St. Luke's Hospital - El Paso, Texas

St. Luke's Hospital - El Paso, Texas

The image shows the St. Luke's Hospital in the 1900s. It was one of the first hospitals in town which treated tuberculosis patients. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, tuberculosis spread rapidly in the United States. Throughout most of the 19th century, pulmonary tuberculosis was thought to be a hereditary disease aggravated by humid air, damp soil, lack of exercise, inadequate diet, and overcrowded and poorly ventilated housing. However, in 1882, German physician Robert Koch described the rod-shaped organism called the tubercle bacillus that causes tuberculosis. The microscopic bacteria were impossible to destroy unless exposed to heat or light. Since most infections came from people with pulmonary TB, such people needed to be isolated to check the spread of the disease. The Southwest, including El Paso, was considered ideal for the treatment of TB because of its dry, warm climate. It attracted TB patients from all over the country. The completion of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1881 encouraged tuberculars to come west. Early care of TB patients consisted of sitting in parks to absorb the sun and convalescence in private homes. This method was ineffective and many people died. The migration of infected persons in search of a climatic cure created a major public health problem for sections of the Southwest from the late 1890s through the 1920s. During this period, many sanatoriums and hospitals opened to treat tuberculars and this deadly disease helped establish El Paso as a health center. Dr. J. Shelton Hoseley opened St. Luke's Hospital at 199 Missouri Street in El Paso, Texas in 1900. He sold it to Dr. Charles B. Hanson in 1903 and then founded another large hospital treating mainly TB patients.

Area: Central / Downtown

Source: El Paso County Medical Society

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History

Comments

Add a comment
Thank you for your comment

Report this entry

Choose the most important reason for this report

Your name

Your email address

Optional detail

Thank you for your report

More from the same community-collection

Christmas 2015

Working on display!!

Christmas 2015

Posing for pictures!!!

Christmas 2015

Working lights for the trees.

Christmas 2015

selfie!!!

Christmas 2015

Mike and his friend!

Christmas 2015

Securing the base.

Christmas 2015

Working on one of the kings.

Celebration of Lights - 2015

Celebration of Lights - 2015. This picture was taken inside the ...

Celebration of Lights - 2015

Celebration of Lights - 2015 - a boy takes a photograph with ...

Celebration of Lights - 2015

Celebration of Lights - 2015 - Mother and baby takes a picture ...

Celebration of Lights - 2015

Celebration of Lights - 2015 - Mother and baby takes a ...

Celebration of Lights - 2015

Celebration of Lights - 2015 - Taking a photograph with DIGIE ...

Celebration of Lights - 2015

Celebration of Lights - 2015- Taking time to take a photograph ...

Celebration of Lights - 2015

Celebration of Lights - 2015. A young boy takes a picture with ...

Celebration of Lights - 2015

A couple takes a picture with DIGIE during the Celebration of ...

Celebration of Lights - 2015

Celebration of Lights - 2015 - a couple takes a picture with ...

Celebration of Lights - 2015

Celebration of Lights - 2015 - family takes a photograph with ...

Christmas 2015

Checking the lights and checking them twice!!

Christmas 2015

Working on the lights.

Christmas 2015

Taking shape!!

Christmas 2015

In the bucket truck to decorate the trees.

Christmas 2015

Hanging the lights on the tree.

Christmas 2015

Ysleta Mission Ysleta Mission was part of Christmas display ...

home.search_collection