Published by Annagh Devitt First do no harm. This maxim is tied to the medical profession, and is often falsely attributed to Hippocrates from his famous medical oath. However, despite its ubiquity, the phrase has no practical application for doctors today. The way this idiom has evolved over time, including its practicality in the surgical … Continue reading Patient Consent Over Time
Published by Shreya Wadhwa. Have you ever wondered how your blood is produced or the path it takes through your body? When you eat, your liver ingests food and creates blood. This blood flows from your liver to the right side of the heart. From here, some blood flows into your lungs, where it gives … Continue reading A Note from the Collection: Theory of Circulation, Intravenous Therapy and Blood Transfusions
Published by Sally Monroe. The history of bladder stone removal is both long and stomach-churning. Also known as calculi, the Latin word for “small pebbles,” these stones have plagued countless victims since the dawn of humankind. The earliest known bladder stone was found in the pelvis of a mummy at El-Amrah in Egypt; it is … Continue reading A Note from the Collections: The Lithotomy: A Sordid History
Published by Claire Olszewski. Having my personal background of art and art history, I was intrigued when I came across binders full of trade cards from the late 1800’s, a method of Victorian Era advertisement. Within the collection, there are dozens of pocket-sized paper cards decorated with ornate art, cartoons, and advertising text dated between … Continue reading A Note from the Collection: Medical Marketing, Trade Cards from the Victorian Era
Published by Sally Monroe. In the International Museum of Surgical Science’s permanent collection, we have a great deal of forceps of all kinds—obstetrical, arterial, tubing, and so on. Despite their varied purposes, all are fairly similar in form, owing to the fact that forceps are essentially medical tweezers. As I went about cataloguing several drawers … Continue reading A Note from the Collection: The Chamberlen Family Secret
This is Part III of the three-part essay, Sever and Suture: On the History and Future of Anatomical Dissection. Part I and Part II can be found on the Museum Blog. Content Disclaimer: The following article discusses potentially disturbing subject matter which may not be appropriate for all audiences. The views and opinions expressed in this essay … Continue reading Sever and Suture: On the History and Future of Anatomical Dissection – Part 3
This is Part II of the three-part essay, Sever and Suture: On the History and Future of Anatomical Dissection. Part I and Part III can be found on the Museum Blog. Content Disclaimer: The following article discusses potentially disturbing subject matter which may not be appropriate for all audiences. The views and opinions expressed in this essay … Continue reading Sever and Suture: On the History and Future of Anatomical Dissection – Part 2
