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pital, in connection with the free bath house, has been of great benefit to persons using the free baths, as well as a great assistance in the management of the bath house. Considerable notoriety has for some time been attracted to the free bath house on account of the large number of persons in the advanced stages of syphilis and other horrible diseases bathing there. A morbid desire to see these people during the bath has obtained among visitors and others to an extent that has interfered with the management of the bath house and caused serious complaint from those using the baths. To correct this as far as possible it has been found necessary to deny admission to the bathing departments during bathing hours except upon written permission from the superintendent, and these permissions are restricted as nearly as possible to physicians, newspaper correspondents, and others in the pursuit of public or scientific knowledge. Bathing is suspended on Wednesday of each week at 12 o'clock noon and the house thrown open for public inspection, and is always visited by a large number of people on these days.

The repairs and additions to the house have consisted of three brick additions to allow two new bathing pools and outside stairway to reach the rooms of the free dispensary, complete new heating plant, new floors and partitions to form the bathing departments, partially new roof, new plastering, and general repairs to nearly all parts of the building, and entirely new painting, the aggregate cost of which has been $3,885.80. The house is now in a good state of repair and is being operated almost to its capacity.

The whole number of baths given during the year has been 147,713, the daily average for the time during which the house was open for bathing being 528, divided as follows: White men, 344; white women, 31; colored men, 117; colored women, 36.

The operating expense for the year, exclusive of the repairs, has been: Salary of manager..

Salary of male attendant

Salary of female attendant.

Salary of scavenger

Expense for fuel, light, and supplies

Total

Net cost per bath, 1.7 cents.

$1,020.00

660.00

360.00

120.00

336.70

2,496. 70

The house is operated under the personal supervision of the manager, whose time is constantly employed in receiving applications, issuing and punching tickets, and such other duties as are incident to handling a large crowd of people, while such matters of administration, as from time to time seem necessary have attention from the superintendent.

The following rules and regulations approved October 15, 1897, under which the house is at present being operated, seem to meet the requirements in this respect:

RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE FREE BATH HOUSE AT HOT SPRINGS, ARK.

These baths are provided and maintained for indigent persons only; neither the manager nor attendants are authorized to supply them to others.

The manager of the free bath house is required to enforce a strict observance of the following rules and regulations:

RULE 1. No baths will be supplied except on written applications made on blanks furnished at the office of the bath house, making full answers to the questions therein propounded, when, if the applicant is found to be indigent, the manager will issue a ticket good for 21 baths, which may be reissued on the same application, if

necessary.

RULE 2. Persons using the free baths are required to maintain quiet and orderly deportment while in or about the bath house; to abstain from the use of tobacco, either by chewing or smoking, while in the pool rooms or dressing rooms; not to scatter rags or paper on the floor, or to loiter in or about the building after bathing. RULE 3. The wanton exposure of person or entering any of the front rooms in a nude state, the use of lond, vulgar, or profane language, the use of rags, paper, soap, or any foreign substance in the pool rooms is positively prohibited.

All

RULE 4. Persons using these baths are not allowed to stand or sit on or in any way interfere with the water pipes or valves, or to stand on the chairs or benches. persons entering the house are required to clean their feet at the door and avoid as much as possible bringing dirt or mud on the floors. Boys over 5 years of age will not be allowed in the female department during bathing hours.

RULE 5. Any wanton or repeated violation of these rules, or any disorderly or contemptuous conduct, will subject the person so offending to suspension or expulsion, at the discretion of the superintendent of the reservation.

RULE 6. Neither the manager nor attendants shall be allowed to receive or become responsible for any valuables or to accept any fees or other remuneration for any service rendered to persons using the baths or others.

RULE 7. The manager is required to enforce all the foregoing rules and to maintain good order in and about the bath house, to see that all indigent persons applying are supplied with baths, and to make a written report to the superintendent each week on blank forms supplied for that purpose. He may reject any application for free baths if he has reason to believe the applicant has made false answers in his written application, and refer the same to the superintendent of the reservation

WM. J. LITTLE, Superintendent of the Hot Springs Reservation.

Approved.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
October 15, 1897.

CORNELIUS N. BLISS, Secretary.

FREE DISPENSARY.

By direction of the Secretary of the Interior the rocms in the second story of the free bath house, then occupied by the bath-house attendants, were vacated, suitably refitted, and placed at the disposal of Dr. H. O. Perley, surgeon in charge of the Army and Navy General Hospital, for use as a free dispensary. He assumed charge of them on May 1, 1898, since which time, except during the period while the building was undergoing repairs, the dispensary has been in constant operation.

Under Dr. Perley's direction a staff of physicians was organized, consisting of himself, Dr. J. Cabel Minor, U. S. A., Dr. Eugene C. Hay, Dr. Gaston A. Hebért, and Dr. Paul Turner Vaughan, and it has been with the assistance of these able physicians that the dispensary has since been successfully carried on. The organization being such as to allow some one of the number to be on duty during certain days and hours, which has allowed those seeking medical advice opportunity to find a dispensary physician on duty at almost any time. It is due to the gentlemen comprising the staff of this dispensary to say that their services have been honestly and faithfully given, not with any hope of pecuniary reward, but as their tender of charity to that portion of suffering humanity which so numerously finds its way to Hot Springs.

Year after year since the inception of the free bath house it has cured hundreds upon hundreds of helpless, indigent people and put them on the road to become again at least self-sustaining if not useful citizens. When the additional benefits to be derived from the free dispensary are joined to those of the free bath house the charity in this way extended to the indigent people becomes at once the greatest and most far-reaching of any charity in the United States, and one of which

the Government has great reason to be proud. The small store of medical supplies and medicines at the free dispensary are kept up by contributions from charitably disposed persons, benefit entertainments, and such other sources as can be commanded from time to time for this purpose. The actual operations of the dispensary are set forth in the annual report of Dr. H. O. Perley for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1899, which is herewith submitted:

ARMY AND NAVY GENERAL HOSPITAL,

Hot Springs, Ark., June 30, 1899.

SIR: I have the honor to make the following report upon the work done by the members of the staff of the Hot Springs Free Bath House Dispensary for the part of the fiscal year ended June 30, 1899.

The rooms, six in number, in the second story of the free bath house were put in good order, completely fitted up, and turned over by you to me on the 17th of December, 1898.

From that date to the present day one of the members of the dispensary staff has been in daily attendance to examine, vaccinate, and treat the poor who apply for free baths.

Under your orders none have been allowed to bathe before they had had a careful medical examination. The wisdom of the order is shown by the fact that 362 were found to be afflicted in such a way that the baths would be injurious to them and they were refused the permission to bathe.

Every patient was required to be vaccinated, and, altogether, 3,084 persons were either vaccinated or revaccinated. The virus used was the best that could be obtained in the market, and was furnished by the health officer of this city. The benefits to be derived from this compulsory vaccination, both to the city and the surrounding country, can not be overestimated. The wandering class of poor, both black and white, who seek Government aid here, come from all over the country. This class of people spread smallpox, and it is surprising to note how few of them have ever been vaccinated. Two cases of smallpox in its early stages were detected at the dispensary this year and turned over to the health authorities of the city. One thousand two hundred and thirty-one patients have been treated in the different departments, as follows:

General medicine and nervous diseases, under the charge of Drs. H. O. Perley, United States Army, and Gaston A. Hebert, 729 patients.

Diseases of women and children, under charge of Dr. J. Cabell Minor, United States Army, 83 patients, of whom 64 were discharged cured or greatly improved, 10 unimproved, and 9 were under treatment June 30, 1899.

Department of general surgery and diseases of the genitourinary organs, under the charge of Dr. Eugene C. Hay, 320 patients.

Department of the eye, car, nose, and throat, under the charge of Dr. Paul Turner Vaughn, 99 cases, divided as follows: Diseases of the eye, 32; diseases of the ear, 9: diseases of throat and nose 58. All of the above cases have been discharged cured or improved except 8 remaining under treatment.

One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine prescriptions have been compounded at the dispensary and given free to the patients. The contributions of our friends, both citizens and visitors, have been sufficient to pay all the necessary expenses and leave a small balance in our treasury.

In conclusion, on behalf of all the members of the staff of the dispensary, I desire to express their thanks to you for your unfailing courtesy and assistance on every occasion.

Very respectfully,

H. O. PERLEY,
Major and Surgeon, U. S. Army, President of the Dispensary Staff.

Col. WILLIAM J. LITTLE,
Supt. U. S. Reservation, Department of the Interior, Hot Springs, Ark.

HOT SPRINGS CREEK ARCH.

It is gratifying to be able to report that during the year but little damage from floods and freshets has accrued to the Hot Springs Creek arch. The repairs made heretofore have stood the test of some heavy volumes of water since they were put in, and I am encouraged to believe that the weak points have been located and repaired, and that hereafter but little care and expense will be necessary to keep the arch in good

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VIEW FROM NEAR OBSERVATORY POINT, HOT SPRINGS MOUNTAIN.

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