~Mary
A Special Place
This is one of my favorite places. It is called Maybury. It is a state park now, but from 1921 - 1969, it was a tuberculosis sanatorium.
A LITTLE HISTORY FOR ANYONE INTERESTED.
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At the beginning of the 20th. century, tuberculosis was referred to as the "White Plague " because it infected such a large percentage of the population. To help combat the spread of this disease, the city of Detroit purchased eight farms about ( 850 acres ) in Northville Township to construct a sanatorium. Emphasis on restoring health in fresh air and sunshine made this rural environment an ideal place for the long TB healing process. When the sanatorium was founded, antibiotics did not exist to treat the disease. Adult patients and children as young as six months of age stayed here for months, or sometimes years, to effect a cure. The treatment regimen at that time consisted of rest, good nutrition, controlled exercise, constant monitoring and limited surgical treatment methods.
With the opening of the sanatorium, Detroit ranked as one of the leading cities of the world in facilities for the treatment of tuberculosis. When construction was finished, the institution was like a self-contained community with over 40 buildings. The sanatorium had its own electric power plant, central heating unit, water supply, laundry, pasteurization plant, fire protection, library and homes and dormitories for staff, in addition to the buildings for the patients. The Maybury farm supplied fresh milk and food for the facility. There was a school for both children and adults.
The large ambulant building for adults nestled into the forest and stretched for nearly 1/3 mile along the crest of a hill. Each patient's room had a southern exposure to maximize the use of sunlight in the treatment of the disease. A seperate children's unit cared for young TB patients and a summer camp for children and buildings with nursery rhyme decorations. At its peak of operation, the sanatorium cared for nearly 850 patients. There were over 475 employees and nearly half of them lived on the grounds.
When the sanatorium opened in 1921, TB killed nearly 100 people per 100,000 in Detroit. By using rest, surgery and isolation from the general population, this number dropped to 45.5 by 1940. In the late 1940's effective antibiotic treatment for TB was discovered and greatly improved one's chances for recovery.
Patient numbers gradually declined and in the late 1960,s, the decision was made to close Maybury sanatorium. The last patients were transferred in August of 1969..
Now there are no buildings, just 850 acres of the most beautiful nature you can imagine.
A Special Place
This is one of my favorite places. It is called Maybury. It is a state park now, but from 1921 - 1969, it was a tuberculosis sanatorium.
A LITTLE HISTORY FOR ANYONE INTERESTED.
------------------------
At the beginning of the 20th. century, tuberculosis was referred to as the "White Plague " because it infected such a large percentage of the population. To help combat the spread of this disease, the city of Detroit purchased eight farms about ( 850 acres ) in Northville Township to construct a sanatorium. Emphasis on restoring health in fresh air and sunshine made this rural environment an ideal place for the long TB healing process. When the sanatorium was founded, antibiotics did not exist to treat the disease. Adult patients and children as young as six months of age stayed here for months, or sometimes years, to effect a cure. The treatment regimen at that time consisted of rest, good nutrition, controlled exercise, constant monitoring and limited surgical treatment methods.
With the opening of the sanatorium, Detroit ranked as one of the leading cities of the world in facilities for the treatment of tuberculosis. When construction was finished, the institution was like a self-contained community with over 40 buildings. The sanatorium had its own electric power plant, central heating unit, water supply, laundry, pasteurization plant, fire protection, library and homes and dormitories for staff, in addition to the buildings for the patients. The Maybury farm supplied fresh milk and food for the facility. There was a school for both children and adults.
The large ambulant building for adults nestled into the forest and stretched for nearly 1/3 mile along the crest of a hill. Each patient's room had a southern exposure to maximize the use of sunlight in the treatment of the disease. A seperate children's unit cared for young TB patients and a summer camp for children and buildings with nursery rhyme decorations. At its peak of operation, the sanatorium cared for nearly 850 patients. There were over 475 employees and nearly half of them lived on the grounds.
When the sanatorium opened in 1921, TB killed nearly 100 people per 100,000 in Detroit. By using rest, surgery and isolation from the general population, this number dropped to 45.5 by 1940. In the late 1940's effective antibiotic treatment for TB was discovered and greatly improved one's chances for recovery.
Patient numbers gradually declined and in the late 1960,s, the decision was made to close Maybury sanatorium. The last patients were transferred in August of 1969..
Now there are no buildings, just 850 acres of the most beautiful nature you can imagine.