The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-02-25
Or. LEVI SETS his
DEPARTMENT RIGHT
Letters Relating TO tho Bragg
Maternity Home.
NOT PROPERLY CRITICISED
City Health Department Responsible
Only for the Sanitary and Health
Situation, Which IL Held to Have
Been Up to Ordinary Requirements

The city health oAicer. DR.. q. G.
Levy. feels that there has been some
Misunderstanding on the part OF the
public as to the connection OF his
department with the investigation re-
Gently made Of the Bragg Maternity
home.
The Investigation was carried on by
the state board of charities and cor
rections, and the home was ordered
closed after thirty days, whom revo-
cation OF Mrs. Braggs license was
ordered to take effect
DR.. Levy knew nothing of the in
vestigation. since all reports Of his
inspectors showed the sanitary con-
ditions of the place to comply with
prescribed standards. He had no Ju
risdiction over the moral condition Of
the place, and II was on this COM
plant that the homo was closed. DR..
Levy. criticised somewhat by the
press, he said, felt that such criti-
cism was undeserved. and proceeded
at once to gather certain public in
formation to show that all the duties
Of his ONCE In the matter had been
performed. The following is state
ment from DIR. Levy in regard to the
situation:
DIR. Levy's Statement.
There seems to be SO much mis-
understanding regarding the relations
Of the Richmond health department
to the present controversy regarding
the Maternity home, conducted by
Mrs. Bragg, that a very brief state
ment from me will perhaps make
clear a number OF matters which are
apparently not at all understood.
First. I wish to say that I have
up to this time given out no official
statement whatsoever. have talked
OVER q few points with the reporters
Of several Of our papers and with the
editor OF one, but these conversations
have not been correctly reported In
eyeY.v uetAil--not through wtlful mis-
renresent ation, but merely because I
gave out nothing to be printed YER
hatim.
.sThere are three distinct sets Of
charses regarding Maternity home.
al. That criminal acts have been
committed, such as covering up
deaths and taking the bodies of babies
away in suitcases. to be illegally dis
posed of.
-. That health rules have been
nagrantiy violated. and that these vfo-
latfons have been so serious as 10
demand closing the institution.
10, That those who are at the hea1
Of this institution are morally unh'
to conduct It.
$50 far as I know. the first set OF
charges. namely criminal acts, mas
not been substantiated. Every death
has heer reported TO us, and every
dead body turned over to a licensed
undertaken, with a burial permit from
this department In each instance
Our system Is such that IL would oe
vsrv yf,fFicult to hide any criminal act
of this kind.
through its officers and employees.
makes about 100000 inspections, o.
one kind or another. each year. rms
tn.nnction work reveals from time TO
tfvr. matters TO be corrected. whether
,v. are taking account OF dairies, ma
.ernity homes. or what nor.
oh,rx-t Il TO Correct Such SttuauoHs
.'Our object is always to see tnat
these matters are corrected, Cer'han
matters OF this kind have been tohno
at Maternity homo. and at every SIM
lar institution from time 10 uIne. anu
no one has been moro prompt or
,rore willing to correct anything
which 10 wrong than has the manage
men, OF Maternity home. Our inspec-
tor cannot. of course, say what may
have happened between visits, but at
No one OF her visits nor at any OF
mine have any conditions been found
OF such a nature as to require or 70
Justify the taking away OF the Incense
on tho score of insanitary conoitions
"Regarding the moral issues. this
n Altogether a matter for the state
hoard OF charities and corrections. A
representative from said hoard accom-
NAMES our head nurse when fnspec-
lions are made OF these institutions.
as a matter Of fact. there has
arisen an unfortunate confusion in the
minds Of the people. and apparently
in the minds OF the newspapers. 20
clear up this misunderstanding. ! am
herewith enclosing a copy OF COM
munication which addressed on yes
terday 10 DR.. J. r. Mastin. secretary
Of the state board Of charities and
corrections. and a copy OF his reply.
From these letters It must be evident
that the state board Of charities and
corrections took their action entirely
on moral grounds. Their resolutions
did not show this DR.. Mastin states
In the letter which follows that he Is
satisfied that the sanitary and health
conditions as found at Maternity home
during our recent Investigation were
OF themselves not such as would make
II advisable to close the institution"
lone final word. The force OF the
Richmond health department is not
half as large as II should be. It Is
a constant source OF anxiety to know
that with our present force It is i'm
possible 10 do the work which we
would like to do for the health Of
Richmond. Every appeal for In
crease in this force has thus far fall
ed. and It Ii no more possible for a
city department TO work with insult
cient support than II Is for private In
dividuals or corporations II those
who claim that horribly insanitary
conditions were found had furnished
us at any time with any proof Of this,
the matter would have received I'M
mediate attention. At no one Of our
inspections were such conditions
found. I have never stated. however
that nothing was ever found out Of
the way. but do state most emphnti-
cally that no sanitary violations were
found Of SUFFICIENT gravity to require
the taking away of the license. and
to repeat. the moral issues are not for
action by the health department., hut
BIZ the state board Of charities and
corrections. and. furthermore. it was
on the latter grounds entirely. as
shown by DR.. Mastin's letter, that the
state board OF charities and correc-
lions took its drastic action two days
ago"