BEGINNINGS 13 



and Allied Hospitals. A dispensary exclusively for the treatment 

 of the consumptive poor, and having its own building, was estab- 

 lished by the city of New York under the auspices of the Health 

 Department and opened in March, 1904. This was located at 

 the corner of Fifty-fifth Street and Sixth Avenue, and was known 

 as the Clinic for Pulmonary Diseases of the Health Department. 

 It was started mainly through the initiative of Dr. Hermann M. 

 Biggs, then General Medical Officer of the city. Dr. Biggs acted 

 as director and Drs. John S. Billings and S. Adolphus Knopf as 

 associate directors, with a staff of 10 attending physicians. 



Following is an enumeration of the dispensaries in operation 

 prior to the founding of The National Association for the Study 

 and Prevention of Tuberculosis: In Connecticut I, District of 

 Columbia i, Illinois I, Maryland I, Massachusetts 2, Minnesota 

 2, New Jersey I, New York 8, Ohio 2, Pennsylvania 4, Rhode 

 Island i a total of 24. 



The idea of forming a society to create auxiliaries to tubercu- 

 losis clinics originated in New York in 1905 with Mrs. Willard 

 Straight, Mrs. J. Borden Harriman, Dr. Andrew J. McCush 

 and Dr. Hermann M. Biggs. In 1907 the first auxiliary to a 

 tuberculosis dispensary was established in connection with the 

 tuberculosis clinic of the Presbyterian Hospital of New York city. 

 It owes its existence to the enthusiasm and devotion of Mrs. J. 

 Borden Harriman, Mrs. Willard Straight, and Mrs. Rumsey. 



The Chelsea Clinic auxiliary and other auxiliaries were later 

 developed. An active association under the name of "Society 

 for Prevention and Relief of Tuberculosis" was incorporated in 

 1915. Mrs. J. Borden Harriman was elected honorary presi- 

 dent, Mrs. Willard Straight an honorary member, Miss Beatrice 

 Bend, president, and Mrs. Hermann M. Biggs, vice-president. 

 In !9i6Mrs. Biggs succeeded to the presidency and remained in 

 this position until 1920, when she was made honorary president 

 and was succeeded by Miss Ruth Twombly. The activities of 

 the Society are varied. Besides providing for medical atten- 

 tion, it gives relief in food, clothing, transportation to sana- 

 toria, and employment, and has installed in the various clinics 

 day nurseries, physical culture classes, dental clinics, and work- 

 shop, ^ 



