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The Hill Country was believed to be good for one’s health. The high, dry climate was considered the best way to treat many illnesses. This caused Boerne to become a healthful resort with many sanitariums. There were 4 main medical facilities in Boerne’s early years.
Saint Mary’s Sanitarium
In 1896, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word bought property on the top of a hill on Main Street across from St. Helena’s Episcopal Church. This property is where they, with the help of Dr. Ferdinand Herff, built Saint Mary’s Sanitarium. It served patients suffering from lung diseases, especially tuberculosis. Tuberculosis was also called the “white plague”. It was a very deadly disease – killing 1 out of 7 people. Dr. Herff, a surgeon at Santa Rosa Hospital in San Antonio, sent many of his patients to Saint Mary’s Sanitarium to recover. Over the years, the sanitarium grew from a facility with 20 beds to one with 50 beds. The building was either torn down or burned down in 1924. Boerne’s new public library now sits on this site.
W.E. Wright’s Hill Top Sanitarium
In 1919, a local doctor named Dr. W.E. Wright signed a contract with the Veterans Administration. This contract was to give housing and medical care to veterans who were suffering from lung ailments – either tuberculosis or poison gas. Dr. Wright’s Sanitarium was located on Ryan Street where Critical Care Nursing Home now stands.
The Hill Top Sanitarium was made up of 12 to 15 cottages that were designed to hold 4 patients each. The first patient arrived in 1919 and soon there were up to 150 Veterans assigned to the unit. Some of the patients had to stay in private homes or at St. Mary’s Sanitarium while the cottages were being built. Dr. Wright’s Sanitarium closed in 1929 after veterans were either discharged or moved to VA hospitals. The last cottage was demolished in 1985.
Lex Sanitarum
In 1919, Emilie Lex opened her home on Johns Road to patients needing a place to recover after surgery. It became known as the Lex Sanitarium. With no hospitals in the area, doctors often performed surgery in the homes of their patients. Traveling between homes to check on patients was difficult. The Lex Sanitarium was only 1 mile from town so it was convenient for the doctors to visit their patients there. Doctors could visit their patients as often as needed without having to travel from house to house. Eventually, 2 rooms were changed into operating rooms and 3 additional rooms served as rooms for patients. Dr. John Francis Nooe began performing surgeries at the Lex Sanitarium. By the early 1920s, people traveled great distances to receive care from Dr. Nooe and Emilie Lex. Dr. Nooe and Emilie Lex worked together to save lives and bring babies into the world for many years. The Lex Sanitarium closed in the late 1930s as Dr. Nooe became old and younger, more modern doctors came to Boerne.
Dr. Jack Diamond’s Hospital
Dr. Diamond’s Hospital was the last intensive-care facility in Boerne. Located at 421 S. Main Street, it was originally built as a home in 1890. Later it was used as a general store, a barbershop, and a doctor’s office. Dr. Jack Diamond bought the building in 1949 and turned it into hospital. The hospital was licensed for 12 beds. It was closed in 1954. Since then, the building has been used as a home and as an antique shop.
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