Lindex #0014

Benedict AL

Tuberculosis Among Russian Jews

Philadelphia Medical Journal

1901; 7:93

This is a letter to the editor commenting on the notion that Russian Jews seem to be prone to tuberculosis. The author refers to another letter written by Dr. Morris Fishberg who proposed that a hereditary component was responsible for the higher prevalence of Tuberculosis among Russian Jews. This author suggested that environmental factors probably played the key role. Russian Jews were often forced into inadequate living and working conditions and this situation did not improve in the United States with many of these Jews working in sweat shops. Poor housing and food could have resulted in the high rate of tuberculosis among these people.