ADK Talks
ADK Talks brings you the stories behind the people, places, and things to do in the Adirondack Park of New York State. With 6 million acres, the Adirondacks are the ultimate playground.
We take you beyond the guidebooks and into the heart of one of America's most breathtaking regions. Just like we do on our website, adktaste.com, our podcast uncovers the hidden gems of the Adirondacks, offering hand-picked recommendations for the best places to stay, eat, shop and do in the Adirondack Park.
But this isn't just about places. It's about the people who make the Adirondacks so special and unique. In each episode, we talk to people from all walks of life—restauranteurs, farmers, innkeepers, historians, artists, local leaders, writers, hikers, and more. Hear real stories about what they do, their passions, and how they found their way here.
And they'll share their insider tips on the best things to see and do in the Adirondacks – insights you won't find anywhere else.
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ADK Talks
Healing the World from the Adirondacks: Dr. Trudeau and the Saranac Laboratory - Amy Catania
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In this episode of ADK Talks, we step inside one of the most important scientific sites you’ve probably never heard of: the tuberculosis laboratory that helped put Saranac Lake on the global medical map.
We’re joined by Amy Catania, Executive Director of Historic Saranac Lake, who helps us trace how a small Adirondack village became a worldwide center for healing, research, and compassion at the turn of the 20th century.
At a time when tuberculosis was killing one in seven people in industrialized countries, patients, doctors, and researchers from around the world came north chasing fresh air, rest, and hope. What they found reshaped medicine, architecture, and the identity of Saranac Lake itself.
What you’ll hear in this episode
- How tuberculosis, once called “consumption,” spread rapidly during industrialization and why cities like New York were especially deadly
- The remarkable story of Edward Livingston Trudeau, a young New York City doctor who came to the Adirondacks expecting to die and instead helped change modern medicine
- Why Saranac Lake became home to what may be the first U.S. laboratory dedicated entirely to tuberculosis research
- The truth behind the “fresh air cure” and how rest, ventilation, and nursing care gave patients their best chance at recovery
- Cure cottages, cure porches, and how TB literally shaped the architecture of the village
- Why many cure cottages were run by women, and how this became an unexpected economic engine
- Inside Trudeau’s laboratory: fireproof design, high ceilings, massive windows, and science before electricity
- The famous Rabbit Island experiment and how it helped validate the sanatorium model worldwide
- How Saranac Lake’s TB years sparked everything from a booming downtown to the origins of the Winter Carnival
- The global reach of the cure, including thousands of patients from Latin America, Europe, and beyond
- What visitors can expect today at the laboratory museum and the exciting expansion into the restored Trudeau home opening in August 2026
Resources:
- Historic Saranac Lake Website
- Historic Saranac Lake Wiki
- ADKtaste.com article The Pioneering Fight Against Tuberculosis in the Adirondacks
- Embracing Winter Magic: The Saranac Lake Winter Carnival
- Sign Up For Our Newsletter and Visit the ADK Taste’s Website
Produced by NOVA