1982 marks the hundredth anniversary of the monumental discovery by Dr. Robert Koch of the tubercle bacillus, a discovery which marked the opening ofa new era in public health. To commemorate his remarkable contribution to the fight against tuberculosis, a commemorative issue was released. The stamp depicts the portrait of Dr. Robert Koch and the tubercle bacillus.　　Dr.Robert Koch was born in 1843 in Germany and pursued a career in public health after his graduation from the medical college of the University of Gottingen. He soon turned to research and perfected a number of important techniques of bacterial investigation. In 1882, on the 24th of March, he announced his discovery of the tubercle bacillus which causes this killing disease.His discovery marked the first step towards the conquest of tuberculosis.