Evening star., 1896-12-05
The Need for Hospital for Conta-
HiOus Diseases.

~ AN-At"A
The present prevalence of diphtheria is
OF sufficient extent to make the need of a
hospital for contagious diseases most evil
dent. The city is already we'll supplied
with hospitals. which are, however, very
insufictently supported. and yet there are
no arrangements made for the proper care
of cases Of contagious diseases. Consider
ing the large percentage of individuals
dying annually from these diseases, mainly
children, to be sure, the lack Of proper
means Of caring for them is a disgrace to
any community calling itself Christian and
civilized. The obstruction which has been
put in the way of the construction of such
a hospital in this city s a mark of narrow
minded obstinacy and selfshness. 1t is a
strange reflection that the educated laity
should deem themselves better judges OF
the danger to the surrounding neighbor-
hood from such hospital than doctors
who have carefully studied the risks at
tendant on the construction and existence
OF such institutions. 1t is pure ignorance
on the part of the laity, who have not
thoroughly studied such questions, to main
tain that serious dangers, or any danger
worthy Of consideration, will follow the
building Of a hospital for these diseases
and they do the community great wrong
in hindering a most necessary means for
limiting these diseases. Their selfishness
is also exhibited in raising the value of
purchasable land. instead of allowing 1t to
be sold at fair price for most worthy
institution. The lack of true Christian
charity is most evident. and, spite of the
very strong and persistent efforts made
by number Of ladies of this city to secure
the erection Of such building, they have
been hampered on all sides by bgotry and
legislation. 1t Is now impossible for such
a hospital to be built where it would be of
most use. The acts of legislation demand
such large space of open ground about a
hospital for these diseases as makes it i'm
possible to erect one really within the city
limits. The citizens seem to be afraid of
such a hospital and yet there is every day
infinitely more danger arising from the
present isolation, so-called, of those suffer-
ing from contagious diseases than would
ever arise from a hospital. Not only is
there more danger from the existing order
of things, but there is infinitely more suf-
fering and expense incurred by all parties
Houses are posted! What does that mean?
Simply that the people inside are not sup
posed to go out; but there is no evidence
that they do not go out, and so spread the
disease still further. How much control do
we ordinarily have over our colored SER
wants? We cannot prevent them from sit
ting on the back steps in the back yard
and communicating with their neXt-door
neighbors. Then how is a house to be
thoroughly sterilized? Under this system
of posting it Is not for a moment to be be-
lieved that the individuals within do not
pass from one room to another, and come
in contact with those who are caring for
the sick; SO that at the end 1t is not a ques-
ton of purifying and sterilizing one room
but the whole house needs purifying. l am
not now speaking Of the rich who can af-
ford to have nurses, and who can carry out
true isolation. But it is of the poorer
classes. who live within narrow compass,
and who cannot have nurses. When one
thinks OF the large number of people in
this city who have no servants, or possibly
only one to come in by the day, the diff
culties and dangers of the present system
for care Of those with infectious diseases
Is at once evident. The present system is
far greater expense in the long run to the
city than hospital would be, and to the
poor people Is most unjust and unneces-
sary burden. Sterilization means in large
measure essn destruction of many articles,
which might we'll be saved Perhaps the
expense might not be considered were We
confident that the isolation was truly car
ried out But we are certain it is not. 1t
cannot be. Under The present system we
have no doubs that many cases are not re-
ported at all simply to save a family from
this unfair burden of isolation 1t is moi
necessary that officeholders should be kept
away from their duties for weeks and
months because Of q case of illness in the
house, and the loss to such people is often
very large. Already two of the public
schools have had to be closed this past
month. and we do not know when it may
be necessary to close Others New cases Of
diphtheria are announced daily in the pa
pers; there were nearly a hundred in the
month OF November. and sufficient num-
oeI ouilhG tnlS InCntn 10 threaten a wider
extension of the disease. 1t Is a CRYING
shame that the little children should be
made to suffer unnecessarily, due to the
ignorance and stupidity Of their fathers
There would be less deaths in a hospital
than under the present system and many
precious lives would be spared. 1 trust that
something may be done and done soon to
rectify the present abuse. and that the citi-
zens will see to what dangers they are sub
mitting themselves, and how much suffer-
ing and poverty might be spared were thew
little more charitable and minded.
NJ