74o THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



they need help, and thus teaching them to become careless about 

 avoiding sickness ? 



It would be more creditable to the citizens of New York if they 

 could say that no such institution as a pauper hospital was needed 

 within the limits of the city than to be able to say that two hundred 

 established charitable institutions and organizations are maintained ; 

 and instead of so many millions being spent in caring for the sick, 

 would it not be better if the same money, or perhaps only a small 

 part of it, were spent iu carrying out sanitary works, and teaching 

 the peoj)le the laws of health ? 



Suppose, during the prevalence of a contagious epidemic, the au- 

 thorities should content themselves with providing for those infected, 

 and neglect to take the necessary steps to remove the cause of the 

 disease by doing all that sanitary science indicated they would soon 

 be called to account for neglect of duty. It is a well-known fact 

 that the great majority of the cases of disease treated in our hospitals 

 are induced by the bad sanitary condition of the homes of the poor, 

 and to the direct violation, through ignorance, of the plainest hygienic 

 laws ; yet what direct steps are taken to correct this constantly-acting 

 cause of sickness? The Health Department of New York City is 

 expected to do little else than prevent epidemics of contagious and 

 infectious diseases. The meagre appropriation prevents them from 

 doing much - more. 



This statement concerning the charities of New York City cannot 

 be called a fair example of the condition of the hospitals and other 

 charities in smaller places, but it shows very plainly and truthfully 

 the prevailing faults in the administration of charities throughout the 

 country ; and if the condition and results of the charities of smaller 

 places are not so bad, it is due to local circumstances, and not to a 

 better understanding of the subject, nor to the adoption of a more 

 enlightened system. 



The circumstances are very much in favor of the smaller cities and 

 towns. Leaving out the many well-known causes that tend to gen- 

 erate pauperism, and thus increase the relative number of paupers in 

 a large city that do not exist in towns or small cities, the main reason 

 that charity does not do so much harm in the latter is, that the cir- 

 cumstances and the character of every one are well known to the peo- 

 ple, and this personal knowledge guides and directs the givers of 

 charity; whereas in the large cities it is seldom that the giver of 

 charity know r s to whom he is giving, and personal knowledge rarely 

 exists at all. The difference between the lives of the rich and the 

 poor is so great that the rich cannot comprehend the real needs of 

 the poor. Unless these personal relations exist between those that 

 give and those that receive, no act of generosity deserves the name 

 of that charity which "blesscth twice," for gratitude is not devel- 

 oped iu those receiving help. They give nothing in return for what 



