19th and 20th Century Medicine, Disease, and Health in the Old Pueblo

Many early Tucson transplants relocated to the Old Pueblo for their health. The mild winter seemed to help most aliments, but the dry desert air proved to be a lifesaver for many with the “white plague,” tuberculosis. Other new arrivals to Tucson came for adventure while practicing medicine for the military after Camp and later Fort Lowell were established. Two famous doctors, Dr. Goodfellow and Dr. Handy, would bring medical research and the smallpox vaccine to the territory. After the turn of the 20th century, hundreds of desperate people would come to the outskirts of Tucson to camp out in the desert air seeking a cure for tuberculosis. Sanitoriums and hospitals would focus on the ever-expanding cases of tuberculosis and the Spanish Flu pandemic. Join local historian, Ken Scoville, to learn more about Tucson’s heritage of health and medicine which would culminate with the establishment of the College of Medicine at the University of Arizona. Please note, this lecture will be presented via Zoom.