Customer Reviews

Portrait of Healing: Curing in the Woods

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My husband gave me this book about 2 yrs ago after a trip to Lake Placid. He thought as a nurse I'd be interested. Sadly it sat on one of my coffee tables until recently. Last week I had been reading some fiction about some "treatments" for TB in the 30s when I remembered this very factual book I had. I have now read it and savored it cover to cover. For anyone with an interest in history, historical nursing(!), TB treatment at the turn of the century into the mid 20th c, this is a wonderful book. The pictures are fascinating. What touched me the most however was the depiction of Dr. Trudeau. I do not recall knowing his name prior to reading this book, now I will never forget it. If someone were to ask me which one deceased person would I have lunch with I'd pick him. Gentle, kind, tireless,brilliant,with a holistic approach to medicine and lover of nature: I see why staff didn't leave and patients returned for reunions. The environment at the Trudeau Sanitorium was unique and extraordinary. I would have loved to practice nursing there. My thanks and regards to the author for this wonderful and fascinating book. My only complaint was I wanted the book to go on and felt it ended a little abruptly. I would have enjoyed a brief rundown on the treatment (medications etc) of TB from 1954 when the Sanitorium closed through the present. Still give it 5 stars!

I had the pleasure of having Dr. Victoria E. Rinehart as a professor as an undergraduate student. She had given us a brief lecture on her research for this book along with a slide show and I was interested from that point on.

The book takes you to the era when TB was known as consumption, and the cure was fresh air, rest and sunlight (year round). The pictures take you back in time and help you to look back at the way a TB patients routine/life was in relationship to the treatment modalities of today.

The book is a poignant tribute to Dr. Trudeau and his staff who were caring, empathetc caregivers that never waivered from their primary goal, to provide the best physical, mental, spiritual and emotional support for their patients.

Kudos Vicki!

This is a lovely book that captures a very specific moment in history. At the time, the "Fresh Air Cure" was the best treatment available for tuberculosis, and the Adirondaks were a haven for so many people. Dr. Rinehart's book looks at the human side of this fascinating era. Well-researched and well-written, it is of interest to those in the health care profession, as well as those who love a well-written book of history.

I am a TB control nurse in New York State. This book contains wonderful photos and is accurate. However, I found that the author is not the best writer making it sometimes difficult to follow her line of thought. I would recommend it to those interested in the history of the treatment of TB and also those interested in the history of the Adirondacks of which the TB cure "industry" was an important part. I do think it is a nice addition to books that cover the history of nursing.