Tuberculosis: Leading Cause Of Death In The Early 20th Century

Tuberculosis was one of the main leading causes of death in the United States in the early 20th century. People who were carriers or affected by the disease were quarantine, isolated from society, and placed in sanatoriums, which later became known as the "waiting room for death." As described by Sheila Rothman, death was a synonym of tuberculosis and was a habitual characteristic of the sanatoriums1. Although people were highly encouraged to go to these establishments, they were not as effective as they made them seem. Even under the best conditions, at least half of all the patients who entered the facilities died within a period of 6 years. Due to the ineffectiveness of these establishments, physicians and scientists started researching