Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-09-20
CARE OF CONSERVATIVES.
A Hospital for Their Treatment to
30 Owned by Philadelphia
philadelphia Press.)

Bo OWnc0 by fulIuuciphias
philadelphia Press)
| A hospital for consumptives at the old
Lazaretto Station, at Tinicum. to be
maintained by the city, will be one OF
the outcomes Of the near future, II
suggestion made by DR.. William Ford
receives the consideration he desires.
| The suggestion was made by the Doctor
| at a meeting OF the Board of Health yes
| terday afternoon.
| His proposition was that the city, In
| stead of selling the old LaZaretto pro-
| perty, as councils long decided, should
| hold the site, and use 1t as hospital
| for consumptives. The cost or main
tanning such an institution. he said,
would be about $4,000 a year. The Doc
| tor offered resolutions favoring his idea
but the Board Of Health postponed ac-
ton until the suggestion could be more
| fully considered by the members.
| In support of his idea DR.. Ford made
lengthy argument. saying, among other
things:
THE fact that consumption is well
| known to be an infective disease, whose
spread may be limited by the adoption
| of certain precautionary measures; ana
| further, that this disease Is annually de-
stroying thousands of lives, many OF
, which are sacrificed to ignorance. ne
glect, and want, imposes upon the mu-
nieipality grave duty, from which there
Is no escape. AS yet no effort has been
made TO meet this responsibility at all
commensurate with Its gravity. What
has been done is largely at the instance
and by the efforts OF philanthroplc So
cieties, and principally In the way OF es-
tablishng hospitals for the sick, which
| is of supreme Importance. This subject
has aroused the sympathes OF the PM
| lanthropst and enlisted the most seri-
| Gus consideration of the sanitarian; for,
| II any progress is 10 be made in STAYING
| the ravages OF consumption, Isolation
| and treatment in hospitals must be de-
| pended on as a most important means CT
attaining this end. The municipality Is
obligated TO provide for the INDECENT sicK,
but especially urgent Is this demand
when such sick persons, unproVided fcr'
teopardize the public health.
Consumption is the great enemy or
the human race. II prevails in every
country and among every people. Here
| I'm our own city IL heads the mortality
list in point OF numbers. OF the 2'16
deaths from all causes in 1886, FAB. or a
little over 10 per cent, were due TO con-
sumption. OF the 2l70S2 deaths from all
causes In the ten wears 1SSi-lSsS, both In
elusive 1929 deaths or about 10 per
cent, were caused by this disease. Ana
yet we appear TO be Indifferent TO this
appalling sacrifice of human life because
accustomed to look upon consumption as
a hopeless disease for which no perma-
nent relief can be obtained, and against
which no means can be successfully EN-
ployed TO check its spread.
| are this belief were generally enter
tanned, then all efforts TO prevent the d.
sease, for want OF cooperation. must
result in dismal failure. But, fortunately,
hone and encouragement are afforded by
the results of modern scientific research.
Sufficient is already accurately known to
warrant the assertion that consumption
among civilized people will gradually
yield to better methods OF prophylaxis
and treatment, and that In consequence
thereof its ravages will be markedly les
sened as time goes on.
RECORD OF DEATHS.
at is gratifying to know that In this
city, for the reasons already stated, the
number of deaths from consumption has
| greatly diminished within comparatively
recent years. Notwithstanding the In
crease of population, the deaths in the
last ten years show an actual and rela-
tive decrease. In 1886, when the popula-
ton was 971.363-that is 192,5m less than
that OF lSs5-there were 2S34 deaths from
consumption as compared with IA!
deaths in 1895. or an actual decrease OF 80;
deaths. The table presented below viii
show more clearly that this diminution
In the number of deaths from this cause
has been almost constant and somewhat
marked since the year 1886. notwithstand'
| ING the decrease of UOpuldtlOQ.-