Category: Museum Blog

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A Note from the Collections: Midwives and Healers in the European Witch Trials

Published by Education Intern, Lillian Climo In our Obstetrics and Gynecology exhibit, many visitors are drawn to the large murals. The images are bloody, busy, and they certainly communicate the danger involved in early obstetric procedures. The paintings are densely populated, but only three of the figures depicted are women; two patients and one nurse … Continue reading A Note from the Collections: Midwives and Healers in the European Witch Trials

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A Note from the Collections: Why We Should Question “Scientific Fact”

Published by Education Intern, Jackie Guataquira There are many eye-catching objects in the Museum, but when I began my internship, the one that I found most interesting was the human skeleton encased on the third floor. The label describes how prior to replica skeletons, real human skeletons were used as teaching tools. The field of … Continue reading A Note from the Collections: Why We Should Question “Scientific Fact”

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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

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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

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Plastic Surgery, Of Past and Present (Part 2)

Published by Sarah Pinsky Read Part 1 of Intern Sarah Pinsky’s blog post here: https://imss.org/2019/10/01/plastic-surgery-of-past-and-present-part-1/ Plastic Surgery in the Age of Social Media It used to be that plastic surgery was something that people might consider in middle age, but seldom admit to. Now, people as young as teenagers are getting cosmetic procedures such as … Continue reading Plastic Surgery, Of Past and Present (Part 2)

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Plastic Surgery, Of Past and Present (Part 1)

Published by Sarah Pinsky Current understanding and opinion of plastic surgery is largely based on television and social media. Since plastic surgery is so connected to these modern-day technologies, people are often surprised to learn that it is not a new medical specialty that focuses exclusively on cosmetic procedures, but rather an established practice that … Continue reading Plastic Surgery, Of Past and Present (Part 1)

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Tours, Trephinations, and Tumors: Summer as an Education Intern

Published by Anupama Suresh As I walked by the sculptures in the Hall of Immortals or peered into a glass case filled with trephined skulls, I was mesmerized by the Museum. I learned about the discoveries that made surgery possible today, from the different forms of anesthesia used to the introduction of antiseptics. I had … Continue reading Tours, Trephinations, and Tumors: Summer as an Education Intern

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History of Physician Gender Dynamics in Obstetrics and Gynecology

Published by Anupama Suresh Painting depicting the first successful cesarean section in Latin America in 1844. By Enrique Grau. xx1995.814.3 International Museum of Surgical Science Collection When I first saw this painting, my eyes were drawn to the bloody abdominal incision. C-section,  my brain immediately informed me. Next, my gaze shifted up the umbilical cord … Continue reading History of Physician Gender Dynamics in Obstetrics and Gynecology