Raising Awareness about Tuberculosis – World TB Day, 24 March 2012 Pt. 1

What is TB?

Culture of tuberculosis bacteria

Tuberculosis is caused by an infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, rod-shaped bacteria that are spread mostly through air-born droplets or dust micro-particles of dried sputum.  Once inhaled, the body’s immune system typically reacts by engulfing the bacteria, forming a tubercle that contains the bacteria to help keep it from spreading.  In most cases, the bacteria will die; in others, however, the bacteria can survive, become dormant, and the infected individual may develop active disease at a later date, sometimes soon after infection, sometimes years later. 

Funding Success for Museum Collection

Iron lung, built at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, 1937,

We are excited to announce that Ontario’s Museums and Technology Fund has granted $15,000 to the Museum of Health Care for the development of a new feature on our website entitled “From the Collection”. To be developed over the next year, this page will include a series of short illustrated profiles for various objects, images, and documents drawn from the MHC collections. The subjects of these profiles will include artefacts, drawings, books, documents, works of art, and photographs representing various collections, themes, historical events, persons, medical disciplines, curiosities, and “treasures” currently held in MHC artefact and archival holdings.