Warnings that the strides made in lowering death rates from tuberculosis should not be considered a triumph until continued efforts made it possible to gain as much control over that disease as is now had over typhoid and diphtheria were sounded by medical experts and laymen at the thirty-fourth annual meeting of the National Jewish Hospital at Denver yesterday at the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria.
Dr. Morris Fishbein, editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association, sounded the keynote of the meeting in a messageread to 300 guests from New York and other parts of the country, assembled to review the work of the institution, which is the oldest, free, national, non-sectarian sanatorium in the United States for the care and treatment of the tubercular poor.
Among the speakers who presented reports and delivered talks were: Dr. William S. Frienman, of Denver, President of the institution; Dr. Jonah B. Wise, rabbi of Central Synagogue, New York; Paul Felix Warburg, New York, treasurer; Justice Samuel D. Levy, of the Domestic Relations Court, chairman of the New York Committee; Edwin J. Schanfarber, president of the Jewish Welfare Federation of Columbus, Ohio; Mrs. Seraphine Pisko, of Denver, national secretary; Ben Altheimer, New York, national treasurer; Dr. I. D. Bronfin, of Denver, medical director; Dr. H. J. Corper, of Denver,, director of research; Ludwig Cogelstein, of New York; Dr. William Roseanau, of Baltimore; Berthold Flesher, of Denver, chairmain of the national finance committee; Alfred Benesch, president ofthe Cleveland Board of Education; Samuel Schaefer, of Denver, national supervisor, and A. M. Krensky, chairman of the Chicago committee.
Reports were also submitted by Herman Wile, of Buffalo; Max Freschl, Milwaukee; Dr. B. S. Pollak, Jersey City; Paul M. Rosenthal, New York; and Isidore Sobeloff, director of the New York office.
SPECIAL MESSAGES
Special messages to the meeting were read from United Stes Senator Edward P. Costigan and Governor Edward C. Johnson, of Colorado, both of whom described the institution’s work from personal observations. The B’nai B’rith, through its international president, Alfred M. {SPAN}Cohe#{/SPAN} of Cincinnati, and the Workmen’s Cirvle, through J. Baskin, secretary of its national executive committee, also addressed messages to the meeting.
Dr. Jonah B. Wise, as the principal speaker at the luncheon meeting, declared that the incidence of disease, as of taxation, is always downward. “The rich,” said Dr. Wise, “can defend themselves and the strong can find immunity. It is the business of society to recognize as a principle that the poor are defenseless, both physically and mentally, from the ravages of disease.”
Dr. Fishbein, in his message, declared: “I have watched with great interest the work of the National Jewish Hospital. Work that is being carried out in your hospital and particularly in the research department should be continued as representing one of the major sources in the battle against this widespread disease.”
WARBURG SPEAKS
Mr. Warburg declared that in the tremendous pressure that has been exerted on the public to contribute to municipal and semi-public agencies, through taxation, the public sould not overlook the private agency, which must depend entirely on private, individual support.
At the morning session. Dr. Friedman, in his presidential address, reported that more than 1,200 individuals were treated by the institution last year in the sanatorium and through the out-patients department and clinics.
Dr. Corper reviewed the work of the research department and declared that tuberculosis is still the gravest and most serious of communicable diseases prevalent in the world today.
Dr. Bronfin, in his report as medical director, declared that in spite of the fact that more than 67 percent of the adult patients admitted during the past year were far advanced, or “third stage” cases, 68 percent of all the patients were restored to health and economic independence, a proportion of successful returns far beyond a decade ago.
Mrs. Pisko, as national secretary, reported an operating deficit of $35,375 for the last fiscal year. The per capita cost for a day’s care for a patient was $3.13. Total expenditures were $338,252.
A feature of the luncheon session was the ovation accorded Ben Altheimer, eighty-three-year-old national treasurer of the institution.
A budget of $325,000 for the current year was set by the national executive committee at its meeting following the luncheon session. Paul Felix Warburg, New York treasurer, was elected as a national vice-president and Paul M. Rosenthal, of New York, was named ssistant national treasurer and a member of the national executive committee. Alfred A. Benesch, of Cleveland, also was elected as a vice-president and the following officers were relected: Louis D. Beaumont, honorary president; the Rev. Dr. William S. Friedman, president; Morton May, St. Louis: B. Flesher, Denver; Herman Wile, Buffalo; Harmon S. Auguste, New York, and Edwin J. Schanfarber, Columbus, vice-presidents; Ben Altheimer, New York, treasurer, and Mrs. S. Pisko, Denver, secretary.
The following were named to serve on the national executive committee: Ben Altheimer, New York; Harmon S. Auguste, New York; Alfred M. Cohen, Cincinnati; N. L. Dauby, Cleveland; B. Flesher, Denver; Max Freschl, Milwaukee; the Rev. Dr. W. S. Friedman, Denver; Sol S. Kiser, Indianapolis; Judg Sarnuel D. Levy, New York City; Morton May, St. Louis; Edwin J. Schanafarber, Columbus; Puaul Felix Warburg, New York: Herman wile, Buffalo, and William B. Woolner, Peoria.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
