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

Panoramic view over El Paso downtown

The picture is made from north of Downtown and shows El Paso ...

Sun Bowl parade 2008

The image shows participants of the Sun Bowl parade in 2008.

Downtown from Rim Road

The picture was taken from Rim Road in the 1980s. It shows the ...

El Paso County Courthouse

The picture displays the El Paso County Courthouse, which houses ...

Downtown from Golden Hill Terrace

The picture of Downtown El Paso was taken from Golden Hill ...

Lobby of Cortez Building

The picture shows the restored lobby of the Cortez building at ...

Carvings of Spaniards on Cortez Building

The picture shows parts of the decoration of the Cortez ...

Carvings on Cortez Building

These beautiful carvings, which can be seen on the Cortez ...

Hotel Cortez in 1976

The picture shows the Hotel Cortez in 1976. The building was ...

Statue "The Cavalryman"

The statue "The Cavalryman" is standing across Santa ...

Tiffany Dome in Camino Real Hotel

This 25-foot Tiffany glass dome graces the lobby of the Camino ...

Caples Building

The Caples Building at the corner San Antonio Street / Mesa ...

Unique Theatre

Unique Theatre - 111 South El Paso Street. At the time it ...

Mule Car

Mule car coming down the street.

El Paso Street

El Paso Street in 1882.

Franklin Elementary School

Franklin Elementary School - this building was torn down.

Rio Grande

Scenic view of the Rio Grande, exact location unknown.

Parade of US Army through Downtown

US Army troops parading through Pioneer Plaza with the Herald ...

San Antonio Street 1882

The image shows San Antonio Street in 1882.

Carriage used in Taft-Diaz meeting

This carriage was use in the Taft-Diaz meeting of 1909.

Tourist Bus to Mexico

Chalmers Motor Co. was at 114-116-118 N. Kansas.

The Mine and Smelter Co.

This was located at El Paso and San Francisco.

Bijou Theatre

The Bijou opened in 1905 as a venue for vaudeville and other ...

home.search_collection