The evening world., 1894-04-14
FIVE WOMEN IN A NEW FIELD.
Employed as Inspectors by the
Brooklyn Health Board.
They Naccinate People and Search
for Contagious Diseases.

The Brooklyn Health Department Ia
unique in having three women on its
regular staff Of inspectors OF contagious
diseases. Within the past week this
force has been Increased by the appoint
ment of two special women vaccinators.
Women as a rule shun contagious dis
eases, bat these five women go about
where they are prevalent with as little
concern as any of the men on the staff
The Oldest woman inspector in point
of service is DR.. Susan X. Pray, of 5.3
Bedford avenue. Or Pray was graduate d
from the Womens Medical College and
lntirmary of New York in 1882 She is n
member of the Kings County Medical So
ciety, the Kings County Medical Associa-
tion, the Brooklyn Pathological Society
and several other kindred organizations.
She was first connected with the Boarl
of Health as a vacc.nator In December,
1892, and was subsequently made a per-
manent inspector.
Dr. Agnes Sparks, Of IS Hanson place,
was connected with the staff OF the East
ern District Hospital for years, and a
lecturer in several of the medical schools
In New York and Brooklyn until the
press of business demanded that she give
he best portion Of her attention to her
P;suiar practice. She was graduated from
the University OF California In 1879, and is
q member of the Kings County Medical
ana physician on the. Summer corps be-
! fore being appointed to a regular inspec-
torship In December last.
Or. Annie NJ. Brown, OF 976 Bedford ave-
nue., was graduated from the Women's
Medical College, New York, in 1880. She,
too, is member of the Kings County
Medical Society. She was appointed as
regular inspector in February last from
the civil service list by Commissioner
Emery.
DR.. Frances Peele, of 22O schermerhorn
Halsey street. were appointed special
| vaccinators by the Commissioner early in
| the present week
Since women were appointed as reg,,-
lar inspectors they have been placed on
the same footing as men. They receive
the same pay, $1,000 year, and are ex-
pected to render equal service.
During the present smallpox scare
| they are preferred to men as vaccina-
tors. When men were assigned to vac
tinate the young women in the Girls
ents and friends protested, and the ser
vices of these FIVE women doctors proved
very acceptable. The sanitary inspec-
tion of the city is conducted on the dis
| trict plan. One Inspector is assigned 20
| each district.
The inspectors report at the head
quarters of the Health Board, in Clin-
ton street, each morning. II a case Of
| smallpox or other contagious disease Is
reported the inspector in whose district
the patient resides is sent to investigate
| it. a tenement-house patient is taken
to the hospital at once, the place disin-
fected and the inmates quarantined.
When case Is found in private house
the patient Is sometimes allowed to re-
| main at home, isolated from the rest OF
| the family.
The Inspector. whether man or woman
Is Obliged to visit every tenement house
examine its sanitary condition and the
health of its inmates. In speaking OF
the experience of the women inspectors
Pray speaks as follows:
when l was over in the Fourteenth
Ward District, was obliged to visit
every house in the ward. They arc
very few exceptions | was treated with
the greatest consideration. The same
might be SAID of our treatment at the
Health Board and out OF It,
81 do not remember n single inspection
have made where the fact that / was
n woman engaged in that kind OF work
made the slightest difference. l have
attempted to locate concealed cases OF
SINAI l-poX and have met with opposition
not because l was a woman, however
but because I was an inspector.
| ION one occasion n man threatened
to throw me downstairs. but we work
so much In sympathy with the police
that an officer was on hand in a very
few, minutes and the inspection pro
ceeded.
1--WE do not place quarantine ,apSnn on
| quarters as soon as n case Is located
The quarantine is ordered from there,
DIR. Pray says the character OF tn,
work in which she is engaged does no
| concern her In the least. She is so thor
, oughly accustomed to II that she accepts
1t as q matter OF course.