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Overview

During the first decade of the twentieth century, many small hospitals operated in Los Angeles. In large part, Southern California's warm dry climate was seen as salubrious for Easterners with frayed nerves, who were also sick of polluted, industrialized surroundings. The climate also was viewed as therapeutic for people with tuberculosis, a major scourge during the period. In 1903, the Los Angeles City Directory (p. 1864) listed 23 sanitaria or hospitals, far more than most American cities of comparable size. In 1900, Los Angeles had a population of 102.479 making it the 36th largest city in the US. Comparable cities such as Toledo (26th most populous) had 8 "Hospitals, Reformatories and Asylums," (See Toledo, Ohio, City Directory, 1903, p. 44), Omaha (the 35th most populous) had 1 (See Omaha, Nebraska, City Directory, 1904, p. 110), while Syracuse (the 30th) had 15 (Syracuse, New York, City Directory, 1903, pp 48-49). New York, the most populous city in 1900 with 3,437,202 inhabitants, had 44 hospitals. Thus, Los Angeles had 1 hospital for every 4,455 people, Syracuse, 1 for every 7.224, and New York, 1 for every 78,118.

In 1901, the Pacific Hospital operated at 1319 South Grand Avenue, with Milton N. Eskey as its Manager. (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1901, p. 667.) It continued at this address in 1905. (See Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1905, p. 1110.)

Building History

In 1918, the Naturopathic Institute and Sanitarium of California, Incorporated operated at this address. This medical institution was managed by Dr. Carl Schultz and served "...convalescents and persons in need of diet and rest." According to an advertisement of 1918, the facility had the following specialities: "We treat all chronic and acute diseases, such as Appendicitis, Diabetes, Bright's Disease, Rheumatism, Spinal Curvature, Hip Disease, Paralysis, Stomach and Female Complaints. Contagious and offensive diseases not taken." (See "Naturopathic Institute and Sanitarium of California, Incorporated, Advertisement," Official Yearbook and State Labor Manual of the California State Federation of Labor, 1918, [San Francisco: California State Federation of Labor, 1918] p. 236.)

PCAD id: 22206