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Brooklyn hospitals and health services organizations collection

Call Number

ARC.141

Dates

1829-1997, inclusive
; 1861-1939, bulk

Creator

Lutheran Hospital Association of the City of New York and Vicinity (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)

Extent

3.1 Linear Feet in six manuscript boxes and two pamphlet boxes

Language of Materials

Materials in English and German.

Abstract

The Brooklyn hospitals and health services organizations collection contains records of various Brooklyn hospitals and health services organizations, many of which were affiliated with charitable organizations or religious denominations and provided care to Brooklyn's disadvantaged and underserved citizenry.

Historical Note

In colonial New York, only a small number of almshouse infirmaries existed to care for the sick, while the mentally ill were usually imprisoned or placed in poorhouses. It was not until the early to mid-19th century, when the New York City area's dependent and poor population increased dramatically, that hospitals and other health services organizations, such as homeopaths and maternity wards, began to emerge. In Brooklyn specifically, the earliest hospitals included the Kings County Hospital, which grew out of an almshouse infirmary in 1831, and the Brooklyn City Hospital, which was incorporated in 1845. One of Brooklyn's first mental institutions was also established in Flatbush in 1845.

Most health services organizations that were established during this period were affiliated with charitable organizations, religious denominations, or ethnic groups, and had meager resources with which to care for patients. Hospitals, for instance, provided shelter, meals, and only minimal medical care, usually administered by poorly trained staff in unsanitary conditions, while mental health institutions suffered from extreme overcrowding. Because of the social stigma attached to such institutions, middle and upper class citizens usually received medical care in the privacy of their homes.

Popular attitudes toward public health institutions began to change in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Advances in conventional medical science, aided by the professionalization of nursing, began to improve the quality of care offered by hospitals and other infirmaries. As affluent citizens were urged by their physicians to use the ever-improving medical facilities, the number of hospitals in New York City began to rise. In 1908, there were 63 general hospitals in New York, and by 1930 there were 125.

Likewise, the emergence of the mental hygiene movement also spurred an increase in the quality of care offered to New York's mentally ill, who were admitted to the Manhattan Psychiatric Center, the world's largest mental hospital, or were transferred to improved psychiatric wards at hospitals throughout New York State. By the 1930s, 25,000 New York City residents resided in state mental institutions. Homeopathic practice, too, had substained a substantial following between 1860 and 1900, with over 100 homeopathic institutions operating in the city at the turn of the 20th century.

Congruous to the improvement of the city's public health facilities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was the increase in public awareness of social issues relevant to public health, such as sanitation, preventive practices, and temperance. Education on these issues was facilitated by a growing number of advocate groups and charities established by the city's affluent citizenry and religious denominations.

By the early 20th century, the widescale professionalization of medical practice in New York City had firmly taken root, though several significant alterations would continue to be made to the city's public health system throughout the 20th century.

Sources:

  1. Cordasco, Francesco. "Homeopathy," in The Encyclopedia of New York City, ed. Kenneth T. Jackson (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press; New York: New York Historical Society, c1995), 554-555.
  2. Opdycke, Sandra. "Mental Health," in The Encyclopedia of New York City, ed. Kenneth T. Jackson (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press; New York: New York Historical Society, c1995), 749-750.
  3. Opdycke, Sandra, and David Rosner. "Hospitals," in The Encyclopedia of New York City, ed. Kenneth T. Jackson (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press; New York: New York Historical Society, c1995), 560-563.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged alphabetically by institution name.

Scope and Contents

The Brooklyn hospitals and health services organizations collection contains records of various Brooklyn hospitals and health services organizations, many of which were affiliated with charitable organizations or religious denominations and provided care to Brooklyn's disadvantaged and underserved citizenry.

Many types of institutions are represented in the collection, including general hospitals and dispensaries; women and children's hospitals; hospitals and dispensaries serving a specific religious denomination or ethnic group; specialized hospitals and dispensaries; mental institutions; terminal care facilities; rehabilitation centers; homeopathic hospitals and dispensaries; medical societies and preventive health organizations; and medical colleges and nurse training schools.

Materials in the collection consist mainly of annual reports and yearbooks containing essential summary information on an organization, including historical sketches; lists of board members, officers, and medical staff; constitutions, bylaws, and articles of incorporation; reports of various officers; financial statements; medical and surgical statistics and reports; lists of subscribers, members, and contributors; details regarding monetary donations; and rules for the admission of patients. While the annual reports and yearbooks do contain general information on individuals who received care from a particular organization, specific names are withheld.

Additional materials in the collection include constitutions and bylaws, rules of procedure, progress reports, medical manuals, catalogs, member and alumnae lists, newsletters and bulletins, brochures, and various ephemeral literature.

The following organizations are represented in the collection, listed by institution type:

General Hospitals and Dispensaries:

Bedford Dispensary and Hospital (also represented under its previous names, including the Bedford Dispensary Association and the Bedford Dispensary)

Bethany Deaconess Hospital Society

Brooklyn Central Dispensary

Brooklyn City Dispensary

Brooklyn Eclectic Dispensary

Brooklyn State Hospital (also represented under its previous name, the Long Island State Hospital)

Bushwick Hospital

People's Medical and Surgical Dispensary

Prospect Heights Hospital (also represented under its previous names, including the Brooklyn Homeopathic Lying-In Asylum; the Brooklyn Homeopathic Maternity; the Brooklyn Maternity; and the Prospect Heights Hospital and Brooklyn Maternity)

Samaritan Hospital of Brooklyn

St. Catherine's Hospital (materials partly written in German)

St. Martha's Sanitarium and Dispensary

St. Mary's General Hospital

St. Peter's Hospital

State University of New York Downstate Medical Center

Triboro Hospital

U.S. Base Hospital No. 37, A.E.F. (a unit of the Kings County Hospital that was active during World War I)

Women and Children's Hospitals:

House of St. Giles the Cripple

Memorial Hospital for Women and Children

St. Charles Hospital (also known as the Brooklyn Home for Blind, Crippled, and Defective Children)

St. Christopher's Hospital for Babies

Salvation Army Brooklyn Nursery and Infants' Hospital

Denominational and Ethnic Hospitals and Dispensaries:

German Hospital Society (materials mostly in German)

Jewish Hospital of Brooklyn

Lutheran Hospital Association of the City of New York and Vicinity (materials mostly in German)

Maimonides Hospital of Brooklyn (Jewish)

Swedish Hospital

Specialized Hospitals and Dispensaries:

Brooklyn Diet Dispensary

Central Throat Hospital and Polyclinic Dispensary

Long Island Throat and Lung Hospital and People's Dispensary Association

Mental Institutions:

Kings County Lunatic Asylum

Terminal Care Facilities:

Faith Home for Incurables

Rehabilitation Centers:

Inebriates' Home for Kings County

Homeopathic Hospitals and Dispensaries:

Brooklyn Eastern District Homeopathic Dispensary

Brooklyn Homeopathic Dispensary

Brooklyn Homeopathic Hospital

Brooklyn Homeopathic Lying-In Asylum (also represented under its subsequent names, including the Brooklyn Homeopathic Maternity; the Brooklyn Maternity; the Prospect Heights Hospital and Brooklyn Maternity; and the Prospect Heights Hospital)

Central Homeopathic Dispensary

Gates Avenue Homeopathic Dispensary

Medical Societies and Preventive Health Organizations:

Brooklyn Association for Mental Health

Brooklyn Temperance Society

Brooklyn Tuberculosis and Health Association (also represented under its subsequent names, including the Brooklyn Tuberculosis and Respiratory Disease Association and the Brooklyn Tuberculosis and Lung Association)

Committee on Prevention of Tuberculosis (a unit of the Brooklyn Bureau of Charities)

Homeopathic Medical Society of the County of Kings

Hospital Saturday and Sunday Association of the City of Brooklyn

Jeri Finesilver Cancer Foundation (affiliated with the Brookdale Hospital Medical Center)

Kings County Pharmaceutical Society

Sons of Temperance of North America's Grand Division of Eastern New York

Visiting Nurse Association of Brooklyn

Woman's Temperance Society of Brooklyn

Women's Health Protective Association of Brooklyn

Medical Colleges and Nurse Training Schools:

Associated Alumnae of Brooklyn Training Schools for Nurses (an organization comprised of alumnae from Brooklyn's several nurse training schools)

Brooklyn Homeopathic Hospital Training School for Nurses

Medical College of the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center

Memorial Hospital for Women and Children Training School for Nurses

New York State School for Training Nurses (also represented under its subsequent names, the New York State School for Nurses and the Prospect Heights Hospital School of Nursing)

Subjects

Organizations

Associated Alumnae of Brooklyn Training Schools for Nurses (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Bedford Dispensary (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Bedford Dispensary and Hospital (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Bedford Dispensary Association (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Bethany Deaconess Hospital Society; Brooklyn Central Dispensary (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Brooklyn City Dispensary. Social Service Committee; Brooklyn Diet Dispensary; Brooklyn Eastern District Homeopathic Dispensary (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Brooklyn Eclectic Dispensary (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Brooklyn Homeopathic Dispensary (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Brooklyn State Hospital; Brooklyn Temperance Society; Brooklyn Tuberculosis and Respiratory Disease Association (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Bushwick Hospital (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Central Homeopathic Dispensary (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Central Throat Hospital and Polyclinic Dispensary (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Downstate Medical Center (N.Y.); Gates Avenue Homeopathic Dispensary; German Hospital Society (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Homeopathic Medical Society of Kings County; House of St. Giles the Cripple; Inebriates' Home for Kings County; Jewish Hospital of Brooklyn; Kings County Lunatic Asylum (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Kings County Pharmaceutical Society; Long Island State Hospital; Long Island Throat and Lung Hospital and People's Dispensary Association (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Lutheran Hospital Association of the City of New York and Vicinity (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Maimonides Hospital of Brooklyn; Memorial Hospital for Women and Children (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Memorial Hospital for Women and Children (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.). Memorial Dispensary; Memorial Hospital for Women and Children (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.). Memorial Training School for Nurses; People's Medical and Surgical Dispensary (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Samaritan Hospital of Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.); Swedish Hospital (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); United States. Army. Base Hospital No. 37; Brooklyn Homeopathic Hospital; Brooklyn Homeopathic Hospital and Training School for Nurses; Brooklyn Homeopathic Lying-In Asylum (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Brooklyn Maternity (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Salvation Army. Brooklyn Nursery and Infants' Hospital; St. Christopher's Hospital for Babies; Brooklyn Tuberculosis and Health Association; Brooklyn Bureau of Charities. Committee on Prevention of Tuberculosis; Brooklyn Association for Mental Health (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Faith Home for Incurables (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Sons of Temperance of North America. Grand Division of Eastern New York; Woman's Temperance Society of Brooklyn, N.Y.; Women's Health Protective Association of Brooklyn (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Brooklyn Home for Blind, Crippled, and Defective Children (Port Jefferson, N.Y.); Prospect Heights Hospital and Brooklyn Maternity (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); St. Peter's Hospital (Cobble Hill, New York, N.Y.); Brookdale Hospital Medical Center (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Prospect Heights Hospital (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.). School of Nursing. Alumnae Association; Jeri Finesilver Cancer Foundation (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); St. Mary's Hospital (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); St. Martha's Sanitarium and Dispensary (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); St. Catharine's Hospital (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); St. Mary's General Hospital (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.); Triboro Hospital (Queens, New York, N.Y.); Visiting Nurse Association of Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.); St. Charles Hospital (Port Jefferson, N.Y.); Downstate Medical Center (N.Y.). Alumni Association; Brooklyn Hospital Saturday and Sunday Association; Brooklyn Homeopathic Maternity (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)

Topics

Medical care |z New York (State) |z Kings County; Terminal care facilities |z New York (State) |z Kings County; Medical colleges |z New York (State) |z Kings County; Nursing schools |x Alumni and alumnae |z New York (State) |z Kings County; Nursing schools |z New York (State) |z Kings County; Medicine |z New York (State) |z Kings County |x Societies, etc.; Maternity homes |z New York (State) |z Kings County; Maternal health services |z New York (State) |z Kings County; Psychiatric hospitals |z New York (State) |z Kings County; Mental health services -- New York (State) -- Kings County; Dispensaries |z New York (State) |z Kings County; Specialty hospitals |z New York (State) |z Kings County; Medicine |z New York (State) |z Kings County; Hospitals |z New York (State) |z Kings County; Women |z New York (State) |z Kings County |x Societies and clubs; Health; Preventive health services |z New York (State) |z Kings County; Infant health services |z New York (State) |z Kings County; Temperance |z New York (State) |z Kings County; Temperance |z New York (State) |z Kings County |x Societies, etc.; Tuberculosis |z New York (State) |z Kings County; Tuberculosis |z New York (State) |z Kings County |x Prevention; Alcoholics |x Rehabilitation |z New York (State) |z Kings County; Charities, Medical |z New York (State) |z Kings County; Alcoholics |x Care |z New York (State) |z Kings County; Charity organization |z New York (State) |z Kings County; Child health services |z New York (State) |z Kings County; Church charities |z New York (State) |z Kings County; Children |x Institutional care |z New York (State) |z Kings County

Conditions Governing Access

Open to researchers without restriction.

Conditions Governing Use

While many items at the Center for Brooklyn History are unrestricted, we do not own reproduction rights to all materials. Be aware of the several kinds of rights that might apply: copyright, licensing and trademarks. The researcher assumes all responsibility for copyright questions.

Preferred Citation

Identification of item, date (if known); Brooklyn hospitals and health services organizations collection, ARC.141, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Portions of this collection were the gift of St. Martha's Sanitarium and Dispensary, 1897; the House of St. Giles the Cripple, 1915; the Prospect Heights Hospital and Brooklyn Maternity, 1927; Sally Forbes, 2004; B.J. McAfee, date unknown; the Jeri Finesilver Screening Clinic, date unknown; and George W. Schiebler, date unknown. Sources and dates of acquisition for all remaining items in the collection are unknown.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

If digital surrogates exist, they should be used in place of the originals whenever possible.

Related Materials

Brooklyn Hospital records (ARC.225)

Lutheran Hospital of Brooklyn collection (2006.032)

Long Island College Hospital collection (ARC.139)

Photographs of St. Mary's Maternity Hospital (V1991.125)

Brooklyn Eye and Ear Hospital records (1985.005)

Methodist Episcopal Hospital reports and publications (ARC.155)

Viscount and Viscountess Halifax photographs of Jewish Hospital in Brooklyn (V1974.017)

Mortimer D. Jones collection on the Kings County Hospital (1994.008)

Norwegian Lutheran Deaconesses' Home and Hospital annual reports and receipts (ARC.246)

Long Island College Hospital School of Nursing Alumnae Association records (2014.006)

Medical Society of the County of Kings collection (1985.116)

Brooklyn Home for Consumptives Annual Report collection (1985.099)

City of Brooklyn, Department of Health vital statistics (ARC.160)

Visiting Nurse Association of Brooklyn records (1985.093)

Collection processed by

Nicholas Pavlik

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 11:23:46 +0000.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Description is written in: English, Latin script.

Processing Information

This is an artificial collection consolidated by Brooklyn Historical Society staff. Originally minimally processed to the collection level, this collection was processed to the file level by Dee Bowers in June 2023. SUNY Downstate Medical Center historical booklet (2004.004) added to the collection by John Zarrillo, March 2017. Additional material found in the repository was added to the collection by Maggie Schreiner in October 2018.

Revisions to this Guide

March 2017: Updated by John Zarrillo
October 2018: Updated by Maggie Schreiner to incorporate additional material found in the repository.
June 2023: Updated to the folder level and additional material incorporated by Dee Bowers

Repository

Brooklyn Historical Society
Center for Brooklyn History
128 Pierrepont Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201