Forgotten battles of America's first disease detectives

Archival footage and narration describe medical examinations of immigrants at Ellis Island.

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Medical Screening at Ellis Island

The Brutal Medical Inspection Line at Ellis Island

Five scientists died tracking down this single disease.

In Montana's Bitterroot Valley, medical officers tracked Rocky Mountain spotted fever, leading to the infection and death of Dr. Thomas McClintic and four other researchers before a successful vaccine was created.

The Deadly Search for a Montana Tick Cure

He injected infected blood into himself to prove doctors wrong

In the early 20th century, thousands died annually from pellagra while physicians assumed it was an infection. Dr. Joseph Goldberger tested his nutritional hypothesis by injecting himself and his wife with patients' blood, proving poor diet was the true cause.

The Doctor Who Injected Infected Blood to Prove a Cure

The government used to inspect and certify outhouses

During the 1920s and 1930s, rural sanitation was central to preventing deadly disease outbreaks. Health officers designed, built, and inspected privies, stamping qualifying outhouses with official seals of approval.

When the Government Certified Safe Outhouses

How WWII changed nursing education forever

To overcome catastrophic healthcare shortages during World War II, the Cadet Nurse Corps offered free professional education and paid stipends in exchange for service. The initiative trained 85% of nursing graduates between 1943 and 1946.

The WWII Program That Transformed Modern Nursing

Formed in Atlanta during World War II to combat malaria near military facilities, the MCWA program proved indispensable for epidemiological research. Its peacetime expansion led directly to the establishment of the modern CDC.

How a Wartime Mosquito Program Created the CDC

How a bizarre tooth flaw eliminated 60% of cavities

Researchers discovered that towns with mottled teeth had surprisingly low cavity rates due to natural fluoride in the water supply. Grand Rapids tested fluoridation, triggering an astounding 60 percent drop in tooth decay.

How Toxic Water Solved Cavities

Archival narration discusses smog, water pollution, radiation and environmental health.

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How Environmental Hazards Became a Public Health Priority

The Lethal Smog That Changed America

Smallpox was officially eradicated worldwide by 1977

Hundreds of public health workers led a daring worldwide immunization offensive to destroy one of history's deadliest diseases. By 1977, the coordinated campaign officially eradicated smallpox from the planet.

The Mission That Wiped Out Smallpox

The wild claims sold before drug regulation

Prior to strict federal oversight, merchants made wild claims about curing diabetes, asthma, and migraines with unregulated remedies. The Food and Drug Administration stepped in to protect consumers and test medicines.

The Era of Bizarre Miracle Cures

[05:09.400] Medical Screening at Ellis Island
[06:41] The Deadly Search for a Montana Tick Cure
[07:16] The Doctor Who Injected Infected Blood to Prove a Cure
[09:20] When the Government Certified Safe Outhouses
[12:28] The WWII Program That Transformed Modern Nursing
[13:27] How a Wartime Mosquito Program Created the CDC
[14:35] How Toxic Water Solved Cavities
[16:42.900] How Environmental Hazards Became a Public Health Priority
[18:11] The Mission That Wiped Out Smallpox
[18:53] The Era of Bizarre Miracle Cures

Forgotten battles of America's first disease detectives

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