The spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) has caused misery and worldwide disaster. It's a pandemic which has changed our lives in countless ways.
This global health scare is not a new phenomenon, but it's new to us.
This brief exhibition shows some of the health scares that have affected Medway in the past.
It's striking that health and hygiene advice given then is similar to the rules we are following in 2021. The knowledge we have today is built on the suffering and experience of our ancestors.
In 1853 the British Government made vaccinations for smallpox compulsory for children under three months old. A few people did not agree with this. One such man was Charles Washington Nye.
Smallpox was a deadly disease that caused epidemics throughout Britain. In Medway, we had a method of dealing with outbreaks that limited the spread of the infection.
