Internationally respected author and academic, Helen Bynum, is coming to Haslemere Museum to present a free lecture about tuberculosis in the context of the history of the sanatorium movement, as part of the centenary celebrations of Holy Cross Hospital.
The lecture, Design for Living, takes place on Thursday 21 September at 7.30pm at Haslemere Museum and includes a reception. The lecture complements the Hospital’s centenary exhibition which takes place from 1 to 30 September at the Museum.
“We are very lucky to have Helen Bynum present this lecture for us,” says Christopher Hinton, the Chief Executive of Holy Cross Hospital. “She is a wonderful speaker and authority on tuberculosis. She will be weaving aspects of the history of Holy Cross Hospital into her talk along with absolutely fascinating medical and social history.
“As well as having such direct relevance to our history, the topic also has strong connections with the Sisters’ overseas work in such places as India and Africa where tuberculosis is more prevalent than it is at present in our society. We hope to attract an audience of local residents as well as history enthusiasts and people interested in health and medicine.”
Dr Bynum, whose book Spitting Blood is about the history of tuberculosis, will use famous patients to tell the stories of care. She will cover why there was a need for the sanatorium and the experiences of doctors, carers and patients, including children. The early history of Holy Cross Hospital in Haslemere, which has been providing ground breaking healthcare since 1917, is intertwined with the sanatorium movement, particularly the care of tuberculosis patients.
“My research has revealed, among others, a founding patient – a child who was transferred to Holy Cross in 1917 from Ramsgate. I’m looking forward to sharing her story, and many others, with the audience at the lecture,” says Helen Bynum. “In Design for Living I will talk about the history of tuberculosis care from the late nineteenth century onwards with reference to Holy Cross and what happened after the end of the sanatorium era when the face of tuberculosis in Britain shifted but the disease never went away.”
It is 100 years since the Congregation of the Daughters of the Cross of Liege established Holy Cross Hospital as a tuberculosis sanatorium. Today the hospital helps people with severe disabilities and long-term conditions to achieve the best quality of life. Holy Cross Hospital is holding a number of events throughout 2017 to mark the 100 years of outstanding care it has provided so far.
Tickets for the lecture are free and available from Reception at Holy Cross Hospital.