#eitb

[historicsaranaclake]

First Steps⁠

by Amy Catania⁠

World TB Day — March 24, 2025⁠

⁠Recently we celebrated the release of a new book by John Green, Everything is Tuberculosis. An award winning author and something of a legend with the younger crowd, John Green has come to share our obsession with TB.

Each HSL staff member read the book in one fell swoop. It is a beautiful, heartbreaking, eye-opening book that challenges us to grasp the enormity that is tuberculosis, past and present. Most Americans are unaware that TB once took the lives of more people in this country than cancer and heart disease combined. Many don’t know that the disease continues to kill more than a million people around the world each year, even though we have the medicine to cure it. 

John Green doesn’t attempt to tell a complete history of TB, and so it is understandable that he skims over an account of Saranac Lake. Of course we would have liked to read about Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau, a founder of the fresh air sanatorium movement in the United States and pioneer in the scientific research of TB. Dr Trudeau died of the disease in 1915, but Saranac Lake continued to develop as a center for patient care and professional training in the field. Some of the early drug trials were performed here in Saranac Lake in the early 1950s. Today, scientists at Trudeau Institute continue to advance the science of TB and other diseases.

In the 1950s, the antibiotic treatment was perfected at Rutgers University. Although it meant hard times for our local economy, the magic bullet of medicine was celebrated near and far. Indeed, TB is now rare in the United States, thanks to widespread treatment and testing.

It can be tempting to leave the story there, but John Green reminds us that medicine and science do not progress in straight lines. Saranac Lake’s TB history is only one small piece of an ever-evolving narrative. Here we are 75 years later, and the drugs still haven’t made it to places where TB runs rampant. Inequality, broken public health systems, persistent high drug prices, and lack of access to testing and nutrition, all mean that TB continues to be the worst global public health threat facing humanity. Limited access to medicine provides the opportunity for bacteria to mutate and become resistant. Lack of funding for development of new medicines means we have fewer and fewer answers to the ever-evolving germ.

Now, in 2025, the global situation is — unbelievably — worse than the one John Green described when he finished writing his book in 2024. Last month, the US government abruptly cut USAID-funded global health programs. Millions of people undergoing antibiotic treatment suddenly cannot access medicine. It’s a perfect recipe for the evolution of resistant bacteria. If Covid taught us anything it’s that we are all one organism, and bacteria will find their way to every corner of the globe.

TB will continue its rampage until high income countries take the first step, to care about the problem. This is Mr. Green’s main goal with his book, to bridge the empathy gap. To humanize TB, he focuses on one young person in Sierra Leone, Henry Reider, and his courageous battle against drug resistant TB. 

Reading about Henry brought to mind so many patients in Saranac Lake’s past who are a living part of our museum. We tell the story of Gloria Hazard, who died in Saranac Lake before the age of twenty. We talk about Isabel Smith, who cured for over twenty years in bed. And we remember Dr. E. L. Trudeau, “the beloved physician.” A model of empathy and optimism, Trudeau’s story continues to inspire healthcare workers around the world.

Visitors to the museum often teach us about Trudeau’s lasting legacy. In 2017, Drs. Suzhou Zhongyi Fan and Shulan Zhou visited the museum from China with their daughter, Wen. Practicing medicine in China, Wen’s parents had long been inspired by Dr. Trudeau. That afternoon, they visited the cemetery at Paul Smiths, and they left a note on Trudeau’s grave.

Saranac Lake is relevant to the story of TB because our museum is here today, chronicling the lives of patients and the people who cared for them. Learning about the past is a route to compassion, a first step to global understanding. 

We held a book launch party last week for John Green’s new book. It’s no surprise we had a good turnout. We may be way up here in the Adirondack mountains, far from people around the world struggling with TB, but through our history we are connected. It’s a first step.

Amy Catania

Join us at the Saranac Laboratory Museum on World TB Day, March 24th at 6 PM, for a screening of Crash Course’s ‘The Deadliest Infection of All Time.’ In this pre-recorded video lecture, author John Green explores this history, its persistence today, and how understanding TB’s history can point us to a different future. Copies of his recently published book, Everything is Tuberculosis, will be available for purchase.

[ionmarkelargazkiak]

[foxthep]

Chirpy the Bird, a mascot inspired by a robin bird from the EITB rebrand.

Taken from https://sites.google.com/view/notdianeska-portfolios/portfolios/animation-portfolios.

Made in 2022.

I didn’t monetize it, for archival purpose.

[angelpuns]

I think looking through my art over then years is really interesting because in middle school I drew a lot of ( terrible ) fanart, drew a LOT of comics and generally just drew whatever I wanted even though it was pretty terrible.

In highschool I drew a LOT of really serious, really grungey and really naked-heavy art ( Like...I drew naked women very very often because I was a closeted trans man :/) and I also drew a lot of ocs. I was mentally not the worse but I was masking super hard and wanted to understand the kind of struggles other people went through ( I was one of those kids that liked reading really sad stories and 'longed for trauma so that my being the way I am would make sense and be justified' anyway I did have trauma just could not recognize it as such because my life was ' too normal'. Not trying to like trauma dump or whatever I've just thought about it a lot )

Then in college/after college ( during a really difficult time in my life ) I drew a LOT of men. Especially sexy/sexualized men. But my art was less serious and more story driven. Still not comics but a lot of behind the scenes lore was happening. Also drew a lot of OCS. My college art was p weak cause I just wanted to make oc art at the time and all my instructors wanted me to make symbolic pieces that 'meant something' and I was very against that. ( I also was out at this time and was unmasking a lot more - but I also was living through some mildly traumatic stuff. I don't like to call it traumatic but it might have been that. I worry the stuff I think is traumatic isn't and I'm totally blowing it out of proportion. Anyway this isn't venting just observations )

And NOW I make a LOT OF FANART AND A LOT OF COMICS AND A LOT OF WHATEVER I WANT Which is hilarious cause we've come full circle. I don't draw sexual/sexy stuff at all anymore cause I don't enjoy it and I never enjoyed it ( I drew a lot of it in college/after college cause the people around me thought I was asexual and I wanted to prove I wasn't, because I really am not. Might be aromantic tho. Anyway drawing sexy stuff vs not drawing it means nothing in relation to my sexuality ) I also am working on drawing stuff that actually does mean something even tho I hated it in college. But I'm doing it the way I want to. ( this was all because of a comment I got on a fanfic. Wherever you are commented I hope you're doing well. You made me want to create art and fics that have a deeper meaning )

I think currently I am happiest with my art I just wish I had more time for it. Like yeah skill wise I'll probably never be where I want to be - as is the nature of being an artist - but I'm having fun and enjoy sharing my art and that's what matters.

Anyway I'm gonna make a year of art summary but I am also gonna make a 25 years of art summary for my birthday cause I think the comparisons are just funny year to year. Like I'll have gaps and stuff obviously but the circle of art I've been going through is so wild

Also side note none OF THIS IS MEANT TO BE A VENT ANY MENTAL HEALTH/TRAUMA THINGS ARE JUST OBSERVATIONS I'VE MADE/SPENT TIME THINKING ABOUT OKAY SO PLEASE DONT WORRY ABOUT REASSURING ME I DO PLAN ON TALKING ABOUT ALL THIS IN THERAPY OBVIOUSLY IM MENTALLY ACTUALLY P DECENT RN THIS WAS JUST ME RAMBLING ABOUT THE VERY SILLY ART CIRCLE JOURNEY IVE BEEN ON AND ALSO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT INFLUENVED THAT JOURNEY AH

[tinyalechardy]

What is Tiny Alec going to be for Halloween?

[error707-thatdude]

Anybody want a royalty au with a side of curses and fucked up soulmates..... King Dirk and his personal knight Dave based on rp🫶

- Dirk is cursed with something that has been very creatively called Red Miles

- At 13 Dirk's father (Alpha Dave) died to this curse, leaving him to need to shape up and take the crown (officially became king at 16, was cursed as well soon after)

- The curse starts at the extremities and moves across the body pretty quick makes mere touch very painful. The end goal of the curse is to eventually reach the heart, which obv kills u

- Dirk and Dave are cousins, their dads/bros are brothers

- Bro is actually on a revenge quest after D is killed, just- poof, never heard from again.

- When Dave finally finds out about Dirk's curse (bc the mf hides it) he decides "Welp if you're dying then I'm dying with you🫡" and proceeds to bind their souls together (Dirk is Not Happy About This)

- It's okay tho a cure will be found🫶

- @nintendont2502 hi Milo I finally posted it lmao

[cringelordofchaos]

guys is it bad that I had no idea who the rapper Drake was until people started making fun of drew and jakes ship name

[pinkprettycure]

"Liam reminds me of Byakuya" I don't think you're on a first name basis with that man....

[wereweallyolddontbullyus]

CHONNY JASH song count eleven is actually so good, not only the rift bit when all the music goes woshshhhhh ookhhhhohhhhhhwwwoooovvmmm but also because it makes my head explode in a jumble of colours that make my brain turn to mush

[vamppvania]

Thinking about how Barry is a horror show. Bill Hader drawing you in with dark comedy just to shatter the fantasy, trapping you into a lynchian tragedy about the nature of violence and all its forms. The dark spector of abuse will follow you everywhere and affect everyone you touch, and if youre not careful, you become that spector. Whats worse, what makes you ache and greive, is what these people, these characters you can't help but See and Understand, tell themselves to justify trapping themselves and others in this continuous cycle. Glorified war stories written with the blood of occupied foreign territories. Media and its role in facilitating violence. Guns sold across the toys aisle. Bronze effigies, emerald fantasies, false memories, desolate families. This show is terrifying its a ghost haunting my TV and I want to shake Bill Hader upside down so I can collect the fucjed up ideas that fall from his pockets like candies

[baphofemme]

i wan t someone tlo feed me or feed on me

[lohstandfound]

I went to queue one of my posts but Tumblr decided to crash but oh my god the hospital drama au based on drew (Jake) and Boyd (Jeremy) from Shortland Stree

[jartita-me-teneis]

Creo que es de "Vaya semanita" EITB

[zubimybae]

Datos y curiosidades sobre Martín, parte 2.

Ha dicho que antes de los partidos escucha viejas canciones de pop inglés y reggaeton.

Sus compañeros de equipo le llaman Zubi, aunque ha comentado que Elustondo le llama "Puentemonte" xd.

Esto es porque en euskera zubi significa puente y mendi, montaña. Algo así como puente en la montaña.

A la pregunta de a quién ficharía si fuese presidente de la Real, respondió que a Pedri 😍

Ha comentado que cuando pierde no le gusta hablar y que cuando era pequeño era capaz de tirarse dos o tres días sin mediar palabra, en completo silencio... Kshdkf. Me hace gracia imaginarlo así, es tan lindo.

También ha dicho que a veces queda con sus amigos para que vayan a verlo jugar e ir después a cenar juntos, pero que si pierde se le quitan las ganas y se va para casa xd.

Cuando fue convocado por primera vez con la selección española absoluta, como novatada le "obligaron" a cantar delante de todos "Despechá" de la Rosalía ksjsj hay un vídeo de eso donde se le ve usando una botella como micro.

Según un artículo de la prensa sobre los coches de los campeones de la Euro, Martín tiene un Mercedes clase C.

Apenas ve la tele, series o películas. Dice que cuando la enciende es para ver fútbol. Un día le pidieron que recomendara una película y dijo que no podía porque no ve películas... aunque hay un viejo mensaje suyo de su época de cadete donde afirma que "El niño con el pijama de rayas" es un peliculón.

Ha dicho que jamás se haría tatuajes.

En una entrevista para la Eitb fue preguntado sobre la gran cuestión que divide al país: "¿La tortilla de patatas, con o sin cebolla?". Es team cebolla (como yo 🥰).

[eyedruple]

HOWDO PEORPLE TYOE EITB RHESR HANDD

[strawberry-pretzels]

THIS MADE ME SNEEZE HELP

My brain isn't working