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562 Baruch, Simon b. Zebi Hirsch

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

Baruch

and in a series of articles ("Medical Record," 1883) showed that malarial diseases are very rarely fatal in temperate climates, basing his study upon observations in the South extending over fifteen years. Although his views were not accepted at the time, they were confirmed ten years later by Professor Osier of Johns Hopkins University and Dr. James, chief of the New York Vanderbilt Clinic. Another subject that attracted Baruch's attention was the fatality of appendicitis when treated medically only, as was then the custom. Baruch's insistence on the need of operation in a Pioneer in certain case, and his subsequent conthe Surtributions to the diagnosis of appendi-

gery of Appendicitis.

make him the pioneer of this beneficent revolution in surgery. Dr.

citis,

Wyeth, an eminent surgeon,

A.

J.

stated before the New York Academy of Medicine that " the profession and humanity owe more to Dr.

Baruch than to any other one man for the development of the surgery of appendicitis" (report in "American Medical and Surgical Bulletin," March, 1884).

A larger field

in the treatment of diseases

Baruch's cultivation.

awaited

He contended

that the physician's chief reliance should be on the agents which maintain health food, cleanliness, exercise, rest, water taken internally and externally. By various addresses, essays, and as editor of the " Dietetic and

—

Hygienic Gazette," of the "Journal of Balneology," and of "Gaillard's Medical Journal," Dr. Baruch made propaganda upon the natural remedies and especially the uses of water and in 1892 his book on " The Uses of Water in Modern Medicine " was published in Detroit. Being the first work on this subject in the English language, it created much inter;

est,

and served

to call the attention of

His "Work medical men to the valuable results on Hydro- of hydrotherapy, and to the scientific therapy,

basis

upon which water should be

es-

tablished as a remedy. The book was translated into German and published in Stuttgart, receiving in Germany similar high encomiums to it had gained in America. Baruch succeeded in establishing water treatment

those

In February, 1888, he made the plea for the treatment of typhoid fever by the Brand system a cold bath of definite temperature, duration and method ("Successful Treatment of Typhoid Fever," St. Louis, 1893) which in Munich had reduced the mortality of typhoid fever to the lowest possible rate (3 per cent). In pneumonia and other ailments also Baruch's advocacy of water has successfully replaced spoliative remedies, by substituting this vivifying and invigorating agent for depreciating ones. Another movement which Baruch has espoused as a pioneer, not alone in America, but in the whole world, is that for "free public cleansing baths," in New York, Chicago, and other large Pioneer of cities, replacing the river (pool or Free Public tank) baths by cleansing (rain) baths, in acute diseases.

—

—

Baths.

which carry off to

foul matter.

In order

encourage the establishment of free

cleansing baths in other parts of the world, Baruch sent an exhibit of plans, furnished by Dr. Welling-

ton and

Mayor Harrison

562

and by Dr. together with statistics, to the section on Social Science of the Paris Exposition, 1900. This exhibit was awarded a silver medal and a diploma. Bibliography: Markens, The Hebrews in America, p. 197;

Wende, health

of Chicago,

officer of Buffalo,

private sources. A.

F.

DE

S.

M.

BARUCH B. SOLOMON KALAI. See Kalai. BARUCH OF TULCHIN Russian rabbi and

leader of the Hasidim of the Ukraine born at Medzhibozh, government of Podolia, about 1750; died

He was the son of Adele, who was there in 1810. the only daughter of Israel Ba'al Shem-Tob, founder of Hasidism, and who, on account of " the supreme qualities of her soul," had conferred upon her the epithet of "the most righteous." According to Walden ("Shem ha-Gedolim he-Hadash," B. 55), Adele gave birth to twins, Moses avvml Ephraim " of Sudilkov, author of " Degel Mahaneh Ephraim (The Flag of the Camp of Ephraim), being Baruch's While Ephraim was a man of letters twin brother. and a theorist, Baruch was practical, and for more than thirty years held the leadership of the Hasidim of Podolia at Tulchin, and later at Medzhibozh, the former seat of his grandfather. He ruled with great adroitness; traveling around his diocese in luxurious carriages, and collecting large sums of money and presents from his numerous disciples. Baruch was everywhere received with great enthusiasm. The rich and influential looked for his protection; the His income was immense. In masses, for his help. Medzhibozh he held a court, famous for its splendor, and rivaling those of reigning princes and Polish magnates. He even kept a court- jester, Hirschele There were continuous noisy festivals, of Astropol. carousals, and dances, attended by an excited crowd of enraptured Hasidim. Baruch did not possess great intellect, but was fond of power. Unlike his grandfather and brother, he never wrote on Hasidic doctrines. few of his

H

A

sermons were published long after his death (in 1851, as a supplement to Abraham Malak's "Hesed le Abraham," Czernowitz, 1851, pp. 99-116). Another

work

ascribed to him, a book of aphorisms, entitled Buzina de-Nehorah " (The Luminous Torch), Lemberg, 1880 2d enlarged edition, Petrokov, 1889, is, in all probability, apocryphal. It is said that Baruch in his early youth had gained the love and admiration of his grandfather's followers; that Baer of Meseritz had called him a phenomenon, and that the elderly Rabbi Phinehas of Koretz used to rise before the youth, predicting that he would become famous. Though Baruch did not realize these expectations, "



was unlimited. He claimed that nothing was hidden from him, and that to him were revealed

his conceit

the mysteries of theology. He boastfully said, were to know that I had neglected even one of the commandments of the Talmud, I should not care to live." On one occasion Rabbi Simon ben Yohai, the alleged author of the Zohar, appeared to him in a dream, and said: "Baruch, my beloved, you are a perfect man." Notwithstanding all this, Baruch, at the height of all

" If I

had won the name of " the quarrelsome zaddik," on account of his contentious disposition

his career,