The Effects of the Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanatorium

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During the 1800's, one out of four Europeans died of "consumption," or tuberculosis. Even in America, tuberculosis was one of the most deadly diseases of the century (Silverstein 13). Realizing that tuberculosis was sweeping away the world's population, Hermann Brehmer, a Silesian botany student suffering from the disease himself, decided to find a way to stop the wide spread of tuberculosis. Because plenty of rest, sunshine, and fresh air were the only known cures, he traveled to the Himalayan Mountains where he could pursue his botanical studies while trying to rid himself of the disease. He returned home cured and began to study medicine. In 1854, he presented his doctoral dissertation bearing the title, Tuberculosis is a Curable Disease. In the same year, he built the first sanatorium for tuberculosis patients in Gorbersdorf, which lies in a pine forest in the mountains of Silesia in eastern Europe. Because patients were exposed to continuous fresh air and many were ridding themselves of the disease, the introduction of the sanatorium provided the first really big battle against tuberculosis (Brief History).

   In 1885, a quarter century later, Edward L. Trudeau opened the first tuberculosis sanatorium in the United States. It was located in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. By the early 1900's, there were more than 400 tuberculosis sanatoriums in the United States (Silverstein 16). On May 31, 1909, the 37th General Assembly of Arkansas passed Act 378 to create a sanatorium in Arkansas for the care of patients ill with tuberculosis. After the citizens of Booneville donated approximately 1,000 acres to the state for the purpose of building the sanatorium, a large hill three miles south of Booneville was selected as the sight for the Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanatorium. In addition to medical buildings and treatment centers, facilities included a school, movie theater, farm, dairy, cannery, laundry, ice cream plant, library and housing for employees. The institution grew throughout the years and, at one time, the Sanatorium was known as the largest and most successful state-owned sanatorium in the United States ("Sanatorium an Integral Part" 5B). Because the Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanatorium was established, many lives of Arkansas children and adults, white and black alike, were changed dramatically.

   When the Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanatorium was established, many of the citizens of Booneville were frightened of contracting the disease, but in the same respect, they were thankful to have a treatment center so close to home. At first, only a few people were concerned about such a program, not because there was any need for a tuberculosis hospital, but primarily because there was a lack of knowledge regarding the treatment and control of tuberculosis. Dr. S.P. McConnell first came to the site of the future sanatorium on horseback, along with nine other leaders of Arkansas, to select a site for construction. He also attended the dedication of the Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanatorium and according to him, "There were only few guests at the 1910 dedication. I believe many people of Booneville had a great fear of consumption in those days" ("Five Who Were at Original" 13B).

   Over the years, the Sanatorium became a gradual success. It not only provided a place for locals to get treatment for tuberculosis, but it also provided a place for many citizens in Booneville to acquire better jobs and homes. Many of the employees had at one time been patients and, when able to work, remained to help others recover their health. Members of the Sanatorium staff knew that the chronic illness meant that patients were separated from their home and family, that their job and income were frequently lost, and that the patients' fear of disease and its effect upon their future were tremendous. To aid in the cure of tuberculosis, nurses helped the patients psychologically and socially, while the doctors treated them medically. ("A New Sanatorium" 6B).

   Mrs. Clarence Biggs of Booneville, a former employee at the Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanatorium, felt extremely blessed when the center was established. In 1921, she was hired as the head waitress, where she met her husband, Foy Biggs, the Sanatorium chef. They served employees and patients, but meals were at different times for sanitation reasons. Cleanliness was stressed to cut down on the spread of the disease. All of the silverware used by patients was disinfected more than once and was washed separately from the employees'. Even though Mr. and Mrs. Biggs' job put them at risk of contracting tuberculosis, they simply felt blessed to be provided with free food and a free home on the hill. Their son and daughter were also fortunate to get to go to school on the hill. Mrs. Biggs worked for fifty-one years and four months until the Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanatorium closed in 1973. She stated, "I will always have a lot of good memories of the Sanatorium. I will remember the joy of seeing others get well, the friendships, finding love, and raising my family" (Biggs).

   Besides tuberculosis affecting the people of Booneville, it also affected the people across Arkansas. Many people were forced to leave their family and homes not knowing if the Sanatorium would help cure their illness or if they might possibly have to face death. From the opening day on September 1, 1910, until June 30, 1973, when the Sanatorium closed, more than 70,000 cases of tuberculosis were admitted through the doors to be treated. Fortunately, the greater number of them were treated and released, especially as technology of medications increased through the mid-1900's ("Sanatorium an Integral Part" 5B).

   Billy Dale Leslie and Billie Marie Thrasher were two of the fortunate patients who overcame the battle of tuberculosis with the help of the treatment at the Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanatorium. While they were being treated at the Sanatorium, they met and later found a love for one another. Billy Dale was sixteen years old when he found out that he had to be sent to the Sanatorium in Booneville from his hometown Nashville, Arkansas in 1949. Since his father had recently died with tuberculosis, his hopes were not high. His mother and three siblings were only able to visit him twice a year because they were on welfare. Fortunately, the Sanatorium provided him with schooling so he would have a solid education when he was released (Leslie).

   Billy Dale's wife, Billie Marie, came from a small community near Berryville called Dry Fork Community. In 1948, Billie Marie was admitted at the age of seventeen after she contracted tuberculosis from her father who passed away from the disease. Billy Dale and Billie Marie started dating after one year at the Sanatorium. It was really hard for them to meet, especially when they had bad relapses. Billy Dale endured two episodes with tuberculosis and mentioned that, "the bed rest was the hardest part, especially one seven month period when my feet never touched the ground . . . I always felt that I would get through it though. I guess I was too young to be scared." When Billie Marie was finally released after four years, she remembers "boiling my dishes for a year . . . I was afraid that I might give tuberculosis to someone else." After Billy Dale was released after about six years at the Sanatorium, he and Billie Marie were married. "The people here (Booneville) were so good," Billy Dale stated, "we felt it was the perfect place to start a family" (Leslie).

   Besides the Leslies, hundreds of other patients at the Sanatorium decided to reside in Booneville once they were released. Over the years, practically every family in the state of Arkansas was affected as relatives and friends were sent to the Sanatorium for treatment. Many of these families relocated to be near family members and later remained in Booneville or Logan County.

   The white citizens of Booneville and Arkansas were fortunate because they did not have to worry about being admitted to the Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanatorium. On the other hand, black citizens were often faced with rejection from the Sanatorium. In the beginning, the state indicated that the Sanatorium was primarily built for the "white" citizens of Arkansas. Admitting blacks into the Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanatorium did not become a major issue until 1966 when Mrs. Janie Chappel, an 84- year-old Negro from Paris (which is nearby Booneville), requested admission to the Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanatorium. Due to the fact that on January 1, 1930, the Thomas C. McRae Sanatorium at Alexander, built especially for the Negroes of Arkansas opened its doors, the Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanatorium refused to admit her. Her reason for the request at the Booneville Sanatorium was because she simply wanted a place for treatment that was near her home. Because she was not admitted, she caused civil action to be instituted in the Federal Court compelling the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanatorium to admit her as a patient. On May 3, 1966, Judge Gordon E. Young ruled that Mrs. Chappel should be admitted under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and that the order would apply to all similar cases. Mrs. Chappel and her determination opened the doors of the Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanatorium to the admission of any and all citizens of Arkansas without regard to race or color ("Judge Orders Sanatorium" 17B).

   From the beginning, the Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanatorium experienced a slow and steady growth. When the Sanatorium first opened in 1910, the total bed capacity was only 64 and there was a total of four buildings. By the 1960's, there was enough room for more than 1,000 patients and the Sanatorium had grown into a little community with over one hundred buildings and homes ("San has Treated" 7B). In fact, the Sanatorium had its own post office from 1927-1968 and its own public school for the children with tuberculosis. As more facilities were built, more patients were admitted. The number of patients treated and the size of the physical plant at the Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanatorium grew consistently ("Sanatorium an Integral Part" 5B). There were two peak periods in 1928-1930 and 1938-1940 in which approximately 1,050 patients were being treated. In 1935, the Board of Trustees secured an annex in Fort Smith for more than 100 patients, which enabled the Sanatorium to clear its patient waiting list for the first time in history ("Sanatorium to Officially Close" 3C). Fortunately, in the 1940's a new dimension in the treatment of tuberculosis appeared in the scene. These new medications were known as the anti-tuberculosis drugs. For example, Streptomycin, the first antibiotic that was effective against tuberculosis, became available in 1947. Almost overnight, the death rate from tuberculosis dropped dramatically. Before the drug was discovered, 33 per 100,000 people died of tuberculosis, but by 1980, only .5 per 100,000 died of the disease (Silverstein 19-20). Another effective drug against tuberculosis, isoniazid (isonicotinic acid hydrazide or INH), was found in 1952. This drug also contributed to the decline of tuberculosis and was mainly used to prevent resistant bacteria from developing (Silverstein 68). Due to these new drugs, the incoming patients at the Sanatorium began to gradually decrease in the fifties and sixties. By the early 1970's, the Sanatorium only had about 50 patients and there was not a need for its existence. On June 30, 1973, the Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanatorium officially closed the doors. The remaining patients were admitted to nearby hospitals for further treatment ("Sanatorium to Officially Close" 3C).

   The closing of the Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanatorium was a sad day for many people of the Booneville community. The employees felt as if their homes were being uprooted and knew they would be required to seek a new place to live and work. Even though the closing of the Sanatorium marked an upsetting day, it was also a joyous day because the disease had come to a halt across Arkansas. Many people in Booneville and Arkansas were affected by the Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanatorium and many can say it is an establishment that will always be remembered as a statewide effort to save lives of thousands of children and adults with tuberculosis across Arkansas.