Vilniaus Street, Vilnius, April 2015 (10)

The Lithuanian Sanitary Aid Society ( lt, Lietuvių sanitarinės pagalbos draugija) was a Lithuanian society established in 1918 to provide medical care to refugees during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. First established in

Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...

, the society purchased hospital equipment of a war hospital and relocated to

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...

in July 1918. There it opened a hospital and continued to operate it until around 1941. Over the years, the hospital treated a total of about 300,000 patients. It was a charitable society, thus many of its treatments were provided at low cost or for free. After Vilnius incorporation into the

Second Polish Republic The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 1918 and 1939. The state was established on 6 November 1918, before the end of ...

, the society and the hospital were one of a few Lithuanian institutions active in

Vilnius Region Vilnius Region is the territory in present-day Lithuania and Belarus that was originally inhabited by ethnic Baltic tribes and was a part of Lithuania proper, but came under East Slavic and Polish cultural influences over time. The territory ...

. The society and the hospital were headed by Danielius Alseika and, after his death, by Vytautas Legeika.

History

Establishment

In early 1918,

was occupied by the Germans. At the time, two Lithuanian physicians husband Danielius Alseika and wife Veronika Alseikienė worked at a war hospital which was not evacuated to Russia. Together with and others, they established the Lithuanian Sanitary Aid Society. Through Alseikienė's acquaintance from the university, German officer Werner Miller, the society obtained permission to provide sanitary inspections and vaccinations to numerous war refugees who traveled through Minsk attempting to return from Russia. Due to outbreaks of

infectious disease An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dise ...

s, the refugees needed to obtain a sanitary inspection certificate to avoid

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...

. The society provides such certificates for a small fee. Using the collected funds, the society cheaply purchased equipment and inventory of the war hospital. It then relocated and established a hospital in

. In July 1918, 12 or 18 train cars worth of medical inventory was transported to Vilnius. The Lithuanian Sanitary Aid Society, which at the time had 36 members, opened a hospital on the present-day Vilnius Street in November 1918. The hospital had 30 rooms, including a pharmacy, laboratory,

x-ray An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...

and surgery rooms. At the time, the hospital employed six university-educated doctors: Danielius Alseika (

ear, nose, and throat Otorhinolaryngology ( , abbreviated ORL and also known as otolaryngology, otolaryngology–head and neck surgery (ORL–H&N or OHNS), or ear, nose, and throat (ENT)) is a surgical subspeciality within medicine that deals with the surgical a ...

specialist), Veronika Alseikienė (

ophthalmologist Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgery, surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Followin ...

), (dentist), Vladas Kairiūkštis ( internist), Alexander Helmut Otto Hagentorn (surgeon), and P. Ratomski (

gynecologist Gynaecology or gynecology (see spelling differences) is the area of medicine that involves the treatment of women's diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, forming the combined area ...

). The hospital charged 10 or 15 ostmarks per day. A doctor's visit cost 3 ostmarks.

Activities

The hospital continued to function despite successive changes of political regimes in Vilnius which was at the center of the

Polish–Lithuanian War The Polish–Lithuanian War (in Polish historiography, Polish–Lithuanian Conflict) was an undeclared war between newly-independent Lithuania and Poland following World War I, which happened mainly, but not only, in the Vilnius and Suwałki regi ...

. Several hospital employees, including Alseika and Krutulys, were arrested and briefly imprisoned. The political situation stabilized only when Vilnius was incorporated into the

in 1922. Due to the acrimonious dispute between Lithuania and Poland over the

, the society and the hospital were one of a few Lithuanian institutions active in the city and the region and faced political pressure from the Polish government. For example, pharmacies were not allowed to fill prescriptions written by the hospital. In 1938, hospital director Vytautas Legeika was sued by Polish authorities for renting the hospital building personally to Legeika without proper government permits. During 1923, the hospital treated 1,594 inpatients and 28,014 outpatients. In 1924, the hospital employed 14 doctors, 8 nurses, 5 administrative employees, and 25 others. In total, the hospital treated some 300,000 patients. Among them were Mečislovas Davainis-Silvestraitis (died at the hospital on 31 May 1919) and

Jonas Basanavičius Jonas Basanavičius (, pl, Jan Basanowicz; 23 November 1851 – 16 February 1927) was an activist and proponent of the Lithuanian National Revival. He participated in every major event leading to the independent Lithuanian state and is often give ...

(died at the hospital on 16 February 1927). The hospital did not accept patients of infectious diseases and did not provide maternity care. The society also published popular booklets on common diseases and their prevention (e.g. about

trachoma Trachoma is an infectious disease caused by bacterium ''Chlamydia trachomatis''. The infection causes a roughening of the inner surface of the eyelids. This roughening can lead to pain in the eyes, breakdown of the outer surface or cornea of ...

and

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

in 1936), organized lectures, and other events. It received no financial support from the government and provided many treatments for free. Therefore, the hospital struggled financially. Due to financial difficulties, intrigues, and disagreements, Veronika Alseikienė moved to

Kaunas Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Trakai ...

in independent Lithuania in 1932. Her husband Alseika remained in Vilnius and continued to head the hospital. In 1933, he stepped down as director of the hospital and was replaced by Vytautas Legeika but continued to chair the Lithuanian Sanitary Aid Society. In May 1936, Alseika died due to

chronic radiation syndrome Chronic radiation syndrome (CRS), or chronic radiation enteritis, is a constellation of health effects of radiation that occur after months or years of chronic exposure to high amounts of radiation. Chronic radiation syndrome develops with a speed ...

caused by insufficient shielding of

machines. Legeika became the new chairman of the society. Despite financial difficulties and the global

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, the society decided to move the hospital from expensive rented premises to its own building in 1933. The new building was located on the present-day

Gediminas Avenue Gediminas Avenue ( lt, Gedimino prospektas) is the main street of Vilnius, where most of the governmental institutions of Lithuania are concentrated, including the government, parliament, Constitutional Court and ministries. It is also the loca ...

facing

Lukiškės Square Lukiškės Square (other spellings include ''Łukiszki, Lukiski, Lukishki'', lt, Lukiškių aikštė) is the largest square (about in Vilnius, Lithuania, located in the center of the city. A major street in Vilnius, Gediminas Avenue, passes ...

. It was purchased for $18,000 () which was raised from various individuals and Lithuanian societies. The building previously housed a merchant's club and was not suited for a hospital. Therefore, it needed extensive renovations which were completed in January 1936. The society also raised 22,000 złoty and $15,000 for renovations. Since the society wanted to establish a modern well-equipped hospital, these initial budgets were likely exceeded. The new hospital had modern equipment for

physical Physical may refer to: *Physical examination In a physical examination, medical examination, or clinical examination, a medical practitioner examines a patient for any possible medical signs or symptoms of a medical condition. It generally co ...

and

hydrotherapy Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy and also called water cure, is a branch of alternative medicine (particularly naturopathy), occupational therapy, and physiotherapy, that involves the use of water for pain relief and treatment. The term ...

Board of the Lithuanian Sanitary Aid Society

In 1940, the hospital employed 14 doctors. At the time, it had nine private patient rooms, seven shared rooms, and eight doctor's offices. Since its archives were lost, little is known about the circumstances of the society's disbandment. It is believed that the hospital ceased operations around 1941.

Personnel

Over the years, many individuals were members of the board of the Lithuanian Sanitary Aid Society. In 1918, the board included chairman Alseika and members doctors , Vladas Kairiūkštis, Veronika Alseikienė,

Antanas Vileišis Dr. Antanas Vileišis (October 21, 1856 in Mediniai near Biržai – April 9, 1919 in Vilnius) was a Lithuanian public figure. After graduating from Moscow University in 1898, he settled in Vilnius and practiced medicine. He contributed to and ...

, Vladas Bagdonas, pharmacist Juozas Dyša, and Pijus Mičiulis. Around 1922–1924, board members included Alseika, Alseikienė,

, , , and A. Narbutas. In the 1930s, new board members included , , Povilas Kazarija. Society members included priests

Vincentas Borisevičius Vincentas Borisevičius (23 November 1887 – 18 November 1946) was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic bishop of the Telšiai Diocese. The process of his canonization was initiated in 1990. Born to a family of well-off Lithuanian farmers, Borisevičius ...

and

Vladas Mironas Vladas Mironas (22 June 1880 in Kuodiškiai, Kovno Governorate – 18 February 1953 in Vladimir) was a Lithuanian priest, politician and later Prime Minister of Lithuania. In 1905, Mironas participated in the Great Vilnius Seimas and, in 19 ...

References

{{reflist, refs= {{cite journal , title=Žinios iš Lietuvos , page=5 , volume=130 , issue=178 , language=lt , journal=

Lietuvos aidas ''Lietuvos aidas'' (literally: ''Echo of Lithuania'') is a daily newspaper in Lithuania. It was established on September 6, 1917 by Antanas Smetona, and became the semi-official voice of the newly formed Lithuanian government. When the government ...

, url=https://www.epaveldas.lt/preview?id=C1B0003957107-1918-Lapkr.13 , date=13 November 1918 {{cite web , first=Birutė , last=Biekšienė , date=24 October 2018 , url=https://www.voruta.lt/vilniaus-lietuviu-sanitarines-pagalbos-draugijai-poliklinikai-ir-ligoninei-100-metu-atminimo-lentos-atidengimo-iskilmes/ , title=Vilniaus lietuvių sanitarinės pagalbos draugijai, poliklinikai ir ligoninei – 100 metų. Atminimo lentos atidengimo iškilmės , language=lt , publisher=Voruta , access-date=16 October 2022 {{cite book , url=https://lmbtau.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/lietuviu-sanitarines-pagalbos-draugijos-ligonine.pdf , title=Lietuvių sanitarinės pagalbos draugijos ligoninė , language=lt , year=1936 , publisher=Polska Drukarnia Artystyczna "Grafika" , location=Vilnius , page=24 {{cite book , first=Algirdas , last=Grigaravičius , title=Atsiskyrėlis iš Suvalkijos. Jono Basanavičiaus gyvenimas ir darbai , language=lt , volume=I , page=113 , publisher=Versus aureus , isbn=978-9955-34-641-8 , year=2017 {{cite journal , first=Vincas , last=Lapinskas , title=125 metai nuo gydytojo rentgenologo Danieliaus Alseikos gimimo , date=September 2006 , journal=Sveikatos mokslai , volume=5 , url=http://www.elibrary.lt/resursai/Ziniasklaida/SAM/Sveikatos%20mokslai/sm_2006_5.pdf#page=83 , language=lt , pages=481–482 , issn=1392-6373 {{cite book , first=Algimantas , last=Liekis , title=Juodieji Lietuvos istorijos puslapiai , url=http://elibrary.lt/resursai/Leidiniai/Mokslotyros_institutas/Algimantas%20Liekis/Juodieji_lt_ist_puslapiai_II/047-132.pdf , language=lt , publisher=Mokslotyros institutas , volume=II , isbn=978-9986-795-67-4, page=119 {{cite journal , first=Regina , last=Vaišvilienė , title=Vilniaus fenomenas – Lietuvių sanitarinės pagalbos draugija, ligoninė ir poliklinika (1918–1941) , url=http://mokslolietuva.lt/2019/03/vilniaus-fenomenas-lietuviu-sanitarines-pagalbos-draugija-ligonine-ir-poliklinika-1918-1941/ , language=lt , journal=Mokslo Lietuva , date=16 March 2019 , volume= 6 , issue=627 , pages=11–12 , issn=1392-7191 {{cite journal , first=Regina , last=Vaišvilienė , title=Vilniaus fenomenas – Lietuvių sanitarinės pagalbos draugija, ligoninė ir poliklinika, veikusios 1918–1941 m. , url=http://mokslolietuva.lt/2019/04/vilniaus-fenomenas-lietuviu-sanitarines-pagalbos-draugija-ligonine-ir-poliklinika-veikusios-1918-1941-m/ , language=lt , journal=Mokslo Lietuva , date=4 April 2019 , volume= 7 , issue=628 , pages=9, 12 , issn=1392-7191 {{cite journal , first=Regina , last=Vaišvilienė , title=Vilniaus fenomenas – Lietuvių sanitarinės pagalbos draugija, ligoninė ir poliklinika, veikusios 1918–1941 m. , url=http://mokslolietuva.lt/2019/05/vilniaus-fenomenas-lietuviu-sanitarines-pagalbos-draugija-ligonine-ir-poliklinika-veikusios-1918-1941-m-2/ , language=lt , journal=Mokslo Lietuva , date=9 May 2019 , volume= 8 , issue=629 , issn=1392-7191 {{cite encyclopedia , first= , last= , date=22 May 2019 , orig-year=2019 , url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/vytautas-legeika/ , title=Vytautas Legeika , encyclopedia=

Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija The ''Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija'' or VLE (translation ''Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia'') is a 25-volume universal Lithuanian-language encyclopedia published by the Science and Encyclopaedia Publishing Institute from 2001 to 2014. VL ...

, publisher=Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos centras , language=lt , access-date=15 October 2022

External links

Illustrated brochure published for the opening of the new hospital building in 1936
Organizations established in 1918 Organizations disestablished in 1941 1941 disestablishments in Lithuania History of Vilnius Clubs and societies in Lithuania