National Museum Of Health And Medicine To Open New Exhibit 'Triumph At Carville: A Tale Of Leprosy In America'

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 27 Mar 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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The National Museum of Health and Medicine of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (NMHM) will open an exhibition titled "Triumph at Carville: A Tale of Leprosy in America" to coincide with the premiere of a new PBS documentary of the same name. The exhibition will open to the public on March 28, 2008. The museum is located on the campus of Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

The documentary documents the efforts made during the 20th century to combat mankind's most feared disease - leprosy. The film tells the story of the country's national leprosarium, established over a century ago in Carville, Louisiana. Initially more prison than hospital, it evolved into a refuge for leprosy patients from all over the world. Through interviews, radio shows, news accounts and other archival materials, the documentary takes viewers inside Carville to meet the patients, nuns, physicians and staff who lived and worked there.

The Museum's exhibition will expand on the story told in the documentary, educating visitors about the nature of the disease and the life of patients at Carville. Artifacts on display will include modified tools used by patients, as well as objects that illustrate the rich cultural and social life the patients fostered for themselves while quarantined at the hospital.

"We are thrilled to make this special exhibition available to the public, which we are certain will open visitors' eyes to a fascinating but little-understood element of our nation's history," said Adrianne Noe, Ph.D., director of the Museum. "The exhibit will work to further combat misperceptions about leprosy and persons suffering from the disease, as well as illuminate the incredible bond that formed among anyone associated with the place we call Carville."

The film and the accompanying exhibition will change much of what the public knows about leprosy (also known as Hansen's disease.) For example:

- Leprosy is among the hardest of any disease to contract-95% of humans are immune.
- Nearly 750,000 new cases of leprosy are diagnosed annually worldwide.
- Due to therapies developed at Carville, patients with access to the medications are most often able to live entirely normal lives.
- Armadillos are the only animals besides humans known to be afflicted with leprosy.
- Researchers are still working to learn how leprosy is transmitted.

Links:

* PBS information about "Triumph at Carville"
* National Museum of Health and Medicine
* National Hansen's Disease (Leprosy) Program/Health Resources and Service Administration
* National Hansen's Disease Museum

About the National Museum of Health and Medicine

* The National Museum of Health and Medicine of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, established in 1862, inspires interest in and promotes the understanding of medicine-past, present, and future-with a special emphasis on tri-service American military medicine. As a National Historic Landmark recognized for its ongoing value to the health of the military and to the nation, the museum identifies, collects, and preserves important and unique resources to support a broad agenda of innovative exhibits, educational programs, and scientific, historical, and medical research. The museum is located at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C.

National Museum of Health and Medicine