An unofficial blog about the National Museum of Health and Medicine (nee the Army Medical Museum) in Silver Spring, MD. Visit for news about the museum, new projects, musing on the history of medicine and neat pictures.
Monday, January 5, 2009
More from the Ball Collection
Acc. 18873 Morbi Conjunctiva palpebrarum et bulbi. Diseases of the ocular and palpebral conjunctiva. Colored plate I from Dr. Friedrich August von Ammon's book (vol. 1).
Acc. 18874 Diseases of the bulbar and palpebral conjunctiva. Colored plate II from Dr. von Ammon's book (vol. 1).
Acc. 18875 Diseases of the cornea. Colored plate III from Dr. von Ammon's book (vol. 1).
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Less pharmaceutical advertising fun
By NATASHA SINGER
New York Times December 31, 2008
The pharmaceutical industry has agreed to a voluntary moratorium on branded promotional items.
Well, darn. I like the geegaws, although I'm in a constant debate with historical collections over whether or not to keep them. I'm in favor since they are part of medical history of a type.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Photographs of Museum specimens on French blog
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Whatever Happened to Polio? exhibit photos
Would a vaccine work? panels
Will there always be polio? panels
What do these devices do? panel with crutches.
What is polio? panels
What could your dime do? (for the March of Dimes) panel
How did polio change us? panels
What happened in a polio epidemic? panel
Interactive station
Iron lung.
Model showing how iron lung reduced pressure to enable lungs to fill with air.
What do these devices do? panel with braces.
Staying Alive: A Look at the Medical Field in Putnam County
Physician's electrical cabinet
Diagnostic instruments, bandages, splints.
Drugs and pharmaceuticals.
X-ray equipment.
Note the sterilizer iin the corner.
Examination chair.
Birthing table.
Atropine for nerve gas from Vietnam War.
Walter Reed's dinnerware.
Doctors in Vietnam War.
Wheelchair from a doctor's office.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
More from the Ball Collection
Also check out our latest Flickr account for another couple from Ball.
These were done by Margaretta Washington:
Acc. 18696 Lacrimal fistula
Acc 18697 Trachoma
Acc 18698 Um, I don't remember. This might be tuberculosis.
Acc 18699 Acute catarrhal conjunctivitis
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
YMCA in World War 1
Reeve 16000: YMCA kitchen. 11/05/1918. Metz, Lorraine. YMCA kitchen where all Allied prisoners of war are fed after being released from German prison camp.
Reeve 16079: YMCA, Chavonne, France. Bringing supplies to the YMCA. On the door is a large "Y" made from shells which landed near the door while under shell fire.
Reeve 16065: YMCA. Field Hospital #3. Froissy, France. Female workers giving refreshments to French patients.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Influenza News Means More Museum Photo Requests
"Researchers have found out what made the 1918 flu pandemic so deadly -- a group of three genes that lets the virus invade the lungs and cause pneumonia. They mixed samples of the 1918 influenza strain with modern seasonal flu viruses to find the three genes and said their study might help in the development of new flu drugs."
So be on the lookout for mentions of Camp Funston, everyone. You might see one of our photos gracing a newspaper near you.
Want to know more? The Museum had a temporary show on influenza (back in 1997, the exhibit, not the pandemic) and there's a virtual exhibit here.
Some updated links about the Balad exhibit
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Little Gems Are Worth The Effort
Sean Smith, director of government and public relations for the Association of Science-Technology Centers, said that these “little gems” offer “really, really unique things to people — if they take the trouble to go out and find them.”
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Medical museum annual visitor stats
Year Annual visitation notes
1958 234384
1959 363136
1960 586697
1961 684606
1962 631297
1963 478194
1964 451000
1965 543680
1966 765157
1967 571293
1968 280000* *partially closed
So in 1968 we were forced off the Mall, and were going to be moved up to Walter Reed, after some years in storage which severely damaged the collections.
1969 0 closed
1969 0 closed
1971 28216 reopens at WRAMC
In 1971, the Museum reopens in a new wing on the Pathology Institute building.
1972 65688
1973 >60000
1974 50000* *partially closed
Visitors are finding us, but then we get closed again as the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences gets established in our space...
1975 0 closed
1976 0 closed
1977 0 closed
1978 639* *partially closed
1979 6818
So I'm wondering what will happen when we close again, due to the BRAC of Walter Reed.