New-York tribune., 1902-02-20
NeED OF A NEW HOSPITAL.
.pnsBIPS OF THOSE SEPARATED
FROM FRIENDS WHEN SUFFERING
rRoM CONTAGIOUS DISEASES.

.;,5 ~ twelve the daughter Of an assistant
in 2 large institution Of this city, was
",.s, with scarlet fever and diphtheria about
s'- sal,s ago and after being removed to the
,ton Hospital sent to North Brother
"a II IS said that she has never been sep
80 from her mother before and that prob
o., che will not be discharged from the island
"a about six weeks have elapsed. With hos
-, fer the proper treatment of such cases in
ss div. it is said. the child would not have
- taken from her mother and placed among
strangers
=. account of the hospital conditions of this
-. q large number OF physicians have already
.-rressed themselves as being I'm favor Of the
,~asing Of a large public hospital on Manhattan
Ind for the treatment of contagious diseases.
n Everett Russell of No. 30 East Seventy
.,b-st. has written a letter TO Commissioner
1.asrle suggesting the building of hospital TO
:, tnown as The New Hospital for the Treat
u,ut # Contagious Diseases" The letter was
..,e,ed by Commissioner Lederle yesterday
Il says:
PERMIT me 10 call your attention to the very
-fscalse facilities which OBTAIN in the city ol
,,sSU-f0rk the treatment of conta gious dis
,ss5ifal for all contagious diseases. on North
smfher Island. two hospitals for the treatment
scarlet fever and diphtheria only, and one gcr-
-.T hospital for the temporary of patients
Fering with any OF the infectious diseases, en-
.i,sv cover the list. In my own practice. which
Z largely among children. have run across some
.,gT distressing cases, many Of which would have
zen avoided if New York had been equipped with
sT5rer hospital accommodations for contagious
yoT Jet sec what is likely to happen. in the
e-sst and wealthy city of New-York if patient.
sns-pox Suppose that this patient lives in an
sssTtnent house and is a child. The law requires
assth at once. The law also saws that this child
avs be removed to the Reception Hospital, and
sl,or nj
= frssed by strange physician, by an allopatnic
ytrsssn. regardless OF the preference Of his
ts.-ts as to school OF medicine and among
ernrers, without either home comforts even
ID date hospital methods. Can anything much
1rse than this be imagined in a civilized COM
a1Di1 u nv opinion all this should he changed. and
.sr he changed in a perfectly pra ctiCal manner |
,nIS have the city OF New-York build hospital
S5rtsgious Diseases I would have this hospital
Eated within the city limits. the river, some
That as Bellevue is situated: ] would erect a sep
Tte building for the treatment Of such conta gious
disease. ] think that each building should have
are free wards. as well as several private rooms
s0Ts at moderate cost. and others more elaborate
md necessarily. more expensive. Then would
sTow any registered physician. Of any school OF
medicine to place his patient I'm this hospital. and
also have stan of Nls''ing physicians, partiy
sHOpsthic and partly homeopathc). who would
assume charge Of the patient, where this arrange
allow person TO enter the hospital with him
4 desired, rs a hoarder or otherwise.
think that some such hospital this is alb
soutely required in New-York. and 7 believe that
4
cases Of contagious diseases, by removing more
than half the terror which is often inspired by
them.
According to a physician Of this city. many
cases. even more pathetic than that of the
child Of twelve. yearly reported or come to
The notice Of medical practitioners
There a very distressing case several
years ago said the physician. A child of ten
years, living in a boarding house, attacked
by the measles. The attending physician re-
parted the to the Board Of Health, and
6Hcisls Of the board had the child removed 10
The Reception Hospital. The mother a
widow and loved the little one much that
she would have readily consented 10 sacrifice
her own life to save that Of her child. They
were almost constantly together.
The child removed from the boarding
house there other children living there.
Il q question of their leaving the house
he sick child The latter was taken away.
and. after being in the Reception Hospital a
hort time, was removed 10 North Brother ISL
nd. Now. the saddest feature of the whole
ase was not the death Of the child on the
sland from a disease which is almost always
'ura bic, but that he died separated from his
mother and friends. Neither the mother nor
my Of the relatives or friends was permitted
% 60 10 the island with the sick child"