Daily Republican., 1881-07-11
AN ADDITIONAL HO sPITAL l. FOR
NMALL.POX PATIENTS.
What should bo Used for the
PurpOse-RemOnstrOnce
Against II.

au ln)uncuon. III IL Is decided to put
up new buildings considerable time
must elapse before they will be ready
for occupancy.
Some people living in the western
part of the city have become unduly
alarmed over the opening of the city
hospital for smallpox cases. Much of
this alarm is foolish. In answer to OBJ.
jectiOns to such move the Board of
Health makes the following statement
The Board of Health desire to say in
regard to the proposed temporary use of
the City Hospital for the reception of
smallpox patients, that they have, af.
ter due consideration, deliberately and
advisedly recommended its use for the
follwing reasons:
The building is owned by the city, is
lnoccupied and ready for immediate
use; it stands alone in high and salu-
brious location, sufficiently isolated as
not to endanger the city.
1t will take time to erect barracks,
and when built it will be difficult to
get patients to 90 to them without actu-
al force, which we desire to avoid if pos.
sible.
We call attention to the fact that
| the present hospital ami tents at Fourth
and Broom streets have been used for
long time, and while the county build
ings, with their hundred inmates, are
almost within a stones throw, and
while private dwellings are quite as
near as any dwellings are to the City
Hospital, it cannot be shown that a sin
| gle case has been com municated from
| the hospital or tents.
We call attention to the fact that every
house in the city, with smallpox in
them is as practically anu poten TALLY for
the time beinga smallpox hospital and
if the air from this isolated building,
carefully guarded and watched, as it
would be, is to enlanger tle public
health, we ask what is To become of the
air from these smallpox houSeS with
other houses immediately adjoining
on the right and left, nearly approach
| ing them in front and rear
1t has been objected that Eighth
streetwill be detroJed as a throughfare. f
this is the case what is to become of
Fourth and Seventh streets, tor instance
where it can probably be shown that
within one hour at certain periods of
the day as many people pass us pass
along Eighth street in month.
| 1t has been objected that property IN
the neighborhood would be injured in
value, and that the building itself would
have to be destroyed. We have never
heard of any private residence being
destroyed or its value being lcssened,
because Of small poX having at some
| naripI "A ista al in II
We call attention to the fact that a
smallpox flag is now flying at Eighth
and jackson streets, nearer to many of
the dwellings on Eighth street tina 4 the
City Hospital.
We believe all the objections grow
out of prejudice, lack of information,
and want of reflection. We believe that
pre-, udlce should yield to the public
good.
In conclusion, we as members of the
hoard, in the faithful care CT the public
health, propose to do our whole duty to
the best Of cur ability, without regard
to prejudice and without fear or favor.
If our efforts are not seconded by the
people and the authorities of Whining
ton the responsibility must rest with
= l.. p BUSH,
JAMES A. DRAPER,
WILLARD SPRINGEE,
JOHN OTTO,
EDWARD Il. KANE.
DR.. Draper defends the action of the
Board of Health in y very clear >tate.
ment. He said he and his colleagues in
the Board were acting in good faith. and
were doing all i'll their power to stamp
out the disease, and patients must be
removed from the city because around
private dwellings, which are infected
hangs constant danger of Contagion. He
went on 10 say that there wasn no danger
in his mind of the disease spreading
from the city hospital, as it was the only
building in the square. A careful watch
would he had over those who were inside
to prevent any one going in or out 1t is
impossible, he said, to prevent commu-
nicatiOn between inmates Of private
dwellings and those inside and the dan
ger, therefore, of the disease spreading
in town is very great. 1t was to lessen
this danger that the Board of Health
has recommended the Use Of the city
hospital, because many people will go
there who do net care to go to the aims
house or the tent erected on Broolne
street by the county.
Now, something has to be done and
that speedily" went on DR.. Draper -
"There will be great delay if temporary
buildings are erected and that delay
must not take place in the present state
of affairs, if possible There is no reas-
On why it should take place. 10 have
stated its advantages, and tke fact that
it is tho only place to whicj, certain
class of citizens will 90. l have also
mentioned that there is no tear of the
disease spreading. Let me make th;s
last point clearer. Around the aims
house there are dwellings almost as
close as to the hospital and there has
not been case of small pox in the
outside of the walls of
the county institution. And then again
defy any one to show that smallpox |
has been communicated to any person |
in the vicinity of the tents at Fifth and
Broom streets. One man did die of
smallpox there but he had the disease
before the tents went up, and it can be
shown that he COntrac ell the disease
elsewhere. No care has been taken to
quarantine these places, and yet there
has been no contagion. Again, some
one says the site is too salubrious.-
Would you build a smallpox hospital
On a marsh That is the place We
want, because the location is good, the
building suitable and the need urgent
and immediate, and because some peo-
PIE will not leave their homes to 80
auvWhere else