
"Islttrue" he asked, hat the attacks o Illness
at eht are peculiar 10 iI't time"
"Oh. ccrj1luly Frcna physiological point o' Nie"'
theuie,t /. very different from the daytime There are
NJ that D. riod decided physiological notifications OF tic
nuiau organism Tho absence of sunlight produces a'
mcSuhorc changes. Many rccorniz.d authorities have
demonstrated that III rc nocturnal low rine Of the
emucraiure m man, du, 10 the internal phcnom'na o.
nutrition ail the absence Of light. With The ialns ol
The temperature respiration dmni>hos. ana ine organic
forces are depressed. Tle faculty Of reaction 's A."
1auch weaker .an during the day For ihese reasons
people are peculiarly sensitive TO maj lii nhieuce-
IL the city, during damp ~ ht, there collection OF
AL tha maSmas and Infection germs hat exist. sncA
crGonics rs the c !crl generally make ther appear
ance in tie night Dysentery aud kindred sea'cs
usually appear al ii -h owing to Tie evening coO1's
% which the human organism is liable. Asthma goul
and otncr diseases shown by experience to appear
during the nighttime In The Of iab'rinr men, their
crowded rooms and the confined air with the evils oi
escaping Gas from leaky plpes badly constructed sewers
and other Influences common in tenement houses, make
the liability to attacks of illness at night especially
.rea IN the very class that is the least prepared for
them"
Wna has been done to provide for such emergencies
abroadl"
"PAbhc attention has been frequently called 20 the
lravc accidents and Of disease appear
10, at night in Par'- many witch resulted in death
merely from ltct OF physician. so early rs 1859
plan # night relief proposed by d. Passant and
being interrupted by The war was renewed IN - IN
1872 night medical service was est niished III B'lln,
aud IN IS7i 81. Petersburg. Dr Pts,ants plan was
fualy inaugurated IN Paris IN February, lo'6' WIN
the aid # 54j doctors; which number has since id
creased 10 God He utilized, for c0rv iencc Oi CON mu-
nicaon with the phy sican the poice stations mr. ay
in cxiscuce. THIS gave certainty o ln'lS P'l sIS"',
or The patient and insured prompiness oD the part oi
the doctor. In eacn precinct llst was made oi the
doctors who agre TO resi- 70 tht ci .u Sni"Su
uc statiou-housr, which was posted III ihc ponce s'd
ton. Patients were allowed 10 tel"ci from te .t h
physician they preferred ponce oncrl ! wa" 9' 81 ,u [
and the physician TO the patients reidcrSr ana home
again. Upon leaving the PIN siciai the ,icer handed
Inn check 10 francs. thr regular fee Tor such cases.
PAYABLE at Prefecture Of Police. II The patient vas
able TO pay the administration obtained the zee from
him again; or If he weie unable tne expense was as
Wha have been the statistical results to which you
alludo - -. .....,,.u,.. r.,,a,,o r- p,..or,
has oNra!ned vOuminOus statistics, ana has been
euabe already 10 group the diseases likely tn occur at
is euGocation. as bronchitis, pneumonia, Group ami
others abdominal diseases; hemorfhagr win various
olarn forms ncrTous tioubes. ~ convu!slons CON
cesiions aud cerebral apopety chldhrths wounds.
coutusons and Fractures; poisoning sudden dta,h1
IN St Petersburg. Berlin, Moscow, Odessa, warsaw,
aSnntcd in Other French cite, besides Parsin Iyous,
Marscillcs and Lille Il has been ioI year u operation
The s. stem. MS you describe It, seems to be not
merely gned for the poor e
Il taken ~ night at hotel or IN the street And ply
sirans whose business Is 0rcady pressing viii not re-
snnd AS rue To calls except from Their gular ia
tents THIS gives opportunity also for young phy-
c4ns who may by cOnscntug 10 respond to such calls
obttin yaluaho practice Another valuable feature Of
this system that IL does not pnrtake OF the character
OF medical charity. 30 many demands are now made
upon physicians for granouS service INA, IL ga, DtComH
burden b. the plan IN vogue in Paris ana elsewhere
the gfatmOus practice Is reduced 10 minimum ony
those Who are found actually unable To pay being eA
cmVtrd.' - -,
81 How extensive Is this night service in Paris T.
There have been, upon an average, oO0ut eleven
calls night, from p0pula ION OF l1OouO rCIs0is Ia
New-Yofk the number would probably be proportion
alv less"
Dr. Nachtel said further that this was an economical
rn of relief ne large prop )Ton % those calling for
irocs service through tbs chaunci IN Paris had
bceu found UuOn inquiry. able to pay for IT,