City Document.-No. 11. 
OTI IB ® ® 
RAINSFORD ISLAND. 
In the Board of Aidermen, March 6, 1843. 
Read, laid on the table, and ordered to be printed 
for the use of the members of the City Council. 
Attest, S. F. McCleary, City Clerk. 2 
RAINSFORD ISLAND. 
[March, 
In the Board of Aidermen, February, 6, 1843. 
Ordered, That the Committee on External Health 
on the part of this Board together with such as the 
Common Council may join, be a Committee to con- 
sider and report on the expediency of removing the 
Hospital establishment from Rainsford Island to 
some other Island or place belonging to the City, 
and what measures it will be necessary to adopt in 
relation thereto. 
Sent down for concurrence. 
M. BRIMMER, Mayor. 
In Common Council, February Sth, 1843. 
Concurred; and Messrs. Hayden, Adams, John 
Snelling, Richardson and Cary are joined. 
EDWARD BLAKE, President. 1843.] 
CITY DOCUMENT.-No. 11. 
3 
In the Board of Aidermen, March 6, 1843. 
The joint Committee who were directed to con- 
sider and report on the expediency of removing the 
Hospital establishment from Rainsford Island to some 
other Island or place belonging to the City, have 
considered the subject and ask leave to report a 
statement of facts. 
The present Hospital establishment, on Rainsford 
Island, commenced in the year 1736, when the Island 
was purchased by the then Province for that use. 
In 1738, the Selectmen of Boston were authorized 
by the Legislature to appoint a keeper and fix the 
terms of his compensation, to be paid by the Prov- 
ince, the Island having been placed under their 
control. And this power has been always exercised 
by the Selectmen, and their successors, the Mayor 
and Aidermen, to the present time. The salary of the 
keeper, amounting to about one hundred dollars, and 
also all the expense of repairs on the buildings, &c. 
were paid by the State until the year 1841. All the 
other charges have been defrayed by the town. 
The expenses, thus borne by the town were; for 
the Physician, Boatmen, and an additional allowance 
to the Island keeper. The salary of the Physician, 
previous to the City Government, varied from six 
hundred to twelve hundred dollars a year; the wages 
of the Boatmen were about three hundred and fifty 
dollars; and the salary of the keeper was three hun- 
dred dollars. Since the City Government, the Phy- 
sician has received from one thousand to fourteen 4 
RAINSFORD ISLAND. 
[March, 
hundred dollars; which is the present salary; the 
Boatmen from five hundred, to nine hundred and 
sixty dollars; and the Keeper from three hundred 
and seventy to seven hundred dollars. 
In 1841 the duties of the Island Keeper and Boat- 
men were united, and their compensation reduced 
to twelve hundred dollars. 
By the Ordinance of 1842 the duties of the Phy- 
sician were, to some extent, altered; he being re- 
lieved from the obligation of residing on the Island, 
and assuming the duties of Physician to the Gaol. 
Uis salary continuing the same. The present ex- 
pense therefore of the Hospital establishment, may 
be considered as limited to the salary of the Island 
Keeper; which has been fixed by the Mayor and Ai- 
dermen at twelve hundred dollars; and the cost of 
repairs, which the State have refused to defray any 
longer. 
It will be at once obvious, that the present Hos- 
pital establishment is rather adapted to a state of 
things, which belonged to other times,-and which 
has now ceased to exist. The doctrine concerning 
contagion has been, within a few years, so entirely 
changed, that almost all quarantine regulations are 
now abandoned, and but little apprehension is felt of 
the diffusion of any epidemic disease to any consid- 
erable extent in the community ; and in consequence, 
the income which the City formerly derived, from 
vessels sent to the Island, and which for many years 
paid nearly all the expenses of the establishment, 
has now entirely ceased. It by no means follows 
however, that it would be at the present time either 
necessary or expedient to give up all provision on 
this subject. Public feeling and public necessity re- 1843.] 
CITY DOCUMENT.-No. 11. 
5 
quire, that there should be some establishment to 
which the sick may be in certain cases removed. 
Among a population so dense and crowded, as exists 
in many parts of this City, it is not only possible, but 
probable, that contagious disease may prevail to 
such an extent, that the necessary means of cure 
could not be employed, unless the patients were re- 
moved to some convenient establishment. And there 
must be some place also to which vessels arriving in 
a foul and infected state or having sick persons on 
board, can be sent for the purpose of being cleansed 
of of having their sick landed and taken care of. 
While therefore the Committee are of opinion that 
some place for this purpose is, at present, absolutely 
necessary ; they think that the expense should be re- 
duced as much as is practicable, below the amount 
now paid-and they are of opinion, that the most 
judicious mode of diminishing this expense and at 
the same time of maintaining a Hospital establish- 
ment, sufficient for the probable wants of the City, 
would be, to remove the same to some place more 
accessible than Hainsford Island, and belonging to 
the City. 
The Committee on the subject, the past year, 
were strongly in favor of occupying Deer Island for 
this purpose and reported to that effect. And in 
that opinion the present Committee are disposed to 
agree. Indeed it seems to be the only place belong- 
ing to the City which is at all adapted to this pur- 
pose. This Island is now under a lease for four 
years, two of which at four hundred dollars a year, 
are unexpired. Possession however can be obtain- 
ed of it, by the payment of an equivalent to the pre- 
sent lessees. The buildings, now on the Island, can 6 
RAINSFORD ISLAND. 
[March, 
be fitted up at a small cost; and the construction of 
a wharf, which will probably be found necessary, 
would not require a large expenditure, and would in- 
crease the value of the Island, for any use that may 
be made of it hereafter. If this plan should be 
adopted, the occupation of the Island, rent free, 
would be a sufficient compensation for the Keeper 
and Boatmen, and there would therefore be thus a 
saving to the City of at least eight hundred dollars 
from the present expense. 
In accordance with the foregoing views therefore, 
the Committee report the following orders. 
ABRAHAM T. LOWE, 
for Committee. 
Ordered, That the Committee on public lands be 
authorised, if they deem it expedient, to agree with 
the lessees of Deer Island, for the surrender of their 
lease of the same, and a release of all their right 
thereto, for the remainder of their term, provided 
hoivever, that the City shall not be obliged to pay 
more than two hundred dollars, as a consideration 
therefor. 
Ordered, That when the said lease shall be can- 
celled, the said Island shall be placed in charge of 
the Mayor and Aidermen, to be used for a Hospital 
establishment, for the City. And that the Mayor 
and Aidermen be authorised to contract with and 
employ some suitable person, to perform at the said 
Hospital establishment all the duties now performed 
by the Keeper of Rainsford Island, provided, that no 
other compensation shall be allowed to the said 
Keeper for his services, except the right to occupy 
and use the said Island in the same manner and on 1843.] 
CITY DOCUMENT.--No. 11. 
7 
the same conditions that the same is now occupied, 
without the payment of rent therefor. 
Ordered, That when the Keeper shall be appoint- 
ed as aforesaid, the said Deer Island shall be estab- 
lished as the place for the quarantine of vessels in 
the same manner as Rainsford Island has heretofore 
been established and used.