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First public sanitarium for the treatment of tuberculosis opens.

1884

The Story of Tuberculosis
EPD
MED

On Saranac Lake in New York, the sanitarium offers a place with fresh air and sunlight, which are seen as the necessary treatments for tuberculosis. Medical experts of the time assert that at 2,200 feet above sea level, air pressure is equal to that in blood vessels, which they believe will slow down the progression of the disease. They also name the sanitarium's physical activities, scenery, and lack of stress as part of the healing plan. Previously, only the wealthy were able to leave the city for "fresh air" treatment. This marks the first government-funded sanitarium.