The Topeka state journal., 1899-01-21
INFECTED HOUSES.
Proof Positive That a House Can Be
Infected With Consumption.

Infected With Consumption.
New York Jan. 21.-A report made in
Albany yesterday by special senate
commission relative to the spread of
consumption contains the astounding
statement that many dwellings in this
city, particularly cheap tenements, are
permanently infected with the germs of
tuberculosis.
A large part of the report is COM
posed of a statement by DR.. Arthur NJ.
Guerard, one of DR.. Herman NJ. Briggs
assistants in the meteorological 1abora-
tory of the local health department.
The figures and statements given by
DR.. Guerard relate to special inves-
tigation made by him in the most con-
gested and poorest sections of the city,
namely, the fourth and sixth wards
The figures given relate to deaths by
consumption in each dwelling in the
years 1894, 1895 and 1896 Accompanying
the statement were maps of the two
wards showing every building therein.
The structures in which such deaths
and those in which there have been no
tuberculosis in the three years in blue
ink. Black marks indicate the num-
ber of deaths in each dwelling.
In the fourth ward, with a popula-
tion of 1928, are 6S3 dwellings, an av-
erage of 27.6 persons in each house. In
24S out of the 663 dwellings consumption
was found, there being in the three
years 541 cases. The doctor says:
Five houses in which % cases have
been reported since 1898 have had SO
deaths from tuberculosis from 1888 to
1898, inclusive.
"Such houses would seem to be per-
manently infected and should be thor
oughly renovated from top to bottom,
or better, condemned and torn down.
They are old houses, in bad sanitary
condition, some of them rear tenements,
and densely packed with the poorest
and filthiest class of people, some of
them being used as cheap lodging
houses
In the sixtb ward the number of
houses in which tuberculosis occurred
was 239: number of cases in 1894, 157; in
1895, 127; in 1S96-97, 191; in three years,
465; average number per house, 1.94.
In a total of $50 dwellings, in the sixth
ward. with a population of %, 1897, or
1868 persons per house, 465 cases or O.72
per house for the whole ward, were re-
ported; there were "a cases per house
of the infected houses.
When the attention of DR.. Jenkins,
one of the health commission. was called
to the report, he said:
"Our statistics at the present time
show that there has been slight de-
crease in tuberculosis since 1885,
The records of deaths from tuberculo-
81; sixth ward, 81; deaths for the year
in entire city, 5,205. 1896, fourth ward.
81; sixth ward. 115; total for year for
entire city, 4, 994. 1897, fourth ward, 10Y;
sixth ward, 81: total for year for entire
city, 4,S43. 1898, fourth ward, 106; sixth
ward, 116. Total for year not yet COM
piled.
1t is believed by the health authori-
ties here that as a result of the senate
commissions report bill will be pre-
sented in the legislature providing for
the establishment of a state home for
consumptives in the Adirondacks.
An autopsy made yesterday on the
body of the man who died Sunday in
the hallway of the lodging house No.
SO Rowery showed that death was due
to tuberculosis.
The dead man is supposed to be
Charles F. Simmons, who formerly
lived with his family in Brooklyn. Sim
mons was a bookkeeper and had been
without work some time.