The Denver Jewish news., 1924-03-13
pital, and who is now one of the Med

deavor to discover an absolute cure
for tuberculosis.
The rest of the day was taken up
with an inspection tour of the entire
Hospital. We visited each of the
twelve buildings on the grounds. Most
of the delegates talked TO a large num-
ber of the patients. An outstanding
characteristic of the Hospital has left
its impress upon the minds Of the dele
gates. The National Jewish Hospital
for Consumptives is not an institution
in the sense that the word is usually
accepted 1t is much more than the
mere brick and mortar which rep
resent the physical existence of the
Hospital property. The human ele-
ment and the home-like appeal con-
nected with the daily life of the pa
tients will be remembered as nothing
else that the delegates saw and heard
while there. The patients have not be-
come institutionalized. The Superin-
tendcnt DIR. Swezey. knows each Of the
patients by their first names, knows of
| their personal affairs and their de-
sires, ambitions and hopes. The pa
tients referred to Mrs Pisko, Execu-
tive Secretary, as their Mother" and
to DIR. SweZey as their Father" When
they spoke of them they had only the
highest praise to offer and more than
one credited these two as the ones
responsible 10 rsaving their lives
Many were the heart-breaking stories
that we heard. Some Of them had
come 10 the Hospital on stretchers
with all hope for living gone. and en-
tertaining the belief that in but IA
short time they would be put in their
graves. When we saw them. some of
them but shart time after coming
to the Hospital. they We're on the
road to health, in high spirits, ana
| with hope that no influence could
strife. In several instances some of
the patients who had come to the
Hospital in the advanced stages, bleed
ing fluently. after short time under
the wonderful care of the doctors. had
begun TO take on weight. strength and
much encouragement.
One of the most surprising bits of
information that We learned was this
fact: That in the twenty-five years
of the existence Of the Natioanl Jew
ish Hospital for CoRsumptiveS they
have taken in and cared for approxi-
| mntely 5000 patients. During this
period only 2i2 have died at the Hos
year. These figures included the great
Influenza epidemic and many patients
who died during the first week after
arriving at the Hospital and before a
chance was had TO really do anything
toward saving them. Reflection upon
this statement must certainly indicate
to you what wonderful work and great
results are being accomplished
which the delegates received came to
them during the evening. At seven
O'Clock all the delegates, the Board of
Managers of the Hospital, and every
semble din the main dining room to
have dinner together. 1t is interesting
to know that the kitchen is strictly
kosher \ "mashgiah' appointed by
the local Rabbi is constantly in at
tendance at the kitchen and passes up
on every element in the daily food
supply The dishes and cutlery are
carefully placed in their milk and
meat containers and strictly guarded
against possible mixture of the two,
Consistent with its policy to make the
National .Iewrsh Hospital for Consump-
tives II home rather than an institution
the dietary laws are strictly observed.
This characteristic of the Hospital has
a healthfully physiological influence
which cannot be expressed in mere
words.
After the dinner three of the pa
ticnts were called upon to speak. The
first speaker was n woman from In
| diana, who after realizing her mis-
| fortune, was compelled to break up her
| home, withdraw her maternal in
/ fluence from her children and leave
them TO shift about rs best they could
while she set out in her quest for
help. As she stood there relating her
story, ones heart was brought TO the
breaking point and ones eyes became
| filled with tears. 1t was story, such
only MS mother could tell and told
in way that only mother could tell
| it,
! Next came II young man from New
/ York, ambitious and hopeful who in
the midst of his studies found that he
had become afflicted with tuberculosis.
| He told of his being brought to the