The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-03-10
Twenty Sufferers From Phlhssis
Gain In Weight In Hospital.
SEGREGATION AND FOOD ARE
The Principal Factors 10 Their Treatment
Medicine Plays but a Small Part Sue
cess Means Larger Accommodations.

New York, March lO.-"Ail hope aban-
don, ye who enter here" need no longer
be the motto OF the phthisis sufferer con-
| demned 10 seek shelter In public insti-
| tuition. In his first report Homer Folks.
| commissioner Of Public charities. mem
| tions the Hospital and Home for Con-
| sumptive patients, which was opened by
Mr.. Folks on February 4, where the dis
ease is treated by segregation.
In the ward for incipient cases twenty /
OF the twenty-six patients have shown an
| average increase In weight OF more than
| four pounds i'm three weeks.
| This in the opinion of the commission
| err indicates that II the disease be treat
| ed in it's incpiency In the manner indi-
| Gated by nature sufficient strength Will
| be generated TO throw off the malady
| Separation OF those who are I'm the adj
| vanced stages of consumption from thoSe
| who have but recently manifested symp-
| toms of the disease is the basis OF the
treatment In the tuberculosis division OF
| the Metropolitan hospital on Blackwells
| Island. There they receive plenty of good
| food and exercise. They are free from
care and the worry and strain OF labor.
| There is little medical treatment
! To combination of these elements Mr..
Folks attributes the surprising success OF
! his plan for fighting the dread disease,
| whose recent increase in this city has
overtaxed the capacity OF the hospitals
that are willing to receive phthisis suf-
| ferers
| Optimistic indeed" said Commissioners
Folks yesterday in discussing his plans
| for the treatment OF tuberculosis patients,
| "have been the report that / have re-
! ceived each day from the physicians at
| the Metropolitan Hospital realize, OF
| course, that these observations. extend
- fAI - ...1.~ h.
may be fallacious, but Notwithstanding
| this my highest hope for the condition OF
our patients I'm the new hospital has been
| realized.
1 I'm the incipient ward, which Is sepa-
| rated from the rooms where the patients
| in whom the disease has reached advanc-
| ed stages are kept we have noted the
| greatest improvement. In this ward there
! were twenty-six patients on February =.
when prepared any report for the board
| OF aldermen.
"They were Of all ages and OF both
! sexes Twenty OF these patients had inn
proved since entering the hospital Their
| average increase in weight was 4 1882
pounds. Fever was less apparent and
there were fewer tuberculosis bacilli in
their systems. These results. If they do
I nothing more afford a rational ground
for hope that the disease may be arrested
and possibly cured, If treated I'm its in
cipient stage.
| MEDICINE NOT a FACTOR.
''six of the patients in this ward seem
TO have lost ground since entering the
! hospital. They show an average loss of
one and one-third prounds and the other
! symptoms OF the disease are more pro-
nounced since we have been treating
| them.
I'VE are working upon the theory that
| phthisis may be shaken from the system
| like other diseases If the invalid RECEIVERS
| strength and does not mngle with those
| who have fallen irreparably under the
ban OF this dread disease. Wholesome
| food I'm abundance is furnished. Those who
are able must take regular exercise. Little
| medicine is given. In the incipient ward
! are placed those who have been compell
ed TO give up work. but who have not de-
veloped the disease in virulent form.
| "NVhen | first took charge OF the De-
partment OF Charities | was convinced
| that phthisis patients In the city could
not be properly treated with the equip
! ment at our disposal There had been no
institution I'm the Charities Department
| where many OF the victims OF this disease
! could find more than temporary care.
"They were passed from hospital TO
hospital and from institution TO institu-
! ton. Ny purpose i'm founding the tuber-
culoss division OF the Metropolitan Hospi-
tai was therefore twofold. In the incip-
lent ward / wish to establish a system of
| treatment designed TO cure the patent Dy
a natural process
I'm the other wards wish those unfor-
tunates to be placed whose hope of hnal
recovery was slight ] wished 60 provide
a retreat for them where they might
| spcnd the remainder OF their days In rea-
sonable comfort. with adequate shelter
and care In these wards there are now
I15 inmates and we receive an approXi-
mate average Of six a day. There Is
ward i'm the Almshouse, too. where there
are 19O consumptive patients.
MORE WARDS FOR CoNsUMPT1vEs.
"As soon as IL Is feasible intend TO de-
vote several more wards I'm the Metropol-
itan Hospital 10 the use OF tuberculosls
patients The building / refer TO was for
merly occupied by the insane.
"To gather together all the phthisis
sufferers that should be under the city's
care supplies long felt need. and IL
! worked out 20 its logical end should fur-
nish the solution of the problem how 10
cone with that disease? IL IS without
doubt infectious. and one sufferer, living
I'm crowded quarters, struggling perhaps
! 10 support n family when he himself IS
slowly dying. Is a menace to others, and
Il Is ccrtxn death for him
"By collaborating with private charita-
ble institutions and organizations IL would
ne nossible for us 60 provide a home for
me sufferers, some comfort for the fami-
| lies that they often leave behind and, best
OF all "A cure. ! firmly believe. for those
who come TO us before the disease has
fastened its death fangs I'm their sys-
| TENS"
I'm his report 90 the board OF aldermen
| Commissioners Folks showed that ne had
| saved TO the department several thou-
! sand dollars in salaries.
In asking FOR additional engineers In
several of the institutions. and referring
to Tammanys administration, he said: II
find that the department has been violat-
ing both the letter and spirit of the law
requiring a licensed engineer TO De AT All
tiu,os I'm charge OF boiler plants" lie ask
ed for more money to engage competent
engineers and give them reasonable hours