Johns Hopkins Professor Lauds Work of Jewish Consumptive Relief Society

(Jewishd Daily Bulletin)

Prof. Allan K. Krause of Johns Hopkins University, recognized authority on tuberculosis, praised the pioneering work of the Jewish Consumptive Relief Society of Denyer at the twenty-third annual convention of the Society here yesterday, attended by 300 delegates, representing contributors throughout the country. He declared that the sanitarium made an invaluable contribution to anti-tuberculosis work by admitting advanced cases, thus proving that the far advanced case is not necessarily doomed to death. Prof. Krause declared that the Jews. because of their adaptability resulting from persecutions through the ages, make the best tuberculosis patients, and death rate from tuberculosis on the lower east side is less than half the rate in other parts of New York City. He called upon the delegates to turn their resources now to fighting the most important problem, that of preventing relapses in cases dismissed from sanitarium as cured, stating that the tuberculosis death rate can be cut two, three or four times if can be cut two, three or four times if relapses are eliminated.

Reports submitted at the morning session showed the progress during the past year in building the institution and expanding its facilities.

The million-dollar building program that will increase the Sanitorium’s capacity from 300 to 400 patients was described by H. J. Schwartz, chairman of the Building Committee. Mr. Schwartz announced that during the year the building program had been initiated with the completion of a synagogue, the industrial building, a dairy barn and silo, while construction of the $350,000 Women’s Palestine, which would house 100 women patients, had been started. This pavilion, marking a notable advance in tuberculosis treatment, was made possible by Texas Jewry, David H. Krohn, chairman of the House Committee, also reported on the need for enlarged quarters.

President Hillkowitz, in his annual report, told of the work of the Sanatorium in providing employment to patients in rehabilitation work. He emphasized the importance of manual labor in treating tuberculosis. He announced that a branch Sanatorium would be built in Goshen, New York, to provide for many New York patients, as over 80 percent of the Sanatorium’s patients come from Greater New York. Scientific farming is to be taught to the patients as part of the rehabilitation program.

Rabbi Nathan Krass and Dr. C. D. Spivak, secretary of the Society, spoke at the banquet in the evening.

Dr. Spivak reviewed the history of the Jewish Consumptives’ Relief Society during the twenty-three years of its existence. During the course of his address he severely criticized the many private tuberculosis saniatoria which refuse to admit any but incipient cases. Emphasizing that since the first day it was opened, the Jewish Consumptives’ Relief Society has admitted all patients to its Sanatorium, no matter how far advanced the disease might be, he declared:

“From a humanitarian standpoint the person who suffers the most should receive the first aid. From the hygienic and scientific standpoint, the advanced case of tuberculosis is the greatest menace to the community because this case spreads the disease more easily than the incipient case. It is simply a matter of self-protection for the healthy that advance cases be isolated as soon as they are discovered.

“But many private sanatoria are much more interested in maintaining a record of low mortality. Therefore they cold-bloodedly refuse admittance to all but incipient cases, permitting the more serious cases to shift for themselves.

“The Jewish Consumptives’ Relief Society was founded on the principle that even the hopeless patient has a chance. We were the first and are now one of the few sanatoria that take in all cases. Our record of course proves that we were right. When we showed that even the most advanced cases have a chance for life we made one of the most important contributions to antituberculosis work.”

Dr. A. S. Taussig, chairman of the Medical Advisory Board, in his report, describes the medical activities of the Sanatorium during the past year. The report of Dr. G. Ehrenburg, acting medical director, showed the success of the Sanatorium in treating advanced cases as Dr. Spivak had pointed out. Dr. Ehrenburg reported that 279 new patients were admitted last year of whom 208 or 746 percent were suffering from advanced stages of tuberculosis. Many of these had been refused advance by other sanatoria because little hope was held out for their relief. Of 233 patients discharged during the year a majority were of the socalled hopeless stage. Of this number 186 showed marked improvement, 42 remained the same and but 5 were worse.

Dr. Ehrenburg also reported that in its rehabilitation work, the Sanatorium employed in its various departments 82 ex-patients, while 65 patients were employed in the Industrial Department– the bookbindery and printing shop– where they earned almost $2,300, while they learned new trades.

Reports showed that although the Sanatorium admits all cases, deaths fell from 65 two years ago to 55 in 1926. The financial reports stressed the need for more funds and showed receipts of $650,000 for 1926.

Louis Gross, representing the patients, brought greetings from the Sanatorium.