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

The Brooklyn Health Department is
unique In having three women on its
regular stan 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 rule shun contagious dis
eases, but 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 II. Pray. Of 523
Bedford avenue. DR.. Pray was graduated
from the Womens Medical College and
1nfrmary Of New York in 1882. She is a
member OF the Kings County Medical So
ciety. the Kings County Medical Assocla-
ton, the Brooklyn Pathological Society
and several other kindred organiza tions.
She was first connected with the Board
OF Health as a vaccinator 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
the best portion Of her attention to her
regular practice. She was gradual tied from
the University of California in 1879, and is
q member of the Kings County Medical
and physician on the Summer corps be-
fore being appointed to a regular inspec-
torship In December last.
Dr.Annie NJ. Brown, of S76 Bedford ave-
nue., was graduated from the Women's
Medical College, New York, In 1880. She
too, is a member of the Kings County
Medical Society. She was appointed as a
regular inspector in February last from
the civil service list by Commissioner
Emery.
DR.. Frances Peele, of 200 schermerhorn
Halsey street. we're appointed special
vaccinators by the Commissioner early in
| the present week.
Since women were appointed as regu-
ne same footing as men. They receive
peeteI to render equal service.
During the present smallpox scare
they are preferred to men as vaccina-
tors. When men were assigned to vac
| GInate me 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 to
each district.
The inspectors report at the head
quarters of the Health Board, in Clin-
smallpox or other contagious disea Sc is
reported the inspector in whose istrict
the patient resides is sent to investigate
1t. A tenement-house patient is taken
to the hospital at once. the place disin-
fected and the inmates quarantined
When a case Is found in private house
the patient is sometimes allowed to re-
main ma at home, isolated from the rest Of
The Inspector. whether man or woman
Is obliged to visit every tenement house
In his or her district, and to carefully
health Of its inmates. In speaking OF
the experience of the women inspectors
In the discharge of their duties, Dr.
Pray speaks as follows:
Ward District. I was obliged to visit
every house In the ward They are
nearly all tenement-houses. too. With a
very few exceptions was treated with
might be SAID of our treatment at the
Health Board and out of It,.
II do not remember single inspection
have made where the fact that was
made the slightest difference. I have
attempted to locate concealed cases OF
smallpox and have met with opposition
not because l vas woman, however
but because l was an inspector.
"On one occasion a man threatened
to throw me downstairs, but we work
SO much In sympathy with the police
that an officer was on hand IN a yer,
ceeded
I'VE do not place a quarantine on Q
house ourselves. We telephone head
quarters as soon as. a case Is located
The quarantine is ordered from there"
DIR. Pray says the character OF th'
work In which she is engaged does no
concern her in the least, She Is so thor
1t as q matter of course,