Museum Blog – International Museum of Surgical Science

May 1, 2020May 1, 2020

A Note from the Collections – From Assassinations to Witches’ Brews: The Troubled History of the Belladonna Plant

Published by Bailey Kirsten “Beauty is pain!” one may think as they stuff their feet into 6-inch pumps, or meticulously tweeze their brows into the perfect arch. How far, however, might someone be willing to step over the line separating minor discomfort and extreme agony in order to get that special compliment from a stranger … Continue reading A Note from the Collections – From Assassinations to Witches’ Brews: The Troubled History of the Belladonna Plant

April 24, 2020

A Note from the Library – A Horrible Laceration: The Impact of the Minié Ball in the American Civil War

Published by Kelly Christian Many of the surgical textbooks held in the Thorek Manuscripts and Rare Books Collection reference how to operate on and care for wounds from war. The nuance of military surgery varied based on a book’s publication date, which accounts for the many differences in medical technology. Books from the late 19th … Continue reading A Note from the Library – A Horrible Laceration: The Impact of the Minié Ball in the American Civil War

April 17, 2020April 28, 2020

A Brief and Contained History of Quarantines

Published by Emily Baughman “This historic image depicts a quarantine card, which would be used to notify people not to enter or leave a house that had been quarantined due to the presence of a contagious disease. This warning was under the auspices of the Director of Health, of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District.” … Continue reading A Brief and Contained History of Quarantines

March 12, 2020

A Note from the Library: Florence Nightingale Through Letters

Published by Erin Newton While surgical textbooks and treatise on diseases can tell us much about the history of medicine, it is important to remember that the men and women who labored in medicine—as doctors, surgeons, nurses and midwives—are as much a historical object as the procedures and theories of the body. In addition to … Continue reading A Note from the Library: Florence Nightingale Through Letters

February 10, 2020March 19, 2020

A Note from the Collections: Dangerous “Soothing Syrups:” Patent Medicines

Published by Education Intern, Lillian Climo Patent medicine trading card. Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup. xx1999.255, International Museum of Surgical Science Collection. Advertisement for “Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup”, from 1887. The syrup is advertised as a cure for teething and shows a mother administering the medicine to her infant in a peaceful outdoor setting. Patent medicines … Continue reading A Note from the Collections: Dangerous “Soothing Syrups:” Patent Medicines

February 6, 2020

Reflecting on my Experience as an Education Intern

Published by Education Intern, Jackie Guataquira Over the past twelve weeks, I’ve been continuously reflecting on my time here at IMSS, keeping a journal to do so. The experiences I’ve had and the knowledge and skills I’ve gained over the course of my internship so far have genuinely been very valuable. I recently revisited a … Continue reading Reflecting on my Experience as an Education Intern

January 23, 2020March 19, 2020

A Note from the Library: Smellie’s ‘Treatise on Midwifery’: A debate between theory and practice

Published by Erin Newton “William Smellie,” photoprint. Accessed 1/8/2020. <http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101429306> William Smellie (1697-1763) is often referred to as the father of British obstetrics. He spent most of his long career overseeing and assisting in birth, reconciling the health of both mother and child in hundreds of cases. During this time, he developed a number of … Continue reading A Note from the Library: Smellie’s ‘Treatise on Midwifery’: A debate between theory and practice