The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-17
POOR ILL CARED FOR HERE, SAYS HEALTH EXPERT Planning Public Welfare De- partment Where No Ques-
 tiOns Will Be Asked. MONEY READY FOR
 GETTING A START Criticises System of Inquisi- tion Applicants For
 Treatment Suffer.

ment and medical advice for the poor, city hospital where it will be assumed l that the applicant is honest, will be afforded in Bridgeport if the plans of Dr. Abraham Sophian are carried out
 "The poor have no place to go in Bridgeport" said Dr. Sophian this l morning, "it is the duty of the city
 to provide for them"
 In discussing his plans Dr. Sophian criticised the system of inquisition | that is in use at the emergency hos p1tal in this city, where the entire
 history and business of an applicant
 is drawn from him before treatment
 will be given, even in urgent cases. l At the same time, he declared that
 the charities departments name
 should be changed, because IL IS not
 charity to care for the poor. He de-
 clared that the health and charities
 department should be merged into a
 public welfare department, the duty
 of which would be to afford medical
 and other aid to those who can't af- i ford to pay for it or can afford to
 pay little.
 I l of The Farmer that Bridgeport should
 apply itself to lessening the infant l mortality by an intelligent expendi-
 ture of funds now used in more or
 less efficient manner
 The poor of Bridgeport have no l place to go," said pr. Sophian | Bridgeport should have supplied
 adequate facilities for them long ago n, Fn now. and you believe me, when the tplans are carried out, the infant mor- tality here will drop like shot. That ies.
 partment. The name conveys a false
 impression. There should be pub-
 lie welfare department, combining the functions of the two.
 'The people of Bridgeport had
 raised s75,000 to be expended on clin-
 ics. Whether or not this will be
 enough. don't know, but I do know
 that if it isn't. and the need of the
 changes is sufficiently understood, the people will not hesitate to give more These clinics should be established
 in central structure, containing the
 public welfare department. In charge
 will be man who understands the
 meteorological treatment, skin disease l treatment and veneral disease treat
 ment. The physicians will be men
 who are thoroughly proficient. They 1 will be the best men obtainable, who
 will serve the city without pay. l IWhen they are established, the
 clinics will make the infant mortality 1 rate drop. For instance. now, the child of poor parents when taken ill I with diarrhoea often gets no treatment | because the parents are too poor to
 get doctor. They wait until the child | is in the last stages, then they have l to get physician or let the child die. | With the clinics available, where
 the poor will be welcomed, where no
 questions will be asked, treatment
 will be given while the illness is cura-
 ble. It is perfectly easy then: You will find the infant mortality will de- | cline greatly.
 It will be the same with tubercu1o- sis. Every person who applies at the city dispensary for treatment or medi- cine will be examined and his case will be followed up later at the home Thus, if there is an incipient case of | tuberculosis, it will be checked. Pre- ventative measures, not curative, are | the solution of the mortality problem. "It will be the same with skin di- seases and venereal diseases. There
 is no proper city aid for sufferers with l these ailments now. Ignorance is re- sponsible for a large majority of the
 cases. Education is the solution. This may be supplied at the clinics. "1 am not in sympathy with the system of inquisition in public well fare departments.' It should be as- sumed that all who ask for treatment or advice are honest. As ruie, amy way, those who can afford private treatment will seek 1t.
 There is no doubt that Bridgeport will get these things The money for giving the start is ready. Private per- sons who thoroughly understand the need of them have volunteered to SUD- ply the money that will be needed for, the. study of the best institutions in the country. and hiring the best ar- chitect obtainable.
 "Now is the time to put health mat ters on an efficient basis.'
 No new cases were reported today. Quarantines were released at 32i Lenox avenue, 82 Poplar street and 109O O1den street