Sea Air Approach: Lantana, Florida
Tuberculous children on the beach, Sea Breeze Hotel, Sea Gate, Coney Island, New York, c. 1910
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs DivisionPhysician to Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius in 174 C.E., Clarissimus Galen wrote of tuberculosis, recommending fresh air, milk, and sea voyages as a treatment. Galen’s ideas dominated western medicine for 1500 years, and his ideas about tuberculosis treatment were still echoed by many doctors in the early 1900s. This treatment paradigm remained prominent throughout the centuries, and early twentieth-century physicians continued to prescribe milk, fresh air, and seaside stays.
The A.G. Holley Tuberculosis Hospital, Lantana, Florida, 2007
Wikipedia Commons.In Florida, four state tuberculosis hospitals were built between 1938 and 1952 as a response to a growing need for sanatoriums. These four state facilities were named W.T. Edwards Tuberculosis Hospitals in honor of their benefactor. To facilitate the therapeutic qualities of coastal air, large windows featured prominently in the architectural design of all four W.T. Edwards TB Hospitals.
The second W.T. Edwards TB Hospital, also called the Southeast Tuberculosis Hospital, is the only facility of the original American sanatoriums still in operation and is located in Lantana, Florida. Now called the A.G. Holley State Hospital, this institution remains dedicated to the treatment of tuberculosis. It opened in 1950 as a 500-bed hospital with living accommodations for the physicians, nurses, and administrative staff. As effective TB treatments and cures were developed, the capacity of A.G. Holley was reduced; today it has only 50 beds. Patients with the most difficult cases of TB are often sent here for treatment; these cases are often patients with multi–drug–resistant strains. A.G. Holley is heavily involved in educating health professionals about tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment.
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