Museum Blog

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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&gt; 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

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A Note from the Library: One Hit Wonder of 1698

Published by Nada Abdelrahim Even those of us that are only slightly acquainted with the medical field can appreciate the way it has come to be an interdisciplinary practice. Medical professionals of our modern era collaborate with engineers and dieticians, psychologists and more to approach patient care in a more well rounded and successful way. … Continue reading A Note from the Library: One Hit Wonder of 1698

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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