March 19, 2020 – Medicine on Blackwell’s Island in 1920

By admin

SPECIAL EDITION  MARCH 19, 2020 

This is the second in a series of historical
excerpts from the Archives of the RIHS

The image above is Metropolitan Hospital in the early 20th century.  Now known as the Octagon, Metropolitan Hospital housed over 1,000 patients from its opening as a homeopathic hospital in the 1890’s until it closed in 1955.  (The building had previously housed the notorious Lunatic Asylum.)  The Hospital still exists as a municipal hospital on 97th Street and First Avenue.

In our archives are the collections of Reverend Oliver Chapin. 
One of the multitude of documents is a five-page, handwritten interview with Agatha Zeh, R.N., Metroplitan Hospital School of Nursing Class of 1920.This is part of her handwritten account of working at
Metropolitan Hospital in that year.

____________

“The Woman Doctor”
I’ve forgotten her name but as I remember the other interns treated her with respect.  I think she was a little older than the other interns. I don’t know anything about her after she left the hospital.

“Drugs”
We had a Pharmacist and Pharmacy in the basement. We did have drug addicted who were trying to be cured of the habit by each week having the dosage reduced unit they were supposedly cured.  They were mostly males and females from the prison and workhouse.   They were counted each night and each morning. I do not remember any incident where anyone was injured from any one of them trying to steal  a drug.  Apparently what dose they were given satisfied their desire for the drug.

For rubbing backs and cleaning wounds our alcohol was 95% alcohol.   I do remember one occasion when one of the ambulatory patients was feeling pretty gay and not walking very steadily.   Upon questioning he admitted to drinking a good bit a bottle of rubbing alcohol which he swiped from the medicine closet which someone neglected to lock. There were probably incidents of the same kind.

The answer to the next question will answer how some problems were handled.  We had police officer on duty in the rotunda 24 hours a day and he was  called if necessary.  He also checked people entering the hospital.  There was also an emergency room at the dock on 86th Street (Manhattan) and a police officer stationed there and since everyone had to come to the island by ferry there wasn’t that many people around who didn’t belong.

“Offices”
There were offices around about 1/2 of the rotunda-I remember of course the Superintendent of Nurse’s office and her secretary’s office and slightly remember a business office and I think a Paycheck office.

There was a basement that contained the Admitting Ward, the Pharmacy and storage supply rooms and maybe others I do not remember

“Light in Lighthouse”
I don’t think so. I don’t remember one.  Maybe The Blackwell’s did at one time.

I don’t remember ever seeing anyone swimming or fishing off the island-maybe a prisoner  tried to escape  by swimming but not any other person of the Hospital.  For one thing the water was too deep, to try it and I think not too clean for I looked out of your living room window I was disappointed not to see more ships .   I seem to think there was more traffic in the river in the twenties.

The Metropolitan Hospital at that time was a Homeopathic Institution (a system of medical treatment  based on the theory that certain diseases can be cured by giving small doses of drugs which in a healthy person  and in large doses would produce symptoms like those of the disease).  A few drops of medicine would be added to a glass of water and the patient receive a teaspoon  or two every hour.  With some of the patients the glass of medicine would be left on the bedside table and taken by the patient.  But homeopathy went our shortly after the First World War – and I do not remember it being used afterwards.   The only drugs that come to mind are Iodine and Belladonna and I’m not sure of them. ..Of course insulin  he yet to be discovered then and diabetics died as also many pneumonia and strep and TB and other infected cases for there were no antibiotics and few vaccines.

The was a Polio epidemic the year before I went to training and the older nurses told us it was worse  than the Flu epidemic.  I don’t remember as many cancer cases and maybe fewer heart cases.

We did have morphine to alleviate pain.

Operations – appendectomy – many of who died from infections (I had my appendix remove in 1930 and I was very sick. I was 88lbs. when I got out of bed, but I was one of the lucky ones for I recovered).

Gall bladders removed -many bone operations due to Tuberculosis and streptococcus infections.  These would drain for months and perhaps some never entirely healed – abscesses opened – amputations caused by infections – Lung abscesses after Pneumonia – Abdominal tumors and of course fractures set and casts applied.

Many died, who would not have died in the same conditions today. Curing patients has improved so tremendously in 50 years (1970), it is hard to believe there was a time when so little could be done for the sick.  What a blessing new discoveries  have been. I think the history of medicine over 50-50 years is fascinating- I’m looking forward to your finishing your book*, so I can read it for at 78 years old time runs short.

Best wishes,
Agatha Zeh

Reverend Chapin passed away in 1999 and never completed his book.  Most of his archives were donated to the RIHS.

UPDATE

Coler Long Term Care and Rehabilitation
Named Site of Expanded Hospital Beds

Since 1952 Coler Hospital has served  the City of New York.
At its peak, Coler had over 750 patients and long term care residents.
In recent years Coler specialized in long term care and many of its units were closed. 
In this time of health crisis the City will re-activate over 300 beds for acute medical cases.
Per a teleconference with the administration, two aspects of care and safety were emphasized:

The current residents of Coler are being cared for by the Coler staff and extreme measures are being taken as to preventing the Coronavirus from entering the facility.  All staff are monitored upon entering the building. No visitors are permitted. All activities that involve congregating residents are canceled.

THE SAFETY OF THE STAFF, RESIDENTS, COMMUNITY AND ALL OF ROOSEVELT ISLAND IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO THE CITY, STATE AND HEALTH+HOSPITALS.

The new units which are not near current patient areas are being prepared to be acute hospital areas. Acute care staffing will be provided for these patients.
The type of patients being admitted to Coler is not known yet.
The units are being prepared by contractors and emergency preparedness personnel who can do the work with sped and have vast knowledge in emergency preparedness.

Reminder:  Coler was flooded by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and 
most of the residents were safe and sheltered in place. The City of New York has spent  about $93,000,000 to upgrade and improve the building.

Personally, I have been a member of the Coler Community Advisory Board for over 15 years and am currently the President of the Coler Auxiliary.

There are many islanders who are on Coler committees such as OPEN-DOOR, volunteers, Advisory Board, Auxiliary and  in many departments  and we miss serving our neighbors and hope to be back soon.

Judith Berdy, President
Roosevelt Island Historical Society

There is much news to report:
Blackwell House is complete and waiting for the last permit to have a grand re-opening.

The Transit Authority has come up with an acceptable architectural plan for a platform adjacent to the Strecker Laboratory.

and much more……stay tuned.

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rooseveltislandhistory@gmail.com