Tuberculosis Prevention

 

Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious bacterial disease that primarily attacks the lungs. In the 1920s, city health officials and the Elmira Board of Supervisors tried to both treat and prevent the spread of the disease. The Chemung Sanatorium treated local TB patients with rest care, or bed rest, a healthy diet, and proper hygiene.  Established on Hoffman Street in 1917, the Federation Farm was a medical organization that housed and cared for children thought to be at risk of contracting TB.  On the six acre farm, children had access to a playground, farm-grown fruits and vegetables, and weekly medical examinations by a visiting nurse.