The sun., 1904-12-19
FAVOR THE ISLAND HOSPITAL.
No DANGER TO CITY FROM con-
TAGIOIS DISEASES If BUILT.
Dr. Doty and Dr. Darlington Commend
Government serene TO Erect InstItu'
ton on ArtIfciai Island In Upper Hay
How II Would Beneiit Sick immigrants

'
The Government plan to build hospital
for dangerous contagious diseases, as
the Washington Immigration Bureau de-
scribed 1t Saturday, on an artificial island
to be raised in the upper bay, near Ellis
Island caused good deal OF comment
yesterday. Some little alarm was ex-
pressed at what TO many seemed to be the
creation of a pest corral right at the city's
front door.
DR.. Alvah Fl. Doty Health Officer OF the
Port, asked IL the establishment proposed
by the United States Government involved
any menace 10 the health OF New YORK.
Dr.. Doty wished it distinctly understood
tlat he had no official knowledge OF the
Government plans and that he only spoke
from general information and his own
personal investigation of the subject.
IT the newspaper despa atchee correctly
quote the Commissioner Of immigration in
describing the plant to be erected said
Dr. Doty, Il think the Commissioner made
Use Of an unfortunate expression in calling
1T a hospital for the reception Of dangerous
contagious diseases Such an expression
s calculated TO cause needless alarm.
As matter Of fact the hospital proposed
will not in the least be a source OF danger
to the health of the people of New York.
So far is that from being the case that
am confident that 1t will diminish the danger
from contagious diseases brought in by
immigrants.
Under the present arrangements imIni-
grapts suffering from contagious diseases
are cared for by the city. They are taken
through the city to the Willard Parker re-
ceiving hospital at the foot OF East Six
teenfh street. With the hospital erected
on an island to be raised close to Ellis Island
this transit through the city would be
avoitled. II there is any danger from such
transt to the health OF the people OF New
York, that danger would be eliminated.
Resides it would be vastly better for the pa
tients to avoid for them this long journey.
The plan proposed is one which have
long hoped to see carried out and which /
have urged with a good deal Of insistence.
1t is vastly better in every way that the
National Government should take care OF
the immigrants who get here either suffer-
ing from conta gious diseases or after they
have been exposed to them and must be
kept under surveillance until the interval
OF disease develorment has passed. 1t hap
pens very often thai steamers coming
from az far away. say as Naples, and have
been perhaps as long as two weeks at sea,
bring in dozen or more cases OF measles
and scarlet fever. They have developed
on the voyage. Other immigrants have
been exposed to them.
'under the proposed plan tho Sc whose
cases are still uncertain will be Ia ken to
hospital on the island that is to be
made close to Ellis Island and there kept
uhtil II Is known definitely whether they
have the contagious disease or not. II they
have not they may lie discharged and 60
at once to the city. If they have they will
20 into the proper hospital wards night
there and be cared for through their
sickness.
ait is an undduiable hardship to transport
all these cases, suspected and actual, away
OF to the foot of East Sixteenth street and
then to North Brother Island. In the
hospital the Government proposes to erect
the city and would not be subjected to the
danger to them, more or less, OF carrying
them hjther and thither while they are
sick and suffering. A hospital Of that kind
on an island made between Ellis Island
and the mainland would be no more dan
the people on the nearby Jersey shore
than are the contagious disease hospitals
on the island in the lower hay.
Il am not able to speak positively, for l
am without exact or official information,
but presume the smallpox cases would still
he handled by the city at North Brother
Island 1t is not, however, necessary that
they should be- l only think they might
he, and that the proposed hospital on the
proposed artificial island would be used
for the reception OF suspected or actual
cases Of measles, scarle fever and the
milder forms OF contagious diseases.
But, however that may be, the plan
proposed by the Government Is an admir-
able one. and l am heartily in favor OF IT,,
DIR. Thomas Darlington, president OF the
Board OF Health, was equally emphatic
in oommendation Of the scheme,
we have n contract with the United
States Government, he said under which
we care for immigrants arriving here with
contagious diseases. 1t is liberal con-
tract on the. part Of the United States Gov
patient we care for and the city as matter
4 fact, makes money by, doing the work,
But none the tess it is work we would
rnl,ch rather they Government itself did.
WE are not properly equipped 70 On hannie ~. II,
room we should have TO take care Of It, for
there is a great deal OF It.. IL does not fill
us up by any means and we do not want
tito. We want to be ready at all times
TO meet any epidemic emergency that
tnlRDJ occur IN Itle Glty VIC Iunt
always have leeway for that, and taking
care of the immigrant sick under our con-
tract with the Governfn enf does not always
leave us enough leeway OF that kind.
L have heard since last September OF
this proposed plan on the part Of the Gov
ernment and have been making. short
time contracts in consequence. 1t will
be a vast improvement over present con-
dtions when the plan is carried out.
l'There is not a particle Of danger from
it to the health Of the people OF New York
or those nearer by in New Jersey. The
wind would carry no infectious taint and
no taint OF the kind would get into the
water. No such taint gets into the water
around North Brother Island. Not sing
caAe OF infection hRs ever come from the
Willard Parker Hospital.
under modern conditions hospitals
where cases of contagious diseases are
cared for ara not centres of dissemination
Of those diseases. What happened at
the time Of the Siocum disaster was suffi-
cient demonstration OF that fact. Sur
vivors Of that disaster were actually clothed
in the disinfected and scalded garments
that had been worn by persons suffering
from contagious diseases. We carefully
kept track Of every instance Of that kind
and In not single case was disease con-
traoted. Nor did anybody contract disease
from the hospital nurees, who were sll
about in the crowd ministering to the sur
vivors. People lay on the grass all about
the hospital. There was not case Of
anybody contracting disease.
aUnder the present conditions OF swift
ocean transit il In inevitable that persons