The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-27

HE unfortunate condition of the
inmates of the tumble-down old
hospital on San Bruno road,
known as the Pesthouse, will be the
subject of some legislation on the
part of the Supervisors this after
noon. The miserable state of affairs
that existed during the last rain has
aroused sympathy on all sides, and
there is a general expression that
something should be done to make
the hospital more like what it pre-
tends to be and less like a prison.
The Supervisors will appoint COM
mittee to investigate and report such
changes or repairs as may be possible
to make the old place habitable I'M
til there can be some means devised
for providing the permanent inmates,
the lepers, with suitable quarters.
Supervisor Holland has declared him
self in favor of repairing the old build
ing until the question of a new hospital
has been settled, and Of then providing
at the same time a place for leperS and
patients afflicted with contagious dis
eases. The hospital matter is one that
will come before the board within a
few weeks, and Supervisor Holland be-
Neves the question of a pesthouse can
be settled at the same time. Until then,
he says, the city should make the old
place as comfortable as possible, and
that, too, without delay.
Supervisor ByingtOn is also willing to
do anything to make the place as COM
Portable as circumstances Will permit,
and Supervisor Perrault declares that
ha Il n W IA hiring a
better condition of affairs. AS a medl-
cal man, he believes il an injustice TO
pen patients in such an unhealthy
place, holding them for no offenSe eX-
cept that of being afflicted with disease,
and denying them the poor privilege OF
seeking better quarters when the ones
assigned to them have become unfit for
habitation.
THE hospital question will not be set
tied this year" said DR.. Perrault, Tor
we cannot undertake such an extensive
piece of work and still keep within the
dollar limit, to which we pledged our
selves We will have to let all question
of the hospital go over until the charter
has been put in force. 1t is a shame we
can do nothing for those unfOrtunates,
but there is no money in the ouhdlng
y fund now and there is no chance OIL
there being any before next winter SO
all we can possibly do is to make sucn
reOairs as the old building Will stand
Or Perrault will bring the matter 10
the attention of the board this after
noon, and so will Supervisor Holland,
and il is certain something VIII De done'
although there is a chance OF II pelng'
for a while yet anyway, anything more
than temporary repairs.
There have been two plans broecheo'
hut as vet nothing has come OF them.
one of these was to have the leperS de-
Yoorted 10 the island of Molokai, where,
under some arrangement with the Gov
eminent at Hawaii, they could be kept
az the expense of the State. The other
vas TO make overtures to the Federal
Government to have them kept onAngel
island at the quarantine station, Where
+bev could be made useful and their en-
forced isolation could be made less IKE
The Pesthouse was erected by the
ci+v in 1868. and even then, over thirty
years ago, it was intended only as Il
fernnorary structure. 1t was not eX-
nected to last as long as well-Dulit
cowshed. vet it has housed the city 8
o11tcasts for more than a quarter OF
century. and still the end of it's serv-
ice is not in sight.
The lepers are not entirely helpless
and some of them are quite as capable
IF earning their own living as many
q one not condemned to the Pesthouse
enclosure. There are some of the in
mates so slightly affected as to deceive
INV but the trained specialist, yet all
these are compelled to take the poor
shelter the city offers. A leper at any
time NAV be confined in the Pesthouse.