Evening journal., 1915-11-17
Grand JURY REPORT
ON HOPE FARM WORK
Delaware Anti tuberculosis
Society Explains Some Facts
in Connection Herewith
HOPE TO CARE
FOR MORE PATIENTS

me following letter was sent 10
the New Castle County Grand Jury
recently. Several members have gone
over II, and they have signifed their
willingness TO have IL printed, and IL
is therefore given to supplement and
explain the facts given in the grand
iury's report regarding Hope Farm:
W. Harold Smith.
Wilmington. Delaware.
My Dear Mr.. Smith
In reading the report of the Grand
Jury about Hope Farm, find that
you must have received erroneous in
formation on two points. and l am
sure you will be glad to know the
actual facts.
The report speaks OF Hope Farm
being maintained by the State Tu-
berculosis Commission and the Levy
Courts OF the different counties Only
the New Castle County Levy Court
has ever appropriated any money for
the board Of destitute consumptives
and they do not appropriate the full
amount OF board The city of Will
mington appropriates $4,000 annually
TO Hope Farm for the board OF desti-
tute city consumptives. The State
Commission also pays board in the
same manner. As you will see. none
OF these public bodies pay any money
TO Hope Farm, except the actual
board Of patients. and the other ex
penses OF maintenance have 70 be
met by the Delaware Anti-Tubercu-
losis Society. We have to raise each
year from $4,000 to $4,000 outside OF
this board money. The public appro
priations take care Of about thirty
patients the year round.
This leads to the other point as to
the number OF patients at Hope Farm.
You speak OF the fact that the build
ings there could accommodate more
patients. and should be thus utilized.
The directors OF Hope Farm believe
with you that there should be sixty
patients az Hope Farm instead Of
thirty but they had very bad expert
ence last year when they tried to
maitain forty-two. The Levy Court
being in financial difficulties. had TO
defer the payment of board money,
the tuberculosis commission was not
able to provide for all who wished
TO go and the city appropriation ran
out in six months time. leaving Hope
Farm confronted with heavy finan-
cial responsibility. The directors de-
cided in future to limit the number
to thirty. until they could be sure OF
board money for more patients.
We arc hoping, by the production
OF the opera OF THE Spring Maid"
and by our Christmas checks. 10 be
able to take more patients; but as
you will understand we could not
possibly shoulder the financial re-
/ sponsibility Of sixty patients. with
the board of only thirty provided for
out of public funds We do, how
ever, heartily agree with the con-
clusion OF the Grand Jury as TO the
/ desirability OF removing infectious
cases Of tuberculosis from the COM
munity. and keeping them segregated.
Such cases should not be allowed TO
return from Hope Farm az will. as
they do now Our society has been
looking into the law OF other States
for some acts on this subject, but we
find that other States have exactly
the same trouble. and no law has been
yet devised anywhere to meet it sue
cessfully. We are, however. work
ing in cooperation with The city
! physician and the Board OF Health,
and doing our best to induce all un-
cared-tor consumptives to stay at
Hope Farm. II Is hard phase Of our
work. as may be seen by the case
OF one patient who left Hope Farm
because he did not like the food and
insisted that he was starved. while at
the same time he gained eleven
| pounds IN two weeks az the Farm.
, lie returned home. and died there. a
, menace TO his home and To the
, neighborhood, yet. OF course. We
! could do nothing. Il rests with the
4 community the doctors and the fami-
Z lies. TO have the cases of tuberculosis
r sent TO Hope Farm and kent there
O We, on our side, have nut IN and
maintain well-equlpped institution
and are anxious to have IL used as
fully as possible, and We arc sure thai
each year will see a wider use Of n
\. as its value in removing infection.
= cases from city and State is recog
nized and as doctors and familie,
n learn that institutional care OF IN,
consumptive gives far larger chance
OF cure TO incipient cases, and insur
ance against infection in advance,
cases.
!. The work in Delaware Is only fev
], years old, and its educational yalu
:, is only that OF beginnings. In thor
II oughly educated community, tn
maintenance OF a tuberculosis hos
: pital will be ample. and its ward
[ filled.
We are glad TO have the Gran
Jury visit US. and thank you for tn
accuracy of the rest of your report
except as to these two points.
Very sincerely yours.
, Emily p. Bisseil
= President Delaware Anti-Tubercdlosi
Society.
Wilmington. Nov s, 1915.