The morning call., 1893-04-09
THE PESTHOUSE.
A Strong Effort for It's
Abolition.
BUT MAYOR ELLERT SAYS NO
The Board of Health Wants Smallpox
Patients Treated on the City and
County Hospital Lot.

the purpose OF disposing OF the yexed ques-
ton of the Pesthouse site.
The decision reached was recommends
ton by the Board OF Health 10 the Supervl-
sors that provision be made for the erection
of an isolated building in the grounds of the
City and County Hospital for the treatment
of cases of infectious disease.
This decision is by no means binding on
the Board OF Supervisors nor do the doctors
appear to be absolutely at accord on the
degree Of risk incurred from smallpox. Al
Que time the difference of opinion on this
point became quite breezy.
DrS. Martin Regensburger, S. t. Long.
w. Ii. Mays and G. j. Bucknall of the
Board of Health were all of one mind as to
the control which could easily be exercised
over the disease within the City and County
HOSPITAL, and DIR. Regens burger even in-
timated that the tear of smallpox contagion
was largely imaginary.
Dr.. Lawlor. quarantine officer, pretty
severely denounced the circulation of the
idea that smallpox Is tTitiing affection,
easily controlled and not likely to spread.
During the hour consumed by the meeting
the doctors did pretty nearly all the talk ing,
While Mayor Ebert aid the Directing
The Mayor OEened the proceedings with a
plain declaration that lie lid not unders tand
why the matter had been brought before
the Board of Health. All the members of
the Board of Supervisors are perfectly
familiar with the smallpox hospital prop0-
sliiOn, and it is a question for them to
settle.
Supervisor Kennedy gave his opinion that
the City and County Hospital grounds
furnish as good site as any suggested. 1t
was very difficult, if not impossible, 10 find
a site that viii please every body. He had
heard it said by the doctors That If a site
was selected on the Almshouse Tract the
patients would die before they got there.
Supervisor Refs also thought it impossible
TO please everybody as 10 the site.
Supervisor Denman Game out with a
strong appeal for the abolition oil the Pest
house. There is no power in this board"
said lie. 10 take any man out of his own
house If he is suffering from contagious
disease, The best way TO settle the matter
is to do away with the Pesth0use entirely.
Why, / live right opposite where a large
very much exercised and think | am dereict
in allowing the hospital TO be built. | hope
the Board Of Supervisors will cut The Cor
dian knot by simply abollshlng the Pest
house. IF smallpox cases occur we will
provide place Iur them on short notice"
Supervisor Ryan took the same view.
THE very name 'PesthOuse,'" said be,
makes many people afraid of IT,"
Mr.. Ellert-Nhat would yoH suggest in
lieu Of II? As | understand II, the prop0-
SlliDH u lie IJUnIu VI Iltdltu Is SNIP IN
the form OF recommendation. They have
no power except to suggest
DR.. Bucknall said there are Isolated wards
in every general hospital in Europe for
smallpox patients The thing is to get
them under shelter as soon as possible and
not take them long distances over country
roads.
DR.. Long was the first to put the argu-
ment into practical shape. "We are
here" said he, mot only as citizens and
taxpayers, but as professional men, to
thoroughly weigh the Dlerits and dement's
of the case, AS a medical man l sea no
reason why these infectious diseases should
not be treated in tue grounds of the City
and County Hospital.
"Iu this city there have been cases Of small
p0X in houses which have been quaran-
tined, and we have no infection from these
cases, not even where the mouse and It's
neighboT stood wood TO wood as it were.
There has not even been infection in an
adjoining room. II this be true what neces-
slty is there to 90 TWO or three miles to es-
tabiish : eSthouse? l am heartily in favor
Of changing the name. 1t should be called
simply a house Tor Infectious disease
Now, take II on the ground of economy.
We have been keeping up an Institution
known as the Pcsthousc, in which only
three smallpox cases have been treated, and
for this we have been paying a physician
$50 month, besides nurses. Why, in the
name OF comm on-seuse, do We keep an insti-
tuition of this kind? Why not concentrate
our Institutions and put the money where
II will do the most good ? People Will talk,
anyhow. II you put the place on SBag
Rock the people on shore would imagine
they were going 10 get the disease"
Ar interruption at this moment caused
quite litter: We're to pay $500 month
for the PesthOuse now"
Dr. Long continued that there is no rea-
son why the smallpox cases should not be
tod fars H. al
County Hospital. The neighbOUing resi-
dents would soon understand that satisfac-
tory precautions would be observed. He
had noticed in several Eastern cities hos
pitfalls in which contagious diseases were
treated, and though many handsome resi-
dences were located around there was lie
spread of the disease.
Dr. Mays agreed with DR.. Long and re-
marked: This trade about the danger to
neghbOrlng residents may be relegated tC
the dark ages. 1t is an outrage on the pres
ent condition of enlightenment"
Mayor Ebert warmly opposed any scheme
10 locate a hospital for contagious diseases
on the City and County Hospital grounds.
For four years" said he, tile question OF
site has been before the Board Of Super
visUrs, and my opinion is that the Aims
house tract is the proper place"
The discussion assumed desultOry char
acter for Time, Dr. Long citing case OF
smallpox which had occurred in the City
and County Hospital itself and in which
the disease was well developed before the
patient was removed, yet no one else took
the disease. The disease" said he sis
not SO infectious as lay people believe"
Mr.. EIlert-Fd like you to educate the
PDtrero people to that way of thinking
DR.. Long-Well, it is matter of educa-
ton generally.
DIR. Regensburger also ridiculed the idea
of cOEtagiOn or infection at a distance and
said that the OulV ppnuIp
smallpox is by direct contact with the
patient. In a well-conducted hospital no
such thing is possible. No one can 20 in or
come out. II we make arrangements to set
up building for infectious cases on the
hospital grounds and case of smallpox
occurs we can put one of our iDternes in
charge and treat the case without expense
TO the city. From the standpoint of
economy and humanity there is no better
plan.
Dr. Lawlor arose to protest against the
spreading of tie notion that smallpox is a
disease accompanied with very little risk of
infection. ut is only by the most rigid
precautions and the fullest insistence on
the Angel Island quarantine regulations
that TINS city escaped three epidemcs of
smallpox last year. Complete and absolute
Isolation is the only safeguard. ! have had
an uphill battle TO prevent the introduction
OF smallpox into San Francisco"
Afler n protest by Mrs. Biumenthal on
behalf of residents in the vicinity OF the
City and County Hospital. the matter was
brought to issue by DR.. Regensburger NOV
ing to recommend the Board of Supervisors
TO abolish the PesthOuse and erect build
ing in the City and County Hospital
grounds.
The four medical members Of the Board
OF Health all voted Tor the resolution.
Mayor Ebert voted against It.
The Supervisors committee sdld not vote.
The Supervisors having retired, a commu-
cation was read from the passengers of
the City Of New York, now quarantined on
Angel Island. protesting against further
detention on the ground that there had been
no exposure to Infection and all the quaran-
tined passengers are in good health.
The Board of Health unanimously voted
to'deny the petition. and the passengers will
have to stay the full term of fourteen days.
9 Q G. III -