VISIT US! We've had an unprecedented number of tours recently and have been thrilled to welcome high school and college students, along with public health officials, and the general public. The weather is improved and we have indoor and outdoor tours available for May. Come visit! BOOK A TOUR FEATURED GUESTS We were honored to host our local Massachusetts delegation as part of Public Health Week activities. Congressman Seth Moulton, State Representative David Robertson, State Representative Tram Nguyen, and State Representative Vanna Howard toured the museum and discussed making mental and physical healthcare accessible to all. Moulton is co-leading the 988 mental health and suicide prevention emergency number implementation. SMALLPOX- A HISTORY Volunteer David Paquette shares a little known history of the development of the vaccine that eradicated smallpox. Read how Onesimus and Cotton Mather influenced the treatment that would stop this horrible disease. 1777 compulsory variolation of all new recruits into the Continental Army (obsolete method of infecting people with smallpox to build immunity) READ HERE ANNE SULLIVAN Did you know that Anne Sullivan, teacher of Helen Keller, was a resident at the Tewksbury Almshouse from 1876-1880? Our own Liz Robinson presented a history of Anne Sullivan along with Jennifer Arnott from Perkins School for the Blind as part of a celebration of her birthday on April 14. If you missed it, click below to listen to more about Anne and her appetite for learning. WATCH HERE Special thanks to our partners at the Tewksbury Public Library for making this presentation possible. Public Health Week 2022 ...at the Public Health Museum from Al DeMaria, MD, president Every year the American Public Health Association recognizes Public Health Week, a celebration of public health in its many aspects, during the first full week of April.  The Public Health Museum has long recognized Public Health Week with a series of events. This year the week kicked off on Monday, April 4, with a visit by Congressman Seth Moulton and Tewksbury State Representatives Tram T. Nguyen, Vanna Howard, and Dave Robertson. (see Featured Guests).   On Tuesday evening, our joint program about Smallpox was presented on Zoom by David Paquette, a volunteer at the museum, and Jason Weisfeld, a veteran of the smallpox eradication program in Bangladesh and Somalia. The presentation is available for viewing on the museum’s YouTube channel. David’s article on the origins of the smallpox vaccine is featured in this newsletter. On Thursday, the museum had a very successful open house, including visits by some local public health boards and visitors who had heard about us on WCVB’s Chronicle.  We concluded the week on Friday with a successful Local Public Health Forum on the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on local public health and lessons learned. The forum was produced in association with the four major local public health organizations in Massachusetts. All in all, although we are still virtual in some regards, this year’s Public Health Week seems to mark what may be the beginning of the end of the pandemic. We look forward to seeing you at the museum! OBJECT SPOTLIGHT: OPENING DAY   As baseball teams return to their homefields for a new season, we are reminded of the Danvers State Hospital uniform displayed in the Museum. The vibrant blue and red uniform certainly would have stood out in the field, capturing the attention of patients and hospital staff alike. The uniform features the number 13 on the back, and a tag sewn in the waistband reads “C. Sweetland.” The Museum also holds in its collection a reproduction photo of Tewksbury State Hospital patients watching a baseball game on the grounds in front of the Administration Building on East Street in 1917.   Many state hospitals incorporated baseball into their occupational therapy programs with the goal of using physical activity to improve mental health and treat some disorders. Teams would be comprised of patients, staff, and sometimes local amateur players. The 1924 Annual Report of the Trustees of the Danvers State Hospital (https://archives.lib.state.ma.us/bitstream/handle/2452/781291/ocm40905772-1924.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y) notes that the games were enjoyed by all and that matches against the hospital and visiting teams evoked a feeling of healthy rivalry. The Society for American Baseball Research features an article on the Asylum Base Ball Club reunion game, noting the therapeutic benefits for the patients playing and observing the game. The article also notes that many of the local amateur players went on to play in the major leagues.   Object Information: Danvers State Hospital Baseball Uniform 2012.07 Gift of Skip Marcella   Tewksbury State Hospital Historic Photograph 2011.01 Found in Collection Thank you to board member Amy Consalvi who is part of our Collections Committee. BLOOM FESTIVAL Join the PHM at the Power of Flowers Bloom Festival at the Greenhouses on the campus of Tewksbury Hospital. Artisans, flowers, and museum info. Get a jump start on your garden or pick up some Mother's Day gifts. Saturday, May 7, 2022 from 9:00AM-2:00PM

SHARING THE HISTORY OF PUBLIC HEALTH Sharing the history of public health with students who are the future is a passion of the museum. Over the last few months we've hosted multiple groups and have been so impressed with their curiosity and willingness to learn and ask questions. Our volunteers have gone above and beyond to accommodate these groups and we thank them for their efforts. The students participate in an exhibit search for answers to questions, then regroup in the Green Room for a review and discussion with the volunteers. The student and instructor feedback has been very positive. We've also been pleased to host senior centers, photography groups, and municipal public health teams for tours. Please contact sandra@publichealthmuseum.org to plan your visit. The museum is open Thursdays and Saturdays at this time.

Volunteer Phyllis Healy explains Smallpox to Concord-Carlisle Rivers and Revolutions students

Nashoba Valley Tech Dental Assisting students take notes during their tour

Wilmington Girl Scout Troop 66233 poses with Well Bee

Shawsheen Valley Tech students ask volunteer Liz Robinson questions about mental health

UMass Lowell Gerontology students visited

Essex Tech dental assisting students learn about dental history from volunteer David Paquette

June Book Club The book discussion group returns in June with Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds: Ebola and the Ravages of History, as a tribute to Dr. Paul Farmer. Farmer was a world-renowned infectious disease doctor, health advocate, and anthropologist who died earlier this year of a cardiac event while in Rwanda. Dr. Farmer co-founded Partners in Health, a global public health and social justice organization. Join Dr. Louis Fazen, Kathy Hursen, RN, Dr. Al DeMaria, and Dr. Scott Podolsky as they discuss the book and hear your thoughts on the text. Click here to register. The discussion is June 7 at 7:00PM via Zoom. The book is available at your library, from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and as an eBook on Kindle.

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