Tuberculosis In Springs History
The "salubrious climate" (thanks to Marshall Sprague for that phrase) of Colorado Springs proved to be especially useful in the treatment of TUBERCULOSIS. TB, a dreaded 19th century killer, thrived in the damp, dark, crowded tenements of the East. Forward looking physicians stressed sunshine, fresh air, low humidity, rest and a superior diet for those who came west to "take the cure". "Lungers", as TB patients were referred to, often lived in solitary cottages (shown below) at vast facilities such as the Woodmen or Cragmoor Sanitoriums.
Those curious eight-sided cottages with witches' hat roofs are seen all around the Pikes Peak region. The Woodmen Sanitorium had hundreds of them, aligned with military precision. Today if you're sharp you'll see them being used as tool sheds, workshops and even small apartments.
"The cure" worked indeed. Thousands of TB sufferers came to the high, dry fresh skies of the west and recovered their health. Many, like local author Marshall Sprague, stayed on afterward.
Those curious eight-sided cottages with witches' hat roofs are seen all around the Pikes Peak region. The Woodmen Sanitorium had hundreds of them, aligned with military precision. Today if you're sharp you'll see them being used as tool sheds, workshops and even small apartments.
"The cure" worked indeed. Thousands of TB sufferers came to the high, dry fresh skies of the west and recovered their health. Many, like local author Marshall Sprague, stayed on afterward.
"Idlewold" was an early TB residential facility on North Logan. Note the sunny south-facing windows. Today it's Ronald McDonald House.
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The Nob Hill Lodge, nearby Idelwold, was also for TB patients as was within a block of Memorial Hospital which was an early TB treatment center as well.
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