Last update:
   23-Jan-2023
 

Arch Hellen Med, 40(1), January-February 2023, 128-134

HISTORY OF MEDICINE

The anti-tuberculosis battle in Greece in the 1800s and 1900s

S. Michaleas,1 V. Traouda,2 I. Mpersimi,2 A. Protogerou,3 N. Sipsas,3 M. Karamanou1
1Department of History of Medicine and Medical Ethics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens,
2"Aghios Dimitrios" General Hospital of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki,
3Clinic and Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Cardiovascular Prevention and Research Unit, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that affects mainly the lungs. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, is a species of pathogenic bacteria in the family of Mycobacteriaceae; it was discovered by Robert Koch in 1882. From about 1918 to 1939, tuberculosis in Greece was characterized as a social disease because it appeared to spread among the lower social classes, including displaced people living in refugee camps. The struggle against tuberculosis involved private initiatives aimed at educating people on hygiene, and establishing anti-tuberculosis institutions, such as sanatoria and preventoria.

Key words: Artificial pneumothorax, BCG vaccine, Phrenicotomy, Robert Koch, Sanatoria.

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