Socio-economic Status in the Sanatorium: Tuberculosis in B.C. during the Interwar Period, a case study of Tranquille Sanatorium
Date
2024
Authors
Johnston, Sarah
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Victoria
Abstract
This project focuses on the history of tuberculosis in British Columbia during the interwar period. Using the Tranquille Sanatorium (located near Kamloops, BC) as a case study, this research interrogates their claim that anyone who fulfilled the BC citizen requirement would be treated, regardless of ability to pay. Along with the question of economic accessibility, this study also outlines the history of the sanatorium movement, changes in treatment, and changes in attitudes toward and perception of tuberculosis and those suffering from it. Archival sources also highlight how patients asserted their agency and humanity even from the confines of a rural sanatorium.
The intersection between tuberculosis and socio-economic status is important in the history of medicine because it is emblematic of a wider shift toward state support for healthcare, while also introducing less palatable aspects like social control and prejudice in systems.
Description
Keywords
tuberculosis, History of Medicine, socio-economic status, Sanatorium, Tranquille Sanatorium, history