Nordach Clinic
Encyclopedia
The Nordach Clinic, or Nordach Sanatorium, was a clinic for the treatment of advanced tuberculosis
. It was established in the late 19th century by Dr. Otto Walther in Nordach in the Black Forest
region of southwestern Germany
. Some of Dr. Walther's uncustomary treatments included "overfeeding" (patients were given three daily plentiful feedings of milk, cheese, meat, sweets, starches, and fruits), the complete abstinence from any drugs (save morphine
for the critically ill), and plentiful rest. The rooms of the clinic (located at 1500 ft. above sea level) had an abundance of open windows to expose patients to the putative positive effects of winds.
The Nordach Clinic was small, housing a maximum of fifty patients, and very expensive. News of the successes of Nordach soon spread and helped give rise to the sanatorium business in nearby Switzerland, a country whose landscape was much more suited to the high altitude and fresh wind regime stressed by Nordach. The Nordach experiment also gave rise to several "mini Nordachs", most notably Nordach-in-Mendip and Nordach-in-Wales.
Nordach thrived as a sanatorium for people with tuberculosis through the early 1930s. However, as a Jew, Otto Walther came under increased scrutiny by the National Socialist
(Nazi
) Party after it came to power in Germany in 1933 and the clinic was eventually forced to close.
Sources
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. It was established in the late 19th century by Dr. Otto Walther in Nordach in the Black Forest
Black Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
region of southwestern Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Some of Dr. Walther's uncustomary treatments included "overfeeding" (patients were given three daily plentiful feedings of milk, cheese, meat, sweets, starches, and fruits), the complete abstinence from any drugs (save morphine
Morphine
Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
for the critically ill), and plentiful rest. The rooms of the clinic (located at 1500 ft. above sea level) had an abundance of open windows to expose patients to the putative positive effects of winds.
The Nordach Clinic was small, housing a maximum of fifty patients, and very expensive. News of the successes of Nordach soon spread and helped give rise to the sanatorium business in nearby Switzerland, a country whose landscape was much more suited to the high altitude and fresh wind regime stressed by Nordach. The Nordach experiment also gave rise to several "mini Nordachs", most notably Nordach-in-Mendip and Nordach-in-Wales.
Nordach thrived as a sanatorium for people with tuberculosis through the early 1930s. However, as a Jew, Otto Walther came under increased scrutiny by the National Socialist
National Socialist German Workers Party
The National Socialist German Workers' Party , commonly known in English as the Nazi Party, was a political party in Germany between 1920 and 1945. Its predecessor, the German Workers' Party , existed from 1919 to 1920...
(Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
) Party after it came to power in Germany in 1933 and the clinic was eventually forced to close.
Sources
- Dormandy, Thomas. The White Death: A History of Tuberculosis. New York: New York University Press, 1999.
- Gibson, J.A. The Nordach Treatment. London: 1901.
- De Guerville, A.B.Amédée Baillot de GuervilleAmédée Baillot de Guerville, or A.B. de Guerville , was a free-lance war correspondent, editor, and commercial agent, most frequently cited for his travel writing...
La lutte contre le tuberculose. Paris: Alphonse Lemerre, 1904 (translated as The Crusade against Phthisis. London: Hugh Rees, 1904; de Guerville recounts the experiences of his own successful treatment at Nordach in 1900).