The St. Louis Republic., 1903-10-25
J. s. Ward, Home From Abroad,
Says They Are Best in
the World.
SANITARlUMS FOR CHILDREN.
LOndOn's System of Public Baths
and Their Maintenance-FOr-
ty Institutions Valued
at 81 ,SS0,S0O.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL

! REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
New York. Oct 7i.-John Seeley Ward.
Jr. a member OF the Board OF Managers
/ Of the New York Association for I'M
I proving the Condition OF the Poor. has
| Just returned from Europe. where. during
the summer. he visited several hospitals
and sanitariums devoted to the treatment
and care OF tuberculous children.
The association meets soon and il will
take up the question OF the practIcability
OF building in this city a hospital eX-
clus!vely for tuberculous children.
Mr.. Ward collected full statistics OF the
institutions hs visited. and these. together
with a large number Of photographs
which he had taken Of the buildings
grounds. wards. and patients. will be pre-
sented.
Mr. Ward also i chairman of the De-
77rJment OF Public Baths in the associa-
tlon. and he made a complete study Of the
admirable London system. with view TO
Increasing the number and usefulness OF
the baths here.
The London system OF public-comfort
stations the number Of which In this city.
II. Ward thinks, IL very inadequate. also
claimed much OF his attention.
The Investigations OF the hospitals for
the treatment OF tuberculous diseases were
made in France. which Mr.. Ward says, is
in advance or all other countries In that
respect
An together in France" he said. there
are 4i43 beds Tor tuberCulous children. In
Paris every year there are about 1900
deaths from tuberculosis. Of which 2.U0o
are children In New York. while tho
total number OF deaths IL smaller, the
proportion = about ihs same Last year
there were $3.50 deaths. OF which l.lSi were
children There are now approximately
80" children ms tins city suffering from
some form Of the diseaseT and OF this
number 500 live in tenements"
Paris supports two hospitals for the care
OF tuDerCulOus children one j. at Beu'k-
sur-Mer. not fa- IrOm the CITY. and the
other al HendsyC. on the BAY OF Biscay.
near the Spanish border. Both ~ these are
primarily Tor the treatment OF tuberCIi-
losis Of the bones. as In France physicians
now generally believe that the sea air is
not beneficial To those suffering from lung
diseases No pulmonary cases are being
treated at Berck. but at Hendaye. on ac-
count OF its warm climate. there are a few
pulmonary patients.
BERCK HOSPITAL.
RerCk is one Of the best-knoWu Of
French hospitals. II was founded in 1851.
has grown up 10 cover a large amount Of
land. and contains 30 beds. all OF which
are now occupied A nominal charge IS
made. ana it costs for the support OF each
patient n DC. or about 45 cents !. day.
that includes lignt. neat. medicines, food.
wages. all inCiucntals and the Gust or
Transporting the children TO and from
PARIS The patients vary in age from
70 ID wears. and the average period OF
their stay - one year. although some are
there for three years An average OF
about = per cent are discharged as cured.
The most instructive hospital which Mr.
Ward visited. from the point OF view that
u could best serve as a model for a slmi-
lar institution here. was that at OTmesOn.
near Paris. n hospital for the treatment OF
children afflicted with pulmonary tuber-
cuiosis- Connected with Ormeson. which
ls solely Tor boys from ) to 10 years
Of age. Is a larger Institution at VllIer-
Sur-Marne for the cure OF boys from 10 to
- years Of age ana the hospital at Noisy
Tor girls. These three hospitals, whicn
are situated within 4 short distance OF
one another, are All FOR pulmonary tuber
culoSls. and are supported by the French
charitable organization known as LOeu-
vrc des Enfants TuberCuleux
OrnesOn Mr. Ward studied particularly,
becaus. he thinks that II Is Just the sort
Of tuberculosis children here. Tne buiId-
ings are effectively planned, the wards
bright, the plumbing and ventilation per
fert. There are Is beds. which makes u
possible for the head physician to visit
each patient every day.
Mr.. Ward IS OF the opinion that the
most desirable site for the proposed hos
pital would be at COuey Island. where the
association now supports 4 seaside home
FOR children A hospital modelled some
what on the lines OF Ormeson and con-
be built for $1,000. that amount TO in
clude also the cost OF the land
To exemplify the work done at these
hospitals u may be stated that at Or
meson In l9l2. Il patients left the hospital.
or these II were cured, p improved. re-
mained stationary. and died. At EIlier-
patients left in 1902 OF that number 81
were cured. 3S improved. remained sta
tIonary. 10 became worse and Z died.
PUBLIC-BATH SYSTEM.
While in London Mr.. Ward devoted |
much OF his time 20 an examination oi
the system Of public baths. In that re- /
spect.' he said, i don't know that we |
can ever hope 60 equal London" Be |
sides being places where one can battle, |
they are places OF amusement aud recre- !
alton. London. for purposes OF govern !
ment. is divided into twenty-eight bor-
Oughs. and Il IS the business OF each bOr- /
Ough 10 provide It's public baths
There are forty pubic baths IN London, i
and almost without exception they are i
handsome and substantial buildings. the 1
one at Lambeth. for Instance. representing I
an investment Of $1,000. The Prince Of 1
Wales Road Bath in ST Pancreas. the 4
are scarcely less costly. These, and with 4
very few exceptions all the other baths, i
have = large swimming pool where swim 1
ming Is taught and where races are held Il
periodicals.. An admission Of Sd II charged Il
TO witness the races. and Mr. Ward said L
that on one occasion when he happened TO
crop AlAN one OF AutHN NAAAuAAAuLc AAAo
building was crowded
The value OF all the london public
baths. including the sites and buildings, is
s. 81. 500. They are supported In part by
nominal fees which are charged. Some OF
the newer ones are equipped with rooms
where women. who have not sufhcient
room at home. can wash clothes
In this city there Is one public bath on
RiviugtOn street. which Is open all the
year round. and two others are nearing
completion. and S5fs010 has been appro-
prfated with which TO build six more. and
sites for four OF them have been selected
About Te5l0fO persons made use OF the Riv-
ington street baths last year. The As
sociation for Improving the Condition OF
the Poor some time ago received gift
from Mrs. a Anderson. Which Is being
Fast Thirty-eIghth street. between First
and Second avenues. The building Is
nearly completed. and the association eE-
poets that II viii be a model TO show what
can be done in that line