New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-04
NEEDS MORE HOSPITAL BEDS
Charity Society Handicapped IN
FIGHT Against tuberculosis.

Frank Fl. Mann. Of the Charity Organi-
cation Societys committee on the proven
ton OF tuberculosis, Is working nara 10 ee'
the city TO have as many hospital peds lot
the care of tubercular patients as the COM
mittee thinks necessary for the safety ol
the public. Not only the insufficient num-
her Of consumptives accommodated at
present but the spasmodc system OF hos
pltal treatment is regarded by Mr. Mann
as a tremendous waste of much OF the
! work that is done.
In talking to a reporter Of The Tribune
Mr.. Mann said:
II is a wretched situation. According 70
the health record, we have 30,nc persons
suffering from tuberculosis In tornl uha a.
can be recognized and the vast majority oi
these live i'm tenement houses every oy-
ing consumptive is dangerous. he is 700
weak to take care of himself and nine OUT
Of ten have nobody to take proper care OF
them All that die in the tenements ought
TO die i'm hospitals and ought TO be there
anywhere from six months to year De-
forehand.
In reply TO the reporters question as 70
who would pay for such an extended nos
pltal service Mr. Mann said
It's the city's Job. Consumption is a
communicable disease aud has teen recoB
nized as such by the Health Department
aLd the laws of tie state. To meet Tue
and we need seven thousand. without
question. This committee mas stJdied the
whole subject and made that estimate;
In 1911 nearly twelve thousand pauents
were treated in these 2,6i5 beds, and the
average length Of a patents stay In the
hospital was less than three months; not
luLg enough to cure him or prevent ms
spreading the disease. Thus the hospital
check upon contagion. The hospitals were
used as lodging houses almost. Approx,
mately six thousand Of the cases treated
might be called Homeless. Now, let me tell
/ fy In that way persons who give false ad-
| dresses; those who live IN furnished
rooms or lodging houses and those who
give no address and say they are home
| Tess. All these are homeless consumptives.
They go to the hospital only when they
want 10. man comes in off the BoWery,
goes to the Metropolitan, stays two or
/ three weeks or month, perhaps, feels
better and says no wants to go out. No
! body tries to stop him. He goes out,
coughs. splits on the street and In the
street cars, II he can AFFORD q nickel to
ride. He infects the bed OF the lodging
house and the chances are another man
has that bed the next night, or he goes TO
see his friends in tenement and carries
contagion there.
We can never prevent consumption until
we get adequate hospital control We
must he able 10 insist upon the patient 3
staying ia the hospital as long as he Is
dangerous.
The city last year gave money to provide
for 1850 more beds, and these are now
under construction. We ought 10 get them
within a year. This will leave us still In
need OF three thousand beds. and the city
should put W the money for them as
quickly IS possible The Health Depart
! ment this year is asking FOR more hos
pitfalls and hospital beds. They want new
| institution located about thirty miles from
tie city where they will take patients OF
, the hospital type not exclusively sana-
forum patients