New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-26
SCENES AMONG THE SICK POOR
MEDICAL INSPECTION BY A WOMAN

| WORK OF DIR. ANNIE A. ANGFLL IN THE sQUATrFBs'
| plsTmCr-How THE MOTHERS RSCEvE HER
| WITHIN TIE HOMES IN TENEMENT HOUSES.
"Well, shall we ascend n II was DIR. Anns
A. Argell wbO~poae to TRIBUNE reporter. The objcc
tive point OF the proposed ascension a group OF
bowels percLed high large isO ated rock. East
Forty -thrdst Secondavc. The only means of sp
prcach, other than dyng, by zigzag and rickey
| series OF wooden steps.
| Dr.. ANGEL is medical inspector Of the BOARD OF
Health, and 6rlongs 20 the corps OF physicians for
visiting sick children she Ia :hc only woman VINO has
ever filed that position, and these picturesque
but dirty novels formed part of the district
| last assigned TO her. The ascent was made
! al peril. FOR the smooth, and
| In places treacherous. The houses, If they can be
called so barely high enough stand upright in
They built of odds and ends OF boards and the top
and sides in part covered with the discarded tin
roofing pretentous dwellings. A lean aud
hungry looking sprang wildly away. az the visitors
approached the nearest cabin Some OF the huts were
deserted but locked, the call Of the physician
met with no rebuke. group OF women sat IN one OF
the open places, and eyed the visers with suspicion
Are there any sick children here 2" inquired the
doctor. in her gentlest tones"
D." NO-nOne-aIl we'll"
That is fortunate"
| "Yes-we get along very we'll without bothering
doctors. or policemen, ministers We don't trouble
the corporation much," the reply with an air which
| conveyed more than the words
This consideration their part for the corporation
| struck the callers very KIND and pubc-sprited.
The fact good breeze sweeps the alleys OF this
lofty hamlet in accounts for the absence
Sickness FOR the inhabitants are utterly regardless or
the laws cleanliness aud health. There many
dogs from spitz and spaniel to OF low degree but
these were far more civil than other animals, who
| are classed higher
Is this fair sample OF your experience in the dis
charge OF your duty doctor 2" asked the reporter.
| I'VE are usually we'll treated. bat We sometimes find
! a saucy woman II Is usually among the Irish. The
common people object to vaccination. and they imagine
we come for that purpose. until We explain our mission
They usually express some surprise at ladyS Gazing
| on such errand."
| Don't you find the most ncvility among your own
sex again asked the reporter moved To the question
by his impressions after visiting several houses.
| well don't know" said the doctor with a laugh
| Perpaps 1t IL so"
| Near the rOckshanties tall tenement house,
guarded by a very old, very wrinked and very deaf
| iapitor He was also very piOus 81 thank you very
much for calling he said, though we've no children
only grandchildren. and they're not here vet like TO
encourage doing good DO all the good you can, and
vou'u get there" And his wrnkled finger pointed sky
yvard n the fathers and mothers would keep wei,
the children would be all right continued THIS veneer
| able philosopher
In he course OF two hours a more Of houses
and about one hundred families were visited Wherever
sickness found, all the womanly tenderness OF the
doctor was brought out but when tendency TO "chah'
appeared her wit aud taci were ready Sometimes her
| indulries were curly; other times the poor
mothers evluced disposition to talk all day about their
! precious Offspring. hattered that stranger should
| take An interest IN thGn. But u 1 was precious
and this inclination kindly and dscreetT checked
why another woman, and stranger 100, should be IN
| curing after their Children puzzied many OF Tue
| mothers. . - -. A.. ~, -.
for a. exclaimed suspicious dame the doctor pur
sed her way up "And what do you do with them
!hs answer too Yam load seemed to ne lifted from
aDaiud
aud had brought to clylty and an Intelligent re
ply by a sharper inquiry some notneIs IooA less
She's well enough, nam, when she gets plenty to
eat" said one porly mother speaking OF her little
Where the tenants occupied half floor through from
front o rear 50 drait, the sanitary cond
ton OF the apartments usually good A. rule the
Germans fOuud to be the most clearly and cIylDr
once establishing conhdeaee some OF the people we're
very obruse others at once the object Of Ae VISIT
for they mad read ABOUT 10 Tue paper IL sOe cases
the medical visitors inG double duty awaiting them
In one found several children the DaoJ SICK
and the mother prostIated for the days. The
FANNY was Intelligent The husband was Eng sh, and
such emergencies the visiting physlci lns are allowed
some discreuon ana pr scrpuons were given Doth ier
EuGaeT prevails. among tenenent-honses. to
certain extent hat 'uf Hds EO.e - ZIG couiltly
ton often volunteered by neigibors IN response to
knock az ii door IN some dark nail
rne river front is neaI. the wharves open. and
MANY Of these paOpe spend the afternco by The river
where usually good breeze Is BLOWING ekman Park
| also proves Destmable blessing O. many. A neat
| ana even snowy exterior often eoncelef dry and
squalid interior lu Last FOry1Oulth-st was TO" OF
hoases with the fronts newly painted ana peuclhed
u Oa-ing TIE utmost nea'nesS within In reality there
more squaIor uhu n!seTJ I thtn al ulnost hul
utcr part 81 district. In No 2l0 we're twenty tam
! les German, Irish tnd English
and rooms, that circulation 81 ar was almost
There were some slch chheh N he mousse
ana 10 tnO,e suffering Wlth con- ag"us diseases uck
es 90 the IT. John's Guds nee JAcHrs0n were glyen
Fraucis Adams had posted notice. requiring tenants to
ace The inner door closed ana III no case 10 ao" the
,,s1. ttsftg IA ne in
0nr Of for1y houses vsitei in the morning after
MY ~, tours Dr ANGEL saw so families and found only
How do Won account FOR this suiall number with
! slcI surroundings 2" she asked
tie srec non ucgu tn- year. The hot weather came
! ia MAY and dcDitated many children and made
them ready for the attack The death rate was
smaller week tlau FOR wo weeks before Inc most
scky died early. is decidedly question 81 tue sur
vlva or the ntte-t among chirn IN tne summer time.
On saturday JAY u visited hy houses between De.
IaLccy, I.vngIOn, Nllet ana lt-ats Ih-Ie were lo'
many Ones-hy" six perhaps but none very pad
There vas fliriY Of PoiisnJews man. wife and six
cBdren, living in basement Ihey were misera ,,
poor. The cnilifen averaged q garment ana nan u
] WAS rcgging. They most squalid ana dirty One
third ire houses were very fair l. Is an lniustrlOV-
district found haJ-maker5 tllors' BASKET ana cigar
uak.rs ana was surprised 90 find the heatn OF me
{ children good cannot account Tor H. Among thc
German cgfriDakcTs often hnd nervous ahecilOus, Dat
ot AloE l.ei. t' , NV o, bni niRhf Ihey close
their windows and IT, must he fearful These people
seem to TO sleep with wndow omen Al nlght
/ saw III one square aboaf 1000 faDhes-ihere were
rear houses All ihlOu gband III such places great sick
ness aud mortality prevail rhe giving OF excursion
ii kets prevents a deal OF sickness, ana ouI
strength lies prev Our best work Is In watch
ING ana Keeping children well Tor disease IS hard "a
combat when once II taxes nod OF chI" II ihis ais
tr.,u0n tickets could be matc earlier III re season
II would be better Much of tee ground we cover ha-
been gone over by workers OF the sicE ChAdrens ME-
1nu under auspices or the Cmdrens Ala nCcletJ
4 How do YOU ike your district uptown -
think the satisfaction of accomplishing some
thing IKE the downtown districts best / shall ash
next yenr "A worse district. Ike To see the WOrs
side"