Stories, Statistics and Sanatoria

Dr Julie Collins & Peter Lekkas presented on 18 September 2018 'Stories, Statistics and Sanatoria'. Pulmonary tuberculosis was described by writer John Bunyan in 1680 as "The Captain of all these men of death". In South Australia tuberculosis mortality peaked in the 1890s and with a growing awareness of its contagiousness the state was one of the first places to declare it a notifiable disease in 1899. As such, detailed mortality records were kept recording the fate of those diagnosed as having the disease. The availability of historical health data has enabled a mapping of the spatial distribution across metropolitan Adelaide of cases of mortality due to pulmonary tuberculosis from 1902-7. This mapping has allowed the associations between the distribution of these cases and the historic social and urban geographies within which they arose to be explored. But is not only the statistics which speak of the situation. Some of the stories of those who suffered from the disease were uncovered, providing another layer of detail about their lives and living conditions. In this talk Dr Julie Collins explores the interdisciplinary research concerning the urban, social and cultural histories of tuberculosis in South Australia at the turn of the twentieth century. Research which raised many questions particularly in reference to those who died from tuberculosis: Who were they? Where did they live? What were their social, urban and housing conditions? In the crusade against tuberculosis, the therapeutic benefits of place were also promoted by medical professionals and architects alike. This talk will also look at places designed for such treatment - Kalyra and Nunyara at Belair, two of the earliest sanatoria purpose-designed for the open-air treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis in Australia. This free public lecture was part of the History Trust of South Australia's Talking History series. For upcoming events visit: history.sa.gov.au/whats-on/events/