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International Museum of Surgical Science

a division of the International College of Surgeons

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- Memento Mori Gala
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For medical, historical and museum related gifts, shop our Museum Store!

Interested in becoming a vendor? Contact Michelle Rinard at michelle@imss.org or call 312-642-6502 ext 3118.

Menu

About
Plan Your Visit
Exhibitions
Upcoming Programs
- Memento Mori Gala
Education
Get Involved
Support
Host Your Event
Museum Store
- Museum Store
Join Our Mailing List
- Newsletter Archive

Hours & Info

1524 N. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60610

1-312-642-6502

Monday - Friday 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday - Sunday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

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Recent Posts

The World of Museums According to A Teen Curatorial Assistant November 13, 2019
An Insight into the Life of a Teen Curatorial Assistant November 13, 2019
Plastic Surgery, Of Past and Present (Part 2) October 23, 2019
Plastic Surgery, Of Past and Present (Part 1) October 1, 2019
Tours, Trephinations, and Tumors: Summer as an Education Intern August 19, 2019

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COMING SOON--The IMSS Contemporary Arts Program presents Sea Inside: Visioning Single-Use Plastic at the Cellular Level . Using collected single-use plastic, environmental artist Bryan Northup attempts to blur the lines between appetizing consumables, anatomical dissection and everyday waste to explore layers of meaning in an age where plastics have saturated our environment and penetrated our species—both biologically and culturally—to the cellular level. The work in this exhibition is part mosaic, part painting and sculpture, all made from discarded single-use plastics. Organic forms and textures in Bryan’s work suggest perishable matter, flesh or food, likely to decay quickly, but because these objects are created with the permanent materials of plastic, they will never decompose. . Opening Reception: Friday, November 22, 2019 at 5:30 PM. Free and open to the public. It offers free admission to the museum and the exhibit as well as complimentary refreshments. RSVP at www.imss.org. . . #IMSSchicago #ContemporaryArt #art #InstaArt #exhibition #artist #chicago #museum #ChicagoEvents #artwork #free #multimedia #Recyle #Design #Environmental

Become an intern at the Museum! . We have three exciting internships this Spring including Education, Permanent Collections, and Library internships. . If you’re interested in a career from STEAM education to museum collections management, consider an IMSS internship to learn from some of the best in the business. Interns get the unique opportunity of hands-on experience and a look at the inner workings of our institution, the only museum in North America dedicated to surgery! . Applications are due by Jan 1, get started today at https://imss.org/internships/ . . . #IMSSChicago #Museum #Chciago #Internship #Education #Collections #Library #STEAM #STEM #Apply #Art #ContemporaryArt #Science #History

353 years ago, British politician Samuel Pepys recorded one of the first successful blood transfusions, in his famous diary. On the 14th of November, 1666, he met with physician William Croone who told him that at a recent meeting, a group of doctors conducted a “pretty experiment of the blood” between two dogs. A spaniel suffering blood loss received a transfusion from a mastiff, who tragically died as a result of the experiment. . The “success” of the procedure likely came down to random chance. During this time period, medical professionals had little information about the circulatory system. For example, doctors didn’t know that humans cannot receive blood from other animals. One of the first recorded blood transplants involving a human, was when French physician Jean-Baptiste Denys, administered sheep’s blood to a 15 year old boy suffering blood loss. While the treatment didn’t cure him, he survived due to the small amount of blood given to him was. . Denys continued to perform these experiments until a man who had been given calf’s blood died not from the procedure but from arsenic poisoning. Following this event, the French government prohibited any further work in blood transfusions as it seemed too dangerous. After more unsuccessful work in the UK around this time, mainstream science halted these studies for the next hundred years. . . . #IMSSChicago #HistMed #MedicalHistory #Medicine #Morbid #History #Historic #BloodTransfusion #EnglishHistory #Surgery

Did you know you can become a volunteer at the International Museum of Surgical Science? . Volunteer opportunities include visitor service, exhibition, docent, education, and public programming/events shifts! . Applying is super simple, just fill out the form at www.imss.org and drop it off to the front desk at the Museum or email it to us. . Want to learn more in person? Join us tonight for our volunteer open house at 6pm (doors open 5:30)! . . . #IMSSchicago #Chicago #Museum #Volunteer #Education #Visitor #Service #Exhibition #Programming #Events #Tours

COMING SOON--The IMSS Contemporary Arts Program presents BODIES: SAIC Intro to Designed Objects. . Through a process of in-depth research and prototype testing, students in Megan Euker’s Intro to Designed Objects class at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago created preliminary designs intended to increase accessibility, promote healthy behaviors, create comfort and improve safety. After consulting with medical professionals and undergoing critiques, they modified their ideas and remade their objects at full scale. . These designed objects create a social impact by making it easier for all kinds of bodies to move through the world. They also spark new questions: what mental and physical constraints do our bodies place on us all? What are the best uses of designed objects in the fields of health, medicine, and surgery? And how do you design your own environment to fit your day-to-day needs? Works in this exhibition explore these fundamental ideas of ability and the body. . Opening Reception: Friday, November 15, 2019 at 5:30 PM. Free and open to the public. It offers free admission to the museum and the exhibit as well as complimentary refreshments. . RSVP today at www.imss.org . #IMSSchicago #ContemporaryArt #art #InstaArt #exhibition #artist #chicago #museum #ChicagoEvents #artwork #free #multimedia #Ability #Disability #Design #SAIC IMAGE: Shengxun Lin | Hold Me (detail)| 2017

Today is Veteran’s Day and in honor of former and current military members, we are sharing some significant medical achievements made by military physicians throughout history. . Military members have played a role in many major modern medical advancements. In fact, the first documented user of a prosthetic hand was Marcus Sergius, a Roman general during the Second Punic War from 218-201 BCE. After losing his right hand, a metal hand was constructed for him that allowed him to hold his shield in battle. This case was recorded by Roman scholar Pliny the Elder in his encyclopedia Naturalis Historia, “He had a right hand made of iron for him and, going into battle with this bound to his arm, raised the siege of Cremona, saved Placentia and captured twelve enemy camps in Gaul - all of which exploits were confirmed by the speech he made as praetor when his colleagues tried to debar him as infirm from the sacrifices. What piles of wreaths he would have amassed in the face of a different enemy!” . Jumping forward in history, for service members today who have lost limbs, the military is working on increasingly realistic prosthetic technology. The the Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis (IDEO), is a deceptively simple leg brace that has changed the lives of hundreds of wounded service members. Its inventor is prosthetist Ryan Blanck. His design helps transfer energy so the wearer can step forward with little to no pain. According to Melissa Block in the article, “Orthotic Brace Takes Soldiers From Limping To Leaping”, “...the IDEO is not right for everyone. Some patients still have pain with it, so they opt for an amputation. But for most, the orthotic device has allowed them keep their leg. Some have gone on to run marathons, surf and jump out of airplanes. About 50 percent of IDEO users will return to active duty.” . 1st Image: A Roman coin showing a horseman galloping left holding sword and head of barbarian. . 2nd Image: Block, Melissa. “Orthotic Brace Takes Soldiers . #IMSSChicago #Chicago #Museum #Medical #Military #History #Prosthetic #VeteransDay

International Museum of Surgical Science

International Museum of Surgical Science

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