Twentieth-Century Disease and Prevention

The Japanese government launched various public health campaigns like this to inform and educate the public on the disease of malaria in hope to eradicate the epidemic. This piece was aimed towards the general literate public, in particular the lower working class in urban and rural areas, where malaria was most present. Throughout the 1900s, Japan was going through a period of modernization, and Western medicine was becoming increasingly influential. Despite the shift towards Western medicine, there was still a strong cultural emphasis on holistic health. Traditional practices like incense to repel mosquitoes as well as herbal remedies such as Kampo medicine were used to treat malaria (Teklemichael 2020). One plant that was commonly used for its antimalarial properties is Artemisia annua, also known as sweet wormwood contains artemisinin, which has shown to be effective against the malaria parasite. Alongside herbal treatments, a semi-synthetic derivative of artemisinin, artemether was developed in the 1980s by the Chinese company Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (Guo 2016). The injectable form is still used today as a treatment for malaria.

- Alek Feehan-Schuler, Spring, '23

This piece was created by Misumi Hiroshi who was born in Japan during the year 1903. The piece is a poster that was published in 1945 by the Mikuni Institute of Medicinal Plants Research with the intent to inform the public of the dangers of malaria and the use of Seburiko. While copies of the poster were reproduced using printing presses, the original poster was a traditional Japanese watercolor painting. The blending of colors such as the smoke with the background, as well as the brushstroke marks in the bottom lefthand corner are evidence of traditional watercolor paintings.  This image depicts the use of smoke and the burning of Seburiko which is an incense for repelling mosquitos. A mother and her child are infected with malaria which you can see from the mosquitos in the background of the image. The image uses color to evoke emotions of sadness, despair, and helplessness. This is one of the various piece's used by the Japanese government and other sources of public authority to educate the public on preventative measures for malaria.

Malaria is contracted by people who are bitten by mosquitos infected with plasmodium parasite. Ronal Ross is credited with the Nobel prize for establishing that the malaria parasite (plasmodium parasite) is directly responsible for causing the disease known as Malaria and is transmitted through the vector of certain species of mosquitos. (“The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1902,” n.d.) It's a life-threatening disease which is estimated to have killed between 150 and 300 million people in total, but it is still a global concern today as an estimate of 62,500 people died of malaria in 2021. Preventative measures include mosquito repellents or barriers, and antimalarial drugs. 

For most of the known written history of disease, Malaria plagued the Asia and African continents and only until 1676 did we begin to understand the disease. Thomas Sydenham was instrumental at identifying that Malaria and other diseases were caused by a specific disease. “In his work on malaria, for example, he reached the radically new conclusion that “intermittent fever”—as the disease was called—was not a holistic humoral imbalance at all but rather a specific disease entity. Thus Sydenham promoted the idea that diseases are specific entities” (Snowden, 2019,176) Sydenham in his studies theorized that diseases were specific and not related to having “humoral imbalance,” which was the common belief at the time and helped begin the process of identifying the source of the disease. Sydenham’s research and theories were instrumental for future scientists including Ronal Ross to determine the exact cause of this deadly disease.

- Anonymous, Fall, '23

C.U. World Citizens, Volume 1; Volume 2; Volume 3; and Volume 4.  Rocky Flats Protests, 1977-1984.  Rare and Distinctive Collections, CU Boulder Libraries

This collection shows Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Plant and the protests against it from 1977-1984. Rocky Flats was located between Boulder and Golden, Colorado.  The materials in this collection show protests that occurred in an attempt to stop the manufacture of nuclear weapons, which caused hazardous and radioactive material and led to the potential for disease and illness among residents living in nearby neighborhoods. The plant caused higher risks of various cancer types for residents of the area.  The Rocky Flats Truth Force was a non-violent, anti-nuclear organization that led some of the protests, including the ones shown in the photos. These photos can also be found in the collection CU World Citizens Records, held by Rare and Distinctive Collections. The collection holds posters, flyers, photographs, protest signs, and other pieces that were used during protests in order to bring awareness to the man made disease caused by the plant. It also holds numerous papers and news articles detailing the health risks to the local community.

Beyond the Buildings at a Place Called “Rocky Flats”: a Timeline of more than 50 years of Rocky Flats History (Patricia Buffer, 2003) notes that around 3,500 demonstrators expressed displeasure with the plant in 1978, 10,000 protestors in 1979, and 10,000 protestors in 1980 at the annual protest of Rocky Flats. The plant was raided in 1989 by the FBI for environmental violations and all operations were suspended for safety and environmental concerns. Rocky Flats Site History: events leading to the creation of the weapons complex and events at the Rocky Flats Site from the 1930s to present, also written by Buffer, discusses the history further. She writes: “Drawing massive media attention, some 12,000 peaceful demonstrators showed up October 15, 1983, but fell short of their goal of total encircling the plant.” (Buffer, 2003). In 1993, the Secretary of Energy announced the site's production mission over (Buffer, 2003). Understanding the concerns and protests surrounding the Rocky Flats nuclear plant is important in understanding health and disease in history because it shows the human and social costs of the manufacture of nuclear weapons. Concern remains today:  the Rocky Flats Truth Force hosted its reunion weekend with film screenings, lectures, and exhibits in September of 2018.