The Knickerbocker Hospital
was a 228-bed hospital in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, located at 70 Convent Avenue, corner of West 131st Street in
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...
, serving primarily poor and immigrant patients.
History
Founded in 1862
[ as the Manhattan Dispensary, it served as a temporary ]American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
tent facility for returning Union Army invalidsDated/offense?. In 1885, the ''New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' praised its rebirth as the fully equipped Manhattan Hospital, "the only general hospital north of Ninety-ninth street." The hospital assumed the city's largest ambulance
An ambulance is a medically-equipped vehicle used to transport patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to ...
district for many decades[ and worked at the forefront of treatments for ]polio
Poliomyelitis ( ), commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 75% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe ...
, alcoholism
Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...
, and gynecological care.
Manhattan Hospital's successive names were:
* the J. Hood Wright Memorial Hospital after James Hood Wright in 1895,
* the Knickerbocker Hospital in 1913,
* and finally, in 1974, as the Arthur C. Logan Memorial Hospital after Arthur C. Logan only a few years before it closed in 1979.
Current status
The former Knickerbocker Hospital building still stands and is currently the M. Moran Weston
In popular culture
The television series ''The Knick
''The Knick'' is an American period medical drama television series on Cinemax created by Jack Amiel and Michael Begler and directed by Steven Soderbergh. The series follows Dr. John W. Thackery (Clive Owen) and the staff at a fictionalized v ...
'' is set in a hospital inspired by the Knickerbocker.Clive Owen
Clive Owen (born 3 October 1964) is an English actor. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for playing the lead role in the ITV series '' Chancer'' from 1990 to 1991. He received critical acclaim for his work in the film '' Close ...
's character, Dr. John Thackery, is based in part on Dr. William Stewart Halsted. Dr. Halsted, a well-known physician who invented many new surgical instruments and techniques in the early 20th century, was, according to the Johns Hopkins Institute, known to be addicted to cocaine
Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...
and morphine
Morphine, formerly also called morphia, is an opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin produced by drying the latex of opium poppies (''Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as an analgesic (pain medication). There are ...
, like Thackery.
See also
* Doris L. Wethers, director of pediatrics at Knickerbocker Hospital from 1965 to 1973.
*William Stewart Halsted
William Stewart Halsted, M.D. (September 23, 1852 – September 7, 1922) was an American surgeon who emphasized strict aseptic technique during surgical procedures, was an early champion of newly discovered anesthetics, and introduced severa ...
, physician and inventor.
References
{{Hospitals in New York City, state=expanded
Defunct hospitals in Manhattan
1862 establishments in New York (state)
Hospitals established in 1862
Historically black hospitals in the United States