[Health education and tuberculosis control around 1900]

Health education nowadays is considered a nursing task. Traditionally medical doctors claimed that this intervention belonged to their field of work. This article investigates the role of German nurses in health education around 1900. The problem of tuberculosis control serves as an example. For this purpose the academic library for the history of science at the Humboldt University, Berlin was searched for relevant sources. From the texts found, statements about health education and nursing tasks were compared.

For the period around 1900 two different strategies of control can be identified. The sanatorium, which beside its therapeutic function was conceived as an educational institute for personal hygiene, occupied the central position. Under the guidance of medical doctors a lasting attitude change of patients should occur. Contemporary criticism, however, doubted the concept's efficiency. As an alternative, a local attendance program by means of welfare offices was suggested. Often, these institutions provided the sole practicable way of action. Here, the nursing staff acted more independently in comparison to the sanatorium under medical direction. Health education played a key role in the work of the welfare nurses.