The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-19
uopE FOR CONSERVATIVES.
.oxs FOR BUILDING TIE PRO-
IEASV.osED TIE HOSPITAL

aaH
ton rrnI,o from the Present situation.
r,, ,0te OF the bill now before the LeEisla-
N establish o state hospltal lor con-
pn U ; Is watch'd Win mueh interest by
,u mndi, profession OF this CITY. Inc Dill
w m.Sn ou,,omo Of an inquiry ordered by the
Il M .I,,ur. to ascertain II UGH a step Is
~ M, ari proper, Ihe commlttee' OF
tiH5'O n,,,r George W. Brush. himself a
N,u..t,l,n, Was Chairman reported a month
phIsH", q, WAS advisable TO do 30 and sub
w. - with It's report the testimony OF num-
n"s, n Known specialists in emphatic sup
m"" H., conclusion. Hence this measure.
p' for the establishment OF u hos
II pFU', W. Forest reserve in the Adirondack
phl m or in soma other suitable locality
uouhs rae,on. for the treatment OF sufferers
% '" .,h.rcular consumption in the early
nom ~ m. disease. The hospital 10 to ac-
hseS.,. POO patients. An approximation
HnnnNN o0 ia made for the cost OF erecting
'".nital and maintaining it for the first
ms The rntients are to be chosen by prefer
year ,nonr the poor who are unable to pay.
snV' .h others may be admitted. Twelve ex-
"Vus" nhvsicians are provided for. upon
'mW'" oortiacato only patients may enter.
Nn'ST ram are to be practitioners In this city
en.n : IN each of the cities OF Albany. SYRIA
anu rd puralo. OF the seven trustees to
eusU Tho institution two must be women.
n "a ,So nil does not pass 1t will not be be-
~. committee has'not made out It's case.
aud h. hard to imagine q stronger showing
S,,ts action than its report presents.
w thousand persons. 1t points out. die
l",orv IN New York.State from the white
a "ua II kills one In seven Of all who die.
-, IN four OF all who die grown to man.
hood. u.
NJ Iohn II. Pryor Of Buffalo. one of the
wy" s,, obampions Of the bill. 100000 will die
."n,umrtlop unless something is done to
r,sysnt It's spread"
"a shown by tho mortality lists he is well
-rh,n the facts. In Germany the average
trmon life Is held to be worth $1,000 tothe
S,,.s since It costs that sun to bring up and
.toc,,e the individual. English statistIcians
,ot the amount at from SIS0 to $3.50. Esti-
n,,irr the value Of the American life at $1,000.
Il, shown that the actual loss which the state
,,Tcrs avery year through the ravages OF this
iI..,so ia al least ~Sl3,OC0.OOO. Consumption
MI, IN the years Of greatest productive ac-
,,rv when the life Is most useful to the COM
rnnity Putting the annual mortality from
,onsumption IN N-w York city at the conserva-
,v. average Of core. the METROPOLIS is seen to
bear half Of this heavy.los7.
An pxserieucc and EXPERT opinion agree that
This Is a most indefensible waste. Time was
when CONSUMPTION was considered an incura-
ha disease; when q man contracted it he must
NJ necessity die. Hercdity and Providence
were held responsible. and against the COM
bDation man was supposed to be powerless.
There was a time. long ago, when smallpox
was nut on the same basis and with as good
reason. In SO far as consumption is incurable
to-day 1t is in the largest measure due to ig-
rorance or helpless poverty. Science. power
fully backed by the microscope. has knocked
the heredity hugbenr out. Men inherit the
soil" for the disease to grow in in weak con-
~situtions. Thy catch" the disease as they
do smallpox and can as easily avoid it. There
ls" testified Prof. Herman NJ. Riggs. tho
Health DEPARTMENTS expert. no disease that
Is better understood or more preventable."
One trouble is that the disease has grown so
familiar to US all that 1t has lost its terrors.
great as they are. Poverty il another. At the
time when alone the patient can be saved he
sd his friends are helpless 10 supply the rem
ely. a better climate. That time is right at
the BEGINNING. Taken then. all the evidence
Is that from 80 to 80 per cent. at Least get well.
/ But very quickly it is too late. The sufferer is
then literally doomed to die. Nothing is left
hu. to nurse him till he does die. The substi-
tute offered is to nurse him till he gets well.
II when he died that was the end. the State
might stand aside to let the funeral pass with
out concerning itself about putting up the
bars. But it is not the end. 1t is rather the
beginning. The infectious character OF the
disease has only so recently been.recoGnized
that effective knowledge OF it has not yet
reached down in the people. One OF the OBJ
| !eets OF the proposed measure is to secure tho
segregation OF c~onsumptives. as smallpox or
~diphtheria patients. are isolated. at least to the
extent which the c~auacity Of the hospitals will
secure. Isolation OF a compulsory kind which
ADDS to the suffering Of the patient but effects
nothing else there Is now. He is shuDned
and finds it ever harder to get employment
bot In bis homo precautions are rarely taken
II is not yet three years since the Board Of
Health OF this city began.a campaign against
the disease with It's ordinance forbiddinE spit.
ing In public conveyanees. and lis yet in its
early stages. Yet more than a.hundred years
Ho when tuberculosis had become epidemic
10 the kingdom OF Naples. the authorities
mere. knowing nothing Of tho doctrine o
germs. undertook to deal with ii as an iufec,
Hous disease by.reuuiring physiclans.to repor
cases under penalty Of heavy lines and ban
hhment. and by destroying houses anc
goods and l~solating patients. and did 1t SO eff
isctua!ly that Naples was fairly freed from tn,
EVIL. The mortality from this one cause cam,
Gown from 10 in 1000 In 1882 to 1.29 in LOO
mss. England In the last forty years hal
teouced by legislative measures the mortalit!
rom consumption by one-half. In German!
Me government co-operates successfully will
'ne Insurance companies to the same end.
slkle sick benefit society invested. DR.. Pryo
~suned. 100000 last year in erecting con
'unptiVes hospitals. II that pays the IN
uFance companies. be argued. 1t should pa.
i the State.
massachusetts, has built a hospital FOR con
,%umptlYes. and other States are moving. New
sotk has taken preventive action In ordering
"'aee SUPERVISION Of It's milk supply and of tn
eNe slaughtered for food. because thes
W isSoT!te ways Of transmitting the germ
u 'e disease. But that is as far as
S gone. DR.. Trudeau'I private hospital a
r'"lac Lake shows a percentage Of recover
Velween 30 and so per cent. It Is pointe
" mat these arc not early cases. Stress /
wv upon this fact. Everything depends. 1
~e !ucgllent Of the experts. on this point c
~ eatmsnt Once the lungs have sui
,, Nv 700 great injury there Is no hope. TIL
III va IhF "a AfBa "