Disease Collection

HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, 1845
Engraving showing HMS Erebus (left) and HMS Terror, pictured on the River Thames, 1845. In 1845 the British Admiralty sent two polar exploration ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror

Shotley Bridge General Hospital, County Durham
Aerial view of Shotley Bridge Hospital, County Durham. It was originally opened by the Gateshead Union in 1912 as a TB sanatorium (far right of picture)

Captain Francis Crozier of HMS Terror, 1845
Engraving of Captain Francis Crozier (1796-1848) of HMS Terror, pictured shortly before departing on the ill-fated Franklin Arctic expedition of 1845

A map from On the Mode of Communication of Cholera, 1855 (litho)
1195411 A map from On the Mode of Communication of Cholera, 1855 (litho) by Snow, John (1813-58) (after); 22, 5x14, 2 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Snow)

Pneumothorax treatment, X-ray
Pneumothorax treatment (image 2 of 2). X-ray of the chest of a patient, showing treatment with a drain of a partial collapse of one lung (at right) in pneumothorax

T lymphocytes and cancer cell, SEM C001 / 1679
T lymphocytes and cancer cell. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of T lymphocyte cells (green) attached to a cancer cell

Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases, Wanted for Sneezing.. Date: circa 1940

Captain Sir John Franklin (1786-1847)
Engraving of Captain Sir John Franklin in his Royal Navy uniform, pictured shortly before departing on his ill-fated Arctic expedition of 1845

Medical ilustration of an appendix with appendicitis

Bunions, X-ray
Bunions. Coloured X-ray of an elderly womans deformed inward-turning toes due to bunions (orange, lower centre). This deformity (hallux valgus) is caused by wearing ill-fitting shoes

Alzheimers brain, computer artwork
Alzheimers brain. Computer graphic of a vertical (coronal) slice through the brain of an Alzheimer patient (at left) compared with a normal brain (at right)

Calots spinal surgery, 19th century
Calots spinal surgery, 19th-century artwork. This operation is being carried out by the French surgeon Jean-Francois Calot (1861-1944) on a condition known as Potts disease

Tuberculosis, X-ray
Tuberculosis. X-ray of the chest of a 25 year old male patient with pulmonary tuberculosis. Affected areas of the lungs (dark areas) are shown by grainy white patches

Skin disorders, artwork
Skin disorders. Computer artwork showing the structure of the skin, and the layers affected by various skin disorders. Folliculitis is the inflammation of hair follicles; Bullae are blisters;

Brain tumour, MRI scan
Brain tumour. Coloured orthogonal views (axial left, coronal middle, sagittal right) of a male head, made from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans

Tobacco hornworm with tobacco plant
Tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) with a damaged tobacco plant, artwork. This species is common throughout North America. Eggs (right)

South Eastern Fever Hospital, New Cross, London
The South Eastern Fever Hospital was opened in 1877 on Avonley Road at New Cross, near Deptford in south east London. It was the fifth such hospital to be erected by the Metropolitan Asylums Board

Tsar Alexander III and family
Tsar Alexander III (1845-1894) at the Livadia Palace, Yalta with his family. From left; the Tsarevich Nicholas (later Tsar Nicholas II), Grand Prince Georgi Alexandrovich, Tsaritsa Maria Feodorovna

The Enterprise and Investigator surrounded by ice, Barro
Engraving showing the Enterprise and Investigator surrounded by pack ice in Barrows Straits, September 1849. These two ships were used by Sir James Clark Rosss Expedition of 1848-1849 to search

The End of Sir John Franklins Arctic Expedition, 1845
Engraving showing the end of Sir John Franklins ill-fated Arctic expedition of 1845, entitled They Forged the last link with their lives. This engraving was taken from a painting by W

Soviet cholera vaccination poster, 1967
Soviet cholera vaccination poster. Poster which appeared in the USSR in 1967, urging citizens to get themselves vaccinated against cholera

Court for King Cholera
A Court for King Cholera

Punch cartoon: Faraday Giving His Card to Father Thames (engraving)
6034701 Punch cartoon: Faraday Giving His Card to Father Thames (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Punch cartoon: Faraday Giving His Card to Father Thames)

Goitre, 15th century artwork C018 / 1849
Goitre. 15th century artwork of a man with an enlarged thyroid gland (goitre). The thyroid is an endocrine gland found in the neck

Osteoporotic bone, SEM
Osteoporotic bone. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of fractured bone tissue from a patient suffering from osteoporosis (brittle bone disease)

Alzheimers brain. Computer processed vertical (coronal) slice through the brain of an Alzheimer patient (at left) compared with a normal brain (at right)

Iliotibial running injury, artwork
Artwork (side view) of the muscles of the thigh showing iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) or iliotibial band friction syndrome (ITBFS), a common injury to the thigh associated with running

Smallpox and Vaccination Hospital, Highgate, London
The Highgate Smallpox and Vaccination Hospital, designed by Samuel Daukes, opened in 1850. In around 1896, after a new smallpox hospital opened at South Mimms

Worshipping the God of Smallpox, India
Under the Hindu faith, if you want protection against getting smallpox, pray to Shitala, the Goddess of Smallpox

Wise woman at Ilchester, Somerset
At Ilchester, Somerset, a local wise woman uses weird rituals to treat cattle for foot and mouth disease

E. coli bacteria, SEM
E. coli bacteria. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of Escherichia coli bacteria (purple) taken from the small intestine of a child. E

Coral Spot Fungus (Nectria cinnabarina) fruiting bodies, growing on Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) twig, Powys, Wales, March

Irregular heartbeat. Conceptual image of a chest X-ray overlaid with an electrocardiogram (heart monitor) trace showing extrasystole

Stele of Roma the doorkeeper dedicated to Goddess Astarte. E
Stele of Roma the doorkeeper dedicated to Goddess Astarte. Limestone. 18th Dynasty. New Kingdom. C. 1400-1365 BC. Origin unknown. Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. Copenhagen. Denmark

Plasmodium sp. malarial parasite
Scanning electron microscope image of a malarial protozoal parasite. The parasite requires the anopheles mosquito to complete its life cycle

Union Workhouse, Bedale, North Yorkshire
The Bedale Union workhouse, erected in 1839 at South End, Bedale, North Yorkshire. Two ladies in large hats converse in the foreground

CARTOON: GOUT, c1815. Origin of the Gout. An upper class man playing the cello finds his gouty leg burned by a devil. Colored etching by Henry William Bunbury, c1815

Cartoon, Triumph of De-Jenner-Action 1898
Grim reaper holding the vaccination act. A new Vaccination Act removed these penalties and introduced a new clause known as the conscientious objector clause that allowed parents who did not believe

Bible of Royaumont, Old Testament: War of Naaman. Naaman
XEE4138446 Bible of Royaumont, Old Testament: War of Naaman. Naaman, general of the army of the King of Syria, came to find the Prophete Elisee to be healed of his leprosy. Illustration from 1811

Carlos Juan Finlay, Cuban biologist
Carlos Juan Finlay (1833-1915), Cuban biologist noted for work on yellow fever. Date: circa 1900

GROSSE ILE: MONUMENT, 1909. The inauguration of the monument dedicated to the Irish immigrants who died during a typhus outbreak in 1847, in Gross Ile, Quebec, Canada. Photograph, 15 April 1909

GROSSE ILE: MONUMENT, 1909. A monument dedicated to the Irish immigrants who died during a typhus outbreak in 1847, in Gross Ile, Quebec, Canada. Photograph, 1909

Death, the grim reaper. Turkish army defeated by Cholera, not by enemy, approaching Luleburgaz in disorder: 100 deaths per day. Illustration from Le Petit Journal, Paris, 1 December 1912

Dohle bodies in blood cell, micrograph
Dohle bodies in blood cell. Light micrograph of a neutrophil white blood cell (centre) with Dohle bodies. These are small inclusions within the cells cytoplasm

Empire Hotel, Lowestoft, Suffolk
The Empire Hotel at Lowestoft, Suffolk, opened in 1900. In 1921 it was acquired by the Metropolitan Asylums Board and reopened the following year as a hospital for tuberculosis patients

Mosquito (Culicidae), female, internal anatomy, and sucking blood from skin, cross-section

Picture No. 11675613
Dark Field Light Micrograph: Scabies Mite. Date:

Lord Have Mercy Upon Us : The Plague in London (woodcut) (b / w photo)
XJF180917 Lord Have Mercy Upon Us : The Plague in London (woodcut) (b/w photo) by English School, (17th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: petition to God asking to end the plague; ); English

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"Disease: A Historical Battle Against the Unseen Foe" In 1845, as the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror set sail on their ill-fated Arctic expedition, little did they know that disease would become their deadliest adversary. The Shotley Bridge General Hospital in County Durham witnessed countless patients afflicted by mysterious ailments brought back from distant lands. Captain Francis Crozier of HMS Terror valiantly led his crew through treacherous waters, but even his courage could not shield them from the invisible enemy lurking within. As depicted in a Punch cartoon, renowned scientist Faraday tried to offer his expertise to Father Thames, symbolizing society's desperate attempts to combat diseases. The battle against disease takes place at microscopic levels too. T lymphocytes engaging cancer cells under an electron microscope (SEM C001 / 1679) exemplify our ongoing fight against this relentless foe. Awareness campaigns remind us that "Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases, " urging us to take precautions for public health. Medical advancements have revolutionized treatments over time. Pneumothorax treatment using X-rays has saved countless lives by effectively collapsing lung cavities caused by diseases like tuberculosis. However, these triumphs cannot overshadow the tragedies faced by Captain Sir John Franklin and his crew who succumbed to disease during their Arctic exploration. Diseases have often been personified throughout history – King Cholera presiding over a court reminds us of the devastating cholera outbreaks that plagued communities worldwide. Medical illustrations depicting appendicitis or bunions captured the urgency with which doctors sought solutions for these painful conditions. Yet perhaps one of the most feared diseases is Alzheimer's, which silently erodes memories and identities. Computer artwork visualizing an Alzheimer's brain serves as a stark reminder of its impact on individuals and families alike. As we navigate through centuries battling various diseases, it becomes evident that our fight is far from over.