Professor Denis Wakefield, Head of the School of Medical Sciences, said the three diseases showed how the prevalence of disease can change. "Smallpox has been eradicated due to the development of a very effective vaccine."

 Professor Wakefield said the exhibition emphasised the importance of advances in disease treatment and control. "An exhibition such as this enables young people to get a better understanding of advances in medicine and medical research and where we might still be today without that work. "It's very easy to take for granted some of the benefits of modern medicine and not understand the sacrifices and long periods of waiting involved in producing new, effective and safe treatments," he said. "The spasmodic outbreaks of whooping cough and continued prevalence in our society of some diseases remind us of the need for constant vigilance with infectious diseases," Prof Wakefield added.

In the 1960s smallpox was still a killer, a feared disease that spread quickly in epidemics because of its highly contagious nature. About 10 to 15 million cases of the disease occurred each year, with more than two million deaths. In 1979, after worldwide intensive vaccination campaigns, the World Health Organisation marked the disappearance of smallpox from the planet.

Professor Wakefield said that even though the WHO was planning to destroy stocks of the smallpox vaccine, possibly in 2002, people shouldn't be concerned that there won't be any vaccine left. "Syphilis, once very common, is currently at a low level in Australia. But tuberculosis, the subject of widespread prevention campaigns, is again on the increase in Australia," he said.

"In the past, TB led to some of the great discoveries of modern medicine, including Laennec's discovery of the stethoscope, Koch's discovery of bacteria and Roentegen's application of x-rays to diagnose tuberculosis. The history of the great poxes should not be forgotten as we learn how to manage and prevent new threats to people's lives."