THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, June 23, 1944
Page Nineteen
Jewish Gifts to Medicine
(Continued From Page 6)
ing contribution to chest surg-
ery in 1910, when he perform-
ed the first thoracotomy for
abscess of the lung, using his
intratracheal insufflation ane-
sthesia administered by an-
other member of the staff.
The early discovery of the
citrate method of transfusions,
now world-wide in its use. This
fundamental discovery is the
basis for the modern techni-
que of blood transfusion. It also
made possible the storage of
'whole blood and the introduc-
tion at the Hospital of the
first blood bank in New York
City.
The 'Schick Test'
The original • observations
which led' to the discovery of
the "Schick Test" for diphth-
eria were made abroad, but for
the past 24 years, modifica-
tion and further development
of this and other irninunologi-
cal tests have been carried out
at the Mount Sinai Hospital
by the discoverer.
Part of the preliminary clin-
ical testing in the field of
chemotherapy, which* led to
the general acceptance by the
medical profession of sulfanil-
ain?de and its deratives as very
important" drugs in many in-
fections, a life-saving discov-
ery, took place at this Hospital.
The five-day treatment of
syphilis by the intravenous
slow-drip method. Many Fed-
eral, State and Municipal pub-
lic health workers and syphit:.
ologists now accepted the prin-
ciple of concentrated short-
term treatment, which has
opened a new vista in social
hygiene.
Treat Chronic Cases
"Chronic disease is by far the
most extensive single public
health problem today. In many
instances it involves the patient
in a long-term struggle, with de-
vastating social and economic
consequences. The prevalence of
chronic disease, particularly in
this day when the span of man's
years is 61, is a greater threat
to the achievements of ciViliza-
tion than any other influence of
which we are aware.
"There is only one well-estab
lished and fully equipped hospi-
tal for chronic diseases in the
philanthropic classification of
which we have any knowledge,
and that is Montefiore Hospital
for Chronic Diseases, which is
considered a • model of its kind,
unique among charitable enter-
prises, and the pacemaker for all
such efforts, whether, philanthro-
pic or public. No simple medical
or social problem is presented to
Montefiore Hospital for consid-
eration because simplicity is not
associated.- with chronic disease.
"At no time in history and
nowhere in the civilized world
has there been a comparable ef-
fort in• the field of hospitaliza-
tion under voluntary auspices. It
stands alone as a beacon for those
generous and thoughtful people
who feel that they are their
brother's keepers."
As examples of clinical re-
search, adrenalin was first used
for the relief of bronchial asthma
in this hoSpital; and important
contributions to the differential
clinical diagnosis of carcinoma of
the lung were made here, per-
. haps largely because patients
with • this disease were concentr-
ated at Montefiore.
Laboratory Studies
Beth Isreal Hospital has a long
record of important clinical and
laboratory studies and observa-
tions. A few of them as furnished
by Dr. Nathan Ratnoff, the Hos-
pital's director, and Dr. J. M.
Lewis,•have been:
Over a three-year period,
the research activities of the
Thoracic Surgical Service have
been concerned chiefly with
clinical and laboratory investi-
gations of - various aspects of
patent ductus arteriosus com-
plicated by subacute bacter-
ial endarteritis. In 1940 the
first surgical cure of this hith-
erto almost invariably fatal
condition was reported from
Beth Israel Hospital. Since then
a sufficient number of cases
have been operated upon suc-
cessfully and established con-.
elusively the effectiveness of
this form a therapy.
The Beth Israel Hospital was
the first in this country to re-
port any series of ,..)atients of
any extent of carcinoma of the
larynx, cured over a period of
five years.
Orthopedic Surgery
The power of observing and
recognizing new .-disease entites
and of inventing new diagnostic
and therapeutic instruments has
been frequently demonstrated in
all of Federation hospitals by im-
portant publications of their
staff members. These aspects are
especially noted at Lebanon Hos-
pital, as reported by Dr. Jack
Masur, director.
The Hospital for Joint Diseases
is the only general hospital which
features orthopedic surgery
through a new and unique form
of organization and 'character of
service.
The creation of clinical divi-
sions in all of the specialties of
medicine strengthened orthopedic
surgery in its special interest.. In
turn, orthopedic surgery advanc-
ed and helped other specialties.
This form of organization' was of
benefit both to the present and
future patients. It has been a
successful experiment. Now, it is
no longer an experiment, but a
permanent and desirable plan of
organization of a hospital, featur-
ing its specialty.
Research Activities
Some of the research activities
at the Hospital for Joint Diseases
were:
Development of surgical
techniques for correcting crip-
piing caused by infantile par-
alyisis, by physiological trans-
plantation .of muscles and their
tendons from non-paralyzed to
paralyzed parts. •
Important work related to -
the idea that if much of the
lower part of the body is par-
alyzed and has become lop-
sided, the p.oint of attack for
correcting the body statics
should be the pelvis rather
than the ankle, as was -the case
in previous practice. -
The pioneer work which
pressed upon the profession the
idea that deformities of the
chest resulting from courva-
ture of the ,spinal column (sco-
_ liosis) were not the hopeless
- condition they had often been
thought to be.
The non-operative treatment
of varicose veins has been in-
vestigated and applied. It in-
volved _the use of injections of
so-called "scleroging" s u b -
stances,
Hospitals' War Role
The important role of the hos-
pital in times of war is 'generally
acknowledged and needs no fur,-
ther elucidation. As in peace
time, the Federation hospitals are
continuing their work in safe-
guarding the health of the civil-
ian population on the home front.
In addition, the energies of the
directors and staff have been
Mobilized and the equipment and
facilities of the hospitals are op-
erating at high gear to make
their utmost contribution to- the
cause of the survival of freedom
and democracy.
The story of. the Federation
hospitals in the service of the
Republic goes back to 1862. At
that time, the
r Mount Sinai Hos-
pital' opened' its ward to wound-
ed of the Union Army. The vic-
tims of the Draft Riots of New
York of 1863 were similarly
cared for at the hospital. Dr.
Israel Moses, a member of its
staff, entered active service, re-
tiring at the end of the war with
the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
During the Spanish American
War (1898), this hospital cared
for military victims of tropical
diseases.
' World War I found all the
Federation hospitals at the ser-
vices of the government. Over 60
members of the staff of Mount
Sinai Hospital saw active service
overseas and Montefiore Hospital
was known in World War 1 as
U. S. General Hospital No. 1. Its
directors placed at the services
of the government the Van Cort-
land Private Pavilion which had
just been completed.
The contributions of the Fed-
eration hospitals to national de-
fense in the present war are nat-
urally still in the category of his-
tory in the making. Neverthe-
less, their achievements already
deserve the just pride of the
community,
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