Library – International Museum of Surgical Science

November 27, 2019November 19, 2019

A Note from the Library: On Obstetrics and Gender in Tokugawa-Period Japan

Published by Erin Newton Japanese historians commonly refer to the years between 1603 and 1867 as the Tokugawa Period, named for the Tokugawa Shogun whose family ruled the country during this time. It is widely considered one of the most politically stable periods in Japanese history, during which time the economy grew steadily and the … Continue reading A Note from the Library: On Obstetrics and Gender in Tokugawa-Period Japan

November 20, 2019November 19, 2019

A Note from the Library: De Medicina—A Complete Medical Text for its Time

Published by Nada Abdelrahim Above Left: Spine view, De medicina. Alter, ut ab almeloveenio editus est. A. 1713. Above Right: Back view, De medicina. Alter, ut ab almeloveenio editus est. A. 1713. Originally written in the first century CE, the copy of De Medicina in the IMSS’s library is “newer”— from 1713—written almost sixteen centuries … Continue reading A Note from the Library: De Medicina—A Complete Medical Text for its Time

October 23, 2017October 24, 2017

A Note From the Library: Facial Reconstruction in the 1940s and the Guinea Pig Club

Published by Lorca Jolene. Tremendous advances in facial reconstructive and plastic surgery occurred during the 1940s due to the sheer number of World War II soldiers who sought treatment for disfiguring injuries that they sustained in combat. At the beginning of the war, surgeons would have prepared for such cases by consulting texts like Samuel … Continue reading A Note From the Library: Facial Reconstruction in the 1940s and the Guinea Pig Club

May 18, 2017October 28, 2018

A Note From the Library: Max Thorek and Testicular Transplantation

The International College of Surgeons and International Museum of Surgical Science’s founder, Dr. Max Thorek, was well known for his pioneering spirit in the field. Of his many advancements, the museum has maintained a curiosity towards some of his more controversial undertakings. Continue reading A Note From the Library: Max Thorek and Testicular Transplantation

March 16, 2017October 28, 2018

A Note from the Library: Franz Anton Mesmer and Hypnotism

Viewing large collections, such as the Thorek Library, is a wonderful way of visualizing how ideas in medicine change and morph into standards that we know today. Continue reading A Note from the Library: Franz Anton Mesmer and Hypnotism

February 23, 2017October 28, 2018

A Note from the Library: Frederick Wood Jones’ “The Principles of Anatomy as Seen in the Hand”

The most remarkable aspect of this book is the fact that nearly half of the pages include some form of infant scribbling. Some scribbles are large and heavy, others tight and soft, but all include an unrestrained confrontation with motor development. I find it so fitting that the author and the scribbler both sought one in the same thing, through the same object—to better understand the hand. Continue reading A Note from the Library: Frederick Wood Jones’ “The Principles of Anatomy as Seen in the Hand”

January 13, 2017October 28, 2018

Ongoing Library Conservation at the Thorek Medical Manuscripts and Rare Book Collection

Where state-of-the-art provisions may not always be affordable, or clash with other historic preservation concerns (historical architectural accuracy, material preservation, etc.), simple interventions and education can be a critical first step in preserving cultural heritage. With collections of books, this can be as simple as soft-packing or wrapping a volume in tissue, as we began to learn here at the Museum early last year. Continue reading Ongoing Library Conservation at the Thorek Medical Manuscripts and Rare Book Collection