The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-01-14
FAVOR A
FEDERAL HOSPITAL
Petition for One to Be
Presented to the
President.
It Is Signed by Some of the
Most Influential Names
in the City.
DR.. G. L. Fitch, Who Prepared It,
Urges the Vital Necessity of
the New Institution.

Ihe leperS, confined at the PeSthOuSe IN
San Francisco are very strongly in favor
Of National hospital, as has recently
been recommended by number of the
most prominent men in this City.
| They give number of reasons for this
desire, prominent among which are these:
In big National institution more atten-
ton would be given to them, and they
would thus be more likely to get the ad-
vantage of any new discoveries that would
mitigate their dreadful disease as we'll as
arouse more efforts among scientific in
| yestigators TO find some remedy that
would cure or greatly relieve leprosy.
They say they would have the advantage
of more society. They would have large
grounds and have the opportunity of ex-
erclse and occupation, and a selection
could be made of a warm and dry climate,
which, they say, is very favorable to their
disease. They suffer great deal from
cold in the extremities. and one of the ef-
| tects of leprosy is to make the patient very
sensitive to chilly weather. One of the
! most intelligent of the white lepers here,
Frank Bent, says that when he came here,
ten years ago, he thought this climate
would benefit him, but he finds it too cold
and feels confident he would be benefited
by warmer and drier climate.
The Japanese remedy for leprosy,
"Goto," has been used on the patients
here with much success. 1t. is not re-
garde d as a cure, but i. greatly mitigates
the disease. The first lot they got last
summer, which was donated by subscrip-
tons and cost about $3.50. they have just
used the last OF, but an appropriation has
been made by the Supervisors for double
the quantity of the first order, and ship
ment is on the way here now. One Of the
patients was so much helped by the Goto
medicine that the blotches entirely disap-
peared from his face. This remedy of
Japanese physician consists Of a medicated
bath, 300 herb pills per day and the regular
use of an herb tea. One OF the epers, Pepa-
loo, will not take DIR. Gotos treatment, as
he prefers to trust to the use OF strychnile.
Superintendent ]. P. Heating thinks
there should lie State hospital esta blished
for lepers, and that it is not fair for The
City to have to take care of them, for
only % per cent were residents of San Fran
cisco. He also thinks the wish of the
lepers for a FederaI sanitarium is partly
caused by the unsanitary condition of the
building in which they are contined-it
leaks. admits the cold winds and they
have no firA
DR.. George L. Fitch of this City has
been active in preparing and circulating a
petition for the establishment of single
National leper sanitarium. to accommo-
date all those afflicted by the dread dis
ease in the United States. The full sig
nlficance of the project may best be
gathered from the petition, as follows:
To the President aud the Congress Of the United
States-GENTLEMEN: Your attention is most
respectfully called to the following facts:
Firs;-That there are, as la as can be relia-
bly, ascertained, about 800 lepers in the United
States. They are mostly from foreign coun-
tries, few being native citizens. They are not
congregated in any one particular locality,
but are largely dispersed all over the Union.
/ Secondly reason of their feebieness in the
advanced stages and the general fears of the
| people as to contact with them in any con-
dition they are practically helpless and are
debarred from entering into the usual avoca-
| tionS OF life.
| This forces them in most an cases to become
! public charges.
| Third-Slnce they are mostly foreigners,
| and therefore here by National invitation,
| their care should be assumed by the General
| Government ana not left 10 the precarious as
! sistance OF individuals or 10 communities with
out adequate preparations for their mainte-
nance.
| Fourth-It is claimed by high scientific
authority that leprosy is not contagious, but
this view is not generally accepted by the
| public, and hence the latter does not extend
| 10 these unfortunates the same mercy and
gentle consideration as to other invalids.
| Fifth-It will be much cheaper for the entire
people if all the lepers should be concen-
! trated in single colony and placed under
! competent authority with proper physicians,
nurses, medicines, etc.
| Sixth-The expense of providing q santa
rum for al the lepers known 10 be in the
| lied States is estimated TO be about $780,
| 0O0
! This would reasonably include the cost of
| $500 acres OF land at $40 per ecre. $50 900 for
the bull iings. etc., and sos, 900 Tor the gather
Jig OF the patients and their maintenance the
| first year.
Seyenth-It is an attested fact we'll known to
medical experts familiar with the disease,
| that lepers need warm and even C. innate,
being very sen sitively affected by the cold or
| by sudden changes in the weather.
| Eighth-ln the Coast range OF mountains of
! California, south of San Francisco there are
some choice locations in which the climate is
very even all the year around, and Is by reason
! of its mildness, comparative isolation and yet
ready accessibility. admirably suited for the
| com fort of such unfortunates.
Ninth-Such a sanitarium should be national
| in character and placed under the charge of
the Marine Hospital department or a special
commission.
Tenth-Thata sanitarium is the profound
need of these afflicted people, is humane, is in
| sympathy with the genius OF our age, is the
demand OF medical science in the way of
analysis and treatment and is splendid
memorial worthy of this Christian civilization.
| Very respectfully,
Ado,ph srtro, ex-Mayor of San Francisco;
| William Alvord, ex-Mayor OF San francisco;
L. r. Ebert, ex-Mayor of San francisco; J.
Temple Associate Justice Supreme Court; F.
| W. Hensnaw, Associate Justice Supreme Court;
7. B. Mcfarland, Associate Justice Supreme
Court; w. CYAN Fleet, Associate Justice Su-
preme Court; w. H. Beatty, Chief Justice SUI
! preme Court j. ]. de Haven, ex-member of
! Congress; J. d. Phelau, Mayor of San Fran
! cisco; E. B. Pond, ex-Mayor of San Francisco;
| w. w. Morrow United States District Judge;
Joseph McKenna, United States Circuit Judge;
George Davidson, ex-United States Coast
! Survey.
San francisco, Cal, December %. 1896.
Dr. Fitch is enthusiastic in regard to
the necessity for the hospital He says
that at the present time there are 100
lepers in Louisiana, as many in Minne-
sofa, 20 in Topeka, Kans., 20 in. South
Carolina, on Blackwells Island and in
] Brooklyn. many in Oregon, Washington,
/ the two Dakotas, Iowa and illinois, be-
sides IS IN California.
THE distinguished gentlemen who
signed the petition TO be sent off on Mon
day." said DR.. Fitch, "were unanimous in
their opinion that the hospital measure
was the appropriate one for the DISPOSE
ton Of these afflicted people,"
SAN FRANCISCO uCAIIs