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.

Área: Central / Downtown

Fuente: El Paso County Medical Society

Cargado por: El Paso Museum of History

Comentarios

Hacer un comentario
Gracias por su comentario

Reportar esta entrada

Elige la razón más importante para este reporte

Tu nombre

Tu correo electrónico

Detalle opcional

Gracias por su reporte

Más sobre la misma comunidad-colección

Spray Parks Open wide.

Hood Concierge Services

"It's A Living" Painting at Chalk the Block

"It's A Living" Painting at Chalk the Block

Squonk Opera Performing at Chalk the Blick

Squonk Opera Performing at Chalk the Blick

Homage to the Sun City

My father took this picture a couple of years ago, and it shows ...

El Paso Youth Symphony Orchestra 2015

The last concert of the season for El Paso Youth Symphony ...

Navidad en la Plaza de San Jacinto durante Covid

This year was a different type of Christmas where pictures were ...

George Ernest Trost

-El Paso Herald- "El Paso Claims World's Youngest Mason with ...

Strike a poseee

For the grammmm

For the grraammm

Adventures

Oscar Thomas Bassett

Oscar Thomas Bassett affectionately referred to as “O.T.” ...

A CITY IS BORN

A CITY IS BORN “On this site, with the butterfield stages ...

Jefferson W. Hall

Jefferson W. Hall was born in Greenville, South Carolina, in ...

William T. Smith

William T. Smith “Uncle Billy” was born in Kentucky on April ...

JLEP There's Snow Place Like A Christmas Fair 2020 Goes Virtual!

The 2020 A Christmas Fair committee would like to thank everyone ...

Historias: Pride Edition - Virtual Exhibition

Historias: Stories of El Paso - Pride Edition ...

Historias: Pride Edition - Virtual Exhibition

Historias: Stories of El Paso - Pride Edition ...

Historias: Pride Edition - Virtual Exhibition

Historias: Stories of El Paso - Pride Edition ...

Historias: Pride Edition - Virtual Exhibition

Historias: Stories of El Paso - Pride Edition ...

Historias: Pride Edition - Virtual Exhibition

Historias: Stories of El Paso - Pride Edition ...

Historias: Pride Edition - Virtual Exhibition

Historias: Stories of El Paso - Pride Edition ...

Historias: Pride Edition - Virtual Exhibition

Historias: Stories of El Paso - Pride Edition ...

Historias: Pride Edition - Virtual Exhibition

Historias: Stories of El Paso - Pride Edition ...

Historias: Pride Edition - Virtual Exhibition

Historias: Stories of El Paso - Pride Edition ...

home.search_collection