The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-04-01
SANITARY SURVEILLANCE.
WORK or On. SUSAN y. PRkY OF TEE
BRoOkLTN INSPECTION CORPS
H.- Rou.s Of VISITS e Ho-... where Coz


-evsts ts Hospital, sad the 0ssra-tiss.
Dr. Susan r. Pray is the plucky little woman
who doesn't seem to be afraid OF anybody or
anything. Even q small poxl nag has no ter
rors for her which IL lucky thing just now.
a. the facts will prove.
DIR. Pray 10 one OF three women on the corps
OF permanent sanitary inspectors Of Brooklyn.
The women are on the same footing as the
men. receive the same salaries, and do the
same work. DIR. Pray has charge OF two wards.
the fifteenth and the seventeenth. and her
duties keep her busy from o o'clock in the
morning till @ o'clock at night A woman re-
porter for The SUS however. got an early
start the other morning and managed to reach
the Doctors house at 523 Bedford avenue be-
fore she left It. Dr. Pray lie q brisk, slight
young woman, with high voice. q chin which
suggests the infiexibity Of the Modes and
Persisns. bright gray eyes behind pair OF
Rold-rimmsd spectacles. and an evident abili-
ty to enjoy everything which comes her way
. trait which must be valuable to her. for the
path OF a sanitary inspector IL BY no means
all roses
"rd like to take you with me on my tour Of
inspection" said DR.. Pray. bustllng around
after her gloves and her coat and her bag.
but you see have charge Of contagious dis
eases only. and I'm sure don't want to have
your untimely death laid at my door. But I'll
drive you down to the Health Department with
me and We can talk on the way"
The Doctor led the way to the stylish little
trap outside. 1t is Q treat to drive across
Brooklyn with DR.. Pray. She talks to you all
the time; gives you q clever running COM
msntary on people and places. and all the way
interiects warnings. remonstrances. and ca
iolery for her pet horse.
i've been permanent inspector only since
the new Commissioner was appointed last
winter" she began. There. Beauty, let troll
ley 60 By flrsti For several years had been
q temporary inspector however. The tenn
porary inspectors make house-to- house WIS.,
itation In the summer. and during the rest Of
the year, II they have taken both examina-
lions. they 10 on the vaccinating corps Go
slow. darlin': you needn't break your legs in
these beastly holea The work OF permanent
inspector 10 quito different. No. darlin'. we're
not going to stop there. He thinks that be-
cause I've made calls there he must always
stop For instance. we'll take one days pro-
Rramme. wait till the morning mail comes
at my house, then 1 drive to the Health De-
partment to get my orders there No. darlin'.
not here either Why. you're as bad as milk
wagon horse. Beauty"
And SO the genial Doctor talks on till you
ind yourself quite as smiling and as good
humered as she Is But to eliminate Beauty
from this story and give plain. unvarnished
tale. here Is the account the Doctor gave Of
her experiences as sanitary inspector:
''Of course. most OF the interest centres at
present in the smallpox cases." she said.
When case Of smallpox 10 reported from
any ward I go to the house. inspect the pa
tent. and II II 10 really small pox at once
place quarantine on the house and notify the
department to send the vaccinators and q
doctor to confirm the diagnosis. We always
have the opinion OF the inspector confirmed. SO
that It cannot 90 said that. one person sent q
house. though often help"
DO you have much trouble with ignorant
oh. yes, plenty Of Il. They have an idea
dreadful. INFECTIOUS way. went to hoass
the other day where there was small pox. and
when the 4 came to certain e. family S
no knew his lights: and he wasn't going e Be
because he had % work 1t night.
said. You can sleep Inst as long as You want
to In the morning III put quarantine on
vent up stairs to see some more families.
and when l came down the man was ready
Some OF them think your earning. depend
on how many you vaccinatei, When I was on
shs sss sSnen
me ;hiidef. srTum.r s6e declared -
Tor her own good had nothing to gain By It.
al. RSDs " get SO much head FUR d0in itr
:, So :siS ;a II dom. m maxi, X. an. ny, difference
n6S .hs ssi ~ t ins So 70 Nigh.
do Il thought yc had SO much abe bead =, -,
spsctor. a six-year-old child was found sick
with small pox In six;story tenement house
must be visited every other day By the In
to this tenement right after the child was sent
away. and the mother was always bswailing
from 1A her and might Be Killed S snd that sofs
sbs t ehs Ssr fault al. tss
herself 10 esns Bn. she didpt tax: that
look up your little girl aud in sss II she has
any Message to send to you
on Sunday. hunted up the ehlld's bed aud
found that she was unconscious She died
iii IN the same family came DOWN With Ssrlo
loid. She had been fascinated. you see. so her
mobilization to the Health Department Well.
the woman was simply crazy, ,
you shan't kin this one"
Now see here my good woman. ] said. i
didn't kill your little girl. l never In my life
saw her until went out TO the pest house to
see her for you to try TO bring you message
from her. She was unconscious and couldn't
speak. That was the first time had ever laid
eyes on your child. and you can see for. your:
ELF how foolish 1t 10 for you to say that
Well she did realize it, but she didn't wan:
lee me 0Thsr ehs go cS Snd r. ,s she nssg
tendent said so and the tenants of the house
consented. They would have to be Iuaran-
was she prepared to pay their rent and their |
grocery bills and their meat bills and SO on |
during the quarantine That rather discour- |
aged her and she wanted 10 know II she might |
20 TO the hospital with tn. girl OF course she |
could. We always allow thb mother to go IL |
she chooses to. she hadn't asked to 80 with |
the little u-yeAr-old child. but II shs wanted TO
20 with the lh-ysAr-old one she might.
But might get the smallpox. she said
Very true told her. You might
But she did go, and is there yet have |
case. though. where family has been allowed /
TO keep a case OF small pox in the house. IL /
IL private family, and they have been care
fully guaranteed. They live in their own /
house 40 that no ono has bAAn axDoAad ont Il