Medicine

Vaccinating a Nation

The history of vaccination in Singapore goes back to the days of William Farquhar. Ong Eng Chuan provides an overview of vaccination efforts to prevent epidemics from breaking out here.

The Plague Fighter: Dr Wu Lien-Teh and His Work

The Penang-born doctor helped eradicate the deadly Manchurian pneumonic plague of 1910 and pushed for the use of face masks to prevent its spread. Kevin Y.L. Tan documents his life and work.

Cholera in 19th-century Singapore

The colony experienced its first cholera outbreak in 1841, and several epidemics in the decades thereafter. Bonny Tan examines how the battle against this deadly illness was won.

Magic or Medicine? Malay Healing Practices

Is traditional Malay medicine based on superstition and folklore or grounded in scientific evidence? Nadirah Norruddin uncovers the varying perceptions of Malay medicine in colonial Malaya.

Angels in White: Early Nursing in Singapore

In the 1820s, some “nurses” in Singapore were actually chained convicts. Pattarin Kusolpalin chronicles the history of nursing from 1819 until Independence.

Singapore Men of Science and Medicine in China (1911–1949)

Wayne Soon sheds light on the enduring and underrated legacy of Overseas Chinese doctors such as Lim Boon Keng and Robert Lim on China’s medical institutions.

Doctor, Doctor!: Singapore’s Medical Services

Milestones in Singapore’s medical scene – among other subjects – are captured through fascinating oral history narratives in a new book written by Cheong Suk-Wai and published by the National Archives of Singapore.

Leprosy: A Story of Suffering, But Also of Hope

People struck with leprosy were shunned and forced to live in isolation at the Trafalgar Home in Yio Chu Kang. Danielle Lim tracks the history of this disfiguring disease in Singapore.