The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-21
CIVILIZED HEALTH BOARD NOW
ONE OF FUSION CAMPAIGN RE-
MINDERS or TAMNANY.
That Bsrbaric Pest, the Smallpox. No
Longer stays Here. and THOUSANDS
OF Lives Yearly Have Been Saved
-COnsumptiOn Death Rate Reduced.

Campaipn literature from the Citizens
Union, which will 60 out to-day, deals with
the Health Department under Dr. Lederle
and under Tammany. The document con-
trasts the work Of an expert santarian
like DR.. Leiere with "the inefliciency
and corruption which prevailed under
the Tammany Commissioners, Michael {.
Murphy and John B. Sexton.'
This lively description Of DR.. Lederle's
discoveries is given:
Upon taking charge Of the Health Depart
ment Dr. Ledere found that for four years
IL had been Il refuge for the faithful OF TAM
many Hall rather than an instrument OF
government Politicians. looking lor JOBS
department building. and distributed cigar
stumps and tobacco juice upon the noGfsii
Clerks put down on the payrolls as hospital
helpers" ian exempt position) ana craving
good salaries were sitting around the cor
ridors smoking and gossiping, and some
of the employees would often stageer 10 anu
from their work in Il state OF lnt9Xlcatloh
For Old broken-down pclitSS as bs .ee
although thG hS th as
The slperannuated custodian spent ms
time in lounging about the corridors nov
and then acting as mts ;ar,tes and read
dime novels The number of supertiuouIs
employees was so great that the offices SCARCELY
suft1ced to hold them Gom M Tha man Who
had a pull" could do much as he pleased
without fear of dismissal, ,,. a.,
Dr. LederH On das fs9rced to- do be-
cause OF deficiency OF appropriation. nut Ia ne
took care to discharge. as "a, as posi- piss:
those who seemed to have niue mor I, 10 nn
in the sanitary bureau was abolished. ana
two other divisions were consolidated INTO
one. When the RECONSTRUCTION OF empi aSens
500, 900 had been saved to the city annually
In salaries alone.
SMALLPOX, the Union says, reached the
hiph-water mark in the autumn OF 1901,
under Tammany, but as result OF slO2eo
vaccinations in 1902, only forty four cases
have been reported this year and but trree
deaths.
A decrease in the number OF deaths from
consumption Is also credited to fusion.
The document says:
Out Of 70, 72O deaths in Greater New YORK
in 1901, s,l35 were due to consumption. No
strong measures were being taken to stamp
numbered s,l54. Under pr. Lederle in 1902
the deaths were reduced to 1859. death
rate of only 2.03 against 2so in 1901 and 2'3'
This reduction was, due to several causes
In 1902 the Health Department had reno reno,
waited three times ms many houses Whic I
been bee o renoy y in 1901. Rigid sanitary IN
spection and cleaner streets contributes 10
the result or direct measures now taken ,h,
spread of tuberculosis. the chief are; regis
tration of all cases. the issuance of instructions
to tuberculosis persons. the, prevention OF
shifting in public places and rigid system
az Pfffr umeatio o Of ali premises where a death
from tuberculosis has occurred or where q
tuberculosis patient has stayed, even to'
The dennrtment IL now planning In CO.
operation with the board Of trustees OF Belle
vue and allied hospitals municipal sani;
to be under the charge, Of the trustees o.. Of
Bellevue and allied hospitals, Although the
plan has not vet come formally before MN,
il. A dispensary for tuberculosis treatment
is now building next door to department
headquarters.
The article says that people who came
of North Brother Island during Tammany
control declared that it was worse than
the Black Hole Of Calcutta. II adds:
1t has been, evident for years that North S5 n
by the poor of this city. The rich VINO were
attacked by contagious disease, could be
properly isolated and treated at their homes
but the poor people were carted OIL TO Norm
Brother Island and there, according to popu,;
lar tradition. i'll treated, half starved and
neglected This tradition had the result OF
teaching the poor to conceal the presence
than run the risk OF having members Of their
families taken away TO the island since
Jan /. 1902, the department. has spared no
effort to eradicate this belief .
This has been done. first, by putting the
medical corps and superintendent, OF RIVER.
side Hospital into competent hands, so Unit
patients should have the best Of MEDICAL ~,
en1on food and ne general teabm, so ae
was installed in all the pnvilions. 80 that
friends of patients might have communcn-
ton with them AZ all times In cnse OF neces-
sty, or when 1t was felt that messages from
home nltsht help the progress OF the pat'eh'
toward recovery.
Visiting days We're also established for the
friends of patients. and the means Of com
munication with the island were improved
the limits Of safety from, conta gion. Nortt
Brother Island should not be as freely, yisltec
rs any other city institution. All this. ap'
pears rsi to have have had~@good effect, f9r patient:
have gone back to their friends and told then
that the commonly expressed fears regard
ing the treatment there prove, now to- h'
basaless The concealmcnt. Of contagious
cases has now almost entirely ceased.
OF the precautions spread over the sail
of food the article says:
Food condemned during the year amounted
to more than IL 10000 pounds, or consider
ably in excess of any previous record. Ih
condemned stuff consisted in good part o
unrpe or decayed fruit, sold on the Eas
Side. where it has long been noted that tn
natolv Of good articles and disease brnedin'
stun utterly unsuited for human food. Tn
privilege of selling il was n prolific source o
graft" under Tammany.
A death rate of 1915 in 1902 was a savin
of 500 lives, the report says. For 100
the death rate is likely to he IS.