Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 9.djvu/677

 A MODEL MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENT 653

their sick children have been moved, for the present adminis- tration requires that whenever a patient is removed to any of these hospitals there shall be left with the family an official blank giving the location of the hospital and its telephone num- ber. Frequent telegrams from the hospitals are always delivered now, free of charge in the case of poor parents. Formerly the patients or family were often left in entire ignorance of the most serious changes in the condition of their sick children. Since 1902, also, ambulance service has been established in all the boroughs of the city, instead of in Manhattan and Brooklyn only. Finally, the Health Department has notified the commissioner of immigration that as soon as the United States government pro- vides its own hospital the city will cease to burden itself every year with hundreds of alien patients.

No improvements effected by Commissioner Lederle's depart- ment are worthy of more earnest commendation than those in the hospital service. Those citizens who were afflicted with con- tagious diseases during the previous years have already borne witness to the crying need for reform, and no one who has heard the commissioner himself describe the awful conditions that for- merly prevailed, and has seen with his own eyes the good work which has been done during the past year, can for one moment doubt the reality of the reform.

IV. THE DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY.

Under this division is the chemical laboratory for the analysis of foods, water, and drugs, all under the direction of a chief chemist, and an assistant chief chemist and other employees, chosen by the board from the classified list of the Civil Service Commission. The quarters of the laboratory are somewhat cramped, but it has an excellent equipment, and appears to be doing first-rate work.

Regular weekly analyses of the Croton water are made and published in the general weekly report of the department. The artesian wells, and other sources of water supply in the suburban districts of Richmond and the Bronx, are tested about once a month. A weekly test is also made of the Ridgwood water used in Brooklyn.