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Israel Weinstein

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Dr. Israel Weinstein
Born(1893-05-26)May 26, 1893
Manhattan, New York City, New York
DiedMay 25, 1975(1975-05-25) (aged 81)
Brooklyn, New York City, New York
NationalityUnited States
Alma materCity College of New York, Columbia University;
New York University
Known forCommissioner of Health of the City of New York, Bacteriologist, vaccination campaign during the 1947 New York City smallpox outbreak
Scientific career
FieldsPublic Health, Bacteriology
InstitutionsMorris High School, New York Public Lecture Bureau, New York Botanical Garden, Columbia University, New York University School of Medicine, Bellevue Hospital, Metropolitan Hospital, Union College, Montefiore Hospital, Sea View Hospital,

Israel Weinstein (May 26, 1893 – May 25, 1975) was an American physician and bacteriologist, best known for his work in public health in New York City, especially during the 1947 New York City smallpox outbreak as the Commissioner of Health of the City of New York from March 13, 1946 to November 3, 1947 under Mayor William O'Dwyer.

Early life

Israel Weinstein was born in New York City, New York on March 26, 1893 the fourth of seven children of David Weinstein and Freida nee Shostakowsky, recent Jewish immigrants from Brest, Russia (now Belarus). He was raised in a tenement building on the Lower East Side of New York City, and later in the Bronx. As a child, he experienced the death of two of his younger siblings from pneumonia, and he lost his father to heart disease in 1920, when he was only 27.[1]

Academic Career

Weinstein graduated with his Bachelor of Arts from City College of New York in 1913, followed by a Masters in 1915 at Columbia University, a 1926 MD at Columbia University, and a 1917 D.Sc from New York University. He was employed as a biology teacher at Morris High School in the Bronx from 1914-1922.

Weinstein lectured on medical and scientific topics for the New York City Department of Health, the New York Public Lecture Bureau, the New York Botanical Gardens from 1920-1928. In addition, from 1929-1931, he was an instructor of physiology and at Columbia University. He worked as an assistant professor of bacteriology and hygiene from 1931-1934 and an assistant professor of preventative medicine from 1934-1939 at New York University.[2]

Weinstein also published Extracts of Antibodies Obtained from Specific Precipitates of Typhoid-Antityphoid Serum Complex in the Journal of Immunology in 1918[3], Quantitative Biological Effects of Monochromatic Ultraviolet Light in the Journal of the Optical Society of America in 1930[4], Bacteriological Study of Throats in Rheumatic and Non-Rheumatic Fever: With Special Reference to Hemolytic Streptococci in JAMA Internal Medicine in 1934[5], and An Outbreak of Smallpox in New York City, about the 1947 New York City smallpox outbreak[6], among others.

Medical Career

In 1917, Weinstein joined the United States Army as a first lieutenant. He served in the Army Expedition Force, seeing action during the Battle of Saint-Mihiel. However, he was specifically tasked as a public health expert, producing his first public health campaign, directed at soldiers in order to reduce venereal diseases. [1]

Upon the end of World War One and the completion of his medical degree, in addition to working as a public health lecturer, Weinstein also served as a surgeon on the house staff of Bellevue Hospital from 1926-1928, and later an assistant physician in the outpatient department at the same institution from 1929-1930. He was a visiting attending physician at Metropolitan Hospital from 1928-1929, an adjunct visiting physician at Montefiore Hospital from 1931-1934, and an attending bacteriologist at Sea View Hospital from 1934-1939[2].

He rejoined the Army with the outbreak of World War Two, once again conducting public health lectures[7].

Commissioner of Health of the City of New York

Weinstein's entire career of public health services naturally led to his eventual appointment as the Commissioner of Health of the City of New York by Mayor William O'Dwyer in May 1946. Immediately he got to work, and within two days of his appointment started work on cleaning up the Marcy Houses projects in Brooklyn, and even left his 53rd birthday celebration in order to close a contaminated cannery at Camp LaGuardia[8].

1947 Smallpox Outbreak

Main article: 1947 New York City smallpox outbreak

In 1947, New York City experienced its first smallpox outbreak since 1912. Dr. Weinstein immediately spurred the city to action, going to Mayor William O’Dwyer to personally request $500,000 for the purchase of additional vaccine doses and to expand his staff for the intensive campaign- the largest in American history.[9]. Within three weeks over 6,350,000 New Yorkers had been vaccinated against the disease, 5,000,000 of whom were vaccinated within the first two weeks. In the end, only 12 people had contracted smallpox, only two of whom died.[6]

During the period 1900 to 1929, epidemics of virulent smallpox were reported throughout the United States. Notable among these were the outbreaks in 1921 in Denver and Kansas City, when the former city reported 924 cases and 37 deaths, and the latter 943 cases and 160 deaths. In 1924, Detroit reported 1,610 cases and 163 deaths. In 1901, an epidemic of smallpox in New York City resulted in 1,959 cases and 410 deaths. Had the same rate prevailed in the 1947 outbreak, there would have been 4,310 cases and 902 deaths.

— Dr. Israel Weinstein, "An Outbreak of Smallpox in New York City"[6]

Weinstein served as health commissioner for seven more months, resigning on November 3rd due to "personality conflicts" and "jealousy from those above him due to his flamboyant nature and frequent news appearances".[10]. He would go on to serve as the director of the Bureau of Health Education until 1949 when he retired. [1]

Later Life

Weinstein would go on to lecture occasionally internationally, but never married and had no children; his parents and five of his six siblings predeceased him[1]. Weinstein died on May 25, 1975 in Brooklyn.[11]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d Hollander, Caitlin (22 September 2020). "The Epidemic That Wasn't". Medium. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  2. ^ a b Who's Who in American Jewry (1938 Edition ed.). Jewish Biographical Bureau. p. 1119. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
  3. ^ Weinstein, Israel (1 January 1918). "Extracts of Antibodies Obtained from Specific Precipitates of Typhoid-Antityphoid Serum Complex". The Journal of Immunology. 3 (1). Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  4. ^ Weinstein, Israel (1 August 1930). "Quantitative Biological Effects of Monochromatic Ultraviolet Light". JOSA. 20 (8): 433–456. doi:10.1364/JOSA.20.000433. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  5. ^ Weinstein, Israel (1 March 1934). "BACTERIOLOGIC STUDY OF THROATS IN RHEUMATIC AND NONRHEUMATIC FEVER: WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCI". Archives of Internal Medicine. 53 (3): 453. doi:10.1001/archinte.1934.00160090130011.
  6. ^ a b c Weinstein, Israel (November 1947). "An Outbreak of Smallpox in New York City". American journal of public health and the nation's health. 37 (11): 1376–84. PMID 18016627. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Major Weinstein to Address Men's Club". The Daily Register. Oct 29, 1942.
  8. ^ "New City Health Chief Not Fazed by Big Job". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. May 26, 1946.
  9. ^ "A Massive Vaccination Effort". www.historyofvaccines.org. History of Vaccines.
  10. ^ "Health Report". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. February 10, 1948.
  11. ^ "ISRAEL WEINSTEIN, CITY'S HEALTH CHIEF (Published 1975)". The New York Times. 29 May 1975. Retrieved 15 October 2020.



Category:1893 births Category:1975 deaths Category:People from New York, New York Category:Scientists from New York (state) Category:Commissioners of Health of the City of New York

References

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