Montana Sanitarium

One example of a typical sanitarium is Montana State TB Sanitarium. It was built in 1912 and admitted its first patient in 1913. In 1924, children were allowed to be admitted into this sanitarium. Patients were exposed to the open air up to 24 hours a day, only being in enclosed room while undressing. The sanitarium consisted of a central building with two long wings and windows on all sides. Patients were only allowed to stay in the central building during storms. It was so isolated that it formed its own newspaper. subculture and even slang. People could be in a sanitarium for months, even years. The average stay of a patient at Montana State was 300 days. A patients day was regulated through out the day with sun exposure, afternoon naps and a nine-o'clock bed time. After the development of Streptomycin, the sanitarium was no longer needed, though it stayed open until 1993 for other uses.