TULANE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND CHARITY HOSPITAL

INTRODUCTION

19TH CENTURY

FOUNDING SOM

CIVIL WAR YEARS

20TH CENTURY

HUEY P. LONG

1920s - 1950s

1960 to 2005

FUTURE OF CHARITY

REFERENCES

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Tulane & Charity

History of Tulane SOM

The Prospectus

The Registre

Famous Alumni

 

The Louisiana Purchase and The 19th Century

In 1803, Louisiana and New Orleans came under control of the United States, and American physicians began coming to the city in increasing numbers. In contrast to the French and Spanish physicians, who often allowed nature to take its course when treating disease, the Americans advocated “heroic” measures to treat diseases such as yellow fever, including bleeding, purging, cupping, and copious doses of calomel, or mercury.

In 1809, tragedy again struck Charity Hospital. The 1785 building, bequeathed by the Almonester family, burned to the ground, killing 4 patients. For two years, indigent patients were shuttled to different facilities around the city, often close to starvation and in deplorable conditions. Finally, in 1811, the Almonester family relinquished control of rights to the hospital and for the first time the city of New Orleans was responsible for Charity Hospital.

Funds were appropriated by the city to build a new hospital, and in 1815 work began on the next incarnation of Charity Hospital, this time on a lot bounded by Canal, Common, University Place and Baronne streets. Currently this lot is the home of the Fairmont Hotel, but in 1815 it was at the remote, swampy edge of the city, close to the ship-turn where the two earlier versions of Charity had resided. When completed, it was described as “vast and commodious … capable of caring for 120 patients.” The new Charity had wards for fever patients, those with dysentery, females, and convalescents, a surgical hall, and apartments for residents. In 1823 1,700 patients were admitted; 1,200 were discharged and the rest died, half of those from yellow fever. Yellow fever, malaria and cholera continued to afflict the city for the next century.

In 1812, Louisiana was admited to the Union. Statehood, coupled with growing port operations, swelled the population of the city. With this increase in population came an increase of seamen and immigrants, and plans were made to build a new Charity Hospital to accommodate more patients. The new building was completed in 1832, and was comprised of three floors. The top two were patients floors, with the second being reserved for women. The female floor was divided into three wards: one for women of good character, one for women of ill-repute, and one for women with surgical or obstetrical needs. The bottom floor housed the library and classrooms to be used by the Medical College of Louisiana. 1834 also brought management of the daily operations of the hospital under the nuns of the Daughters of Charity.

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