408 [Assembly 



Observe, further, the vast difference in the development of frame, 

 healthiness of countenance, and power of endurance, between the 

 children of the farmer, and the offspring of the city resident. 



A highly respected friend, a distinguished advocate, inlormed me, 

 lately, that some of his children had not had a day's illness during 

 the two years they had been at school in the country, while the 

 others, residing at home, though in a comparatively salubrious posi- 

 tion in the city, cost him from twenty to thirty dollars each, per 

 annum, for medicine and medical attendance. 



The following facts show, by figures, the sad condition in which 

 a very large number of our people may be said, barely to exist. 



As a great part of the population, of these places are destitute of 

 the means of paying for medical assistance, the duty of ministering 

 to them in hours of sickness, falls upon the Dispensary Physicians. 

 I find, upon examining the records of their labors, the reports o^ the 

 three medical charities, for the year ending March, 1844, there 

 were prescribed for at the offices and the homes of the poor, at the 



Northern Dispensary, 13,317 Patients, 

 Eastern " 17,107 



New-York " 23,858 



Total, 54,282 



From this number a deduction is to be made of thos3 vaccinated, 

 being 4,505. In visiting the sick poor at their homes, however, it 

 happens very frequently that some are prescribed for, whose rjames 

 are neglected to be entered, so that it is perfectly safe to estimate 

 the number of sick persons who received aid from these charities, 

 to be oi^er 50,000 in one year. In the corresponding year ther^ 

 were admitted into the Alms House Hospital 2,332 patients, and 

 into the City Hospital, about 1,000, exclusive of stamen, making a 

 total of over 53,000, without enumerating the sick poor attended by 

 private charity. 



This is truly an appalling statement. Those unacquainted with 

 the number and character of the poor, would scarcel) believe so 

 great a number actually existed in this city, destitute of means, and 

 there might arise an inclination to suspect an exaggeration of the 

 statements, were not the names and residences entered at length on 

 the registers. 



