MUSEUM BLOG
A Study in Red (Cross): The Medical World of Sherlock Holmes
A survey showed that, among other medical references, the Sherlock Holmes stories mention 68 different diseases – not bad, considering there are only 60 Holmes stories in total. Holmes, then, seemed the perfect guide for a quick and slightly madcap tour of the Museum of Health Care’s collections.
The Story of Dr. Kenneth Fenwick and His Complex Legacy
Today, we’re looking at a story that may not be as inspiring as many that could be told. It is an important story nonetheless. This is the story of Dr. Kenneth Neander Fenwick (1852-1896), and the women from whom he sought to deprive a medical education.
The Story of James Sampson and the History of Kingston
James Sampson had a significant impact on Kingston's history and development.
Ignaz Semmelweis: The Saviour of Mothers
Ignaz Semmelweis (1818-1865) was a Hungarian doctor who, during his tenure as an assistant professor at the Obstetrics clinic in the Vienna General Hospital, became interested in learning why so many women were dying from puerperal fever, which was colloquially called childbed fever.
The Story of Sir Henry Wellcome and the Wellcome Collection
Born in a log cabin in Almond, Wisconsin, in 1853, Henry Wellcome was one of the most influential pharmacological entrepreneurs and an avid collector of medical artefacts.
The Story of Dr. Crawford Long and the Ether Controversy
Born in 1815, Dr. Crawford Long studied medicine and surgery under renowned scholars and had the opportunity to participate in several surgeries. Surgery was a different experience in the early nineteenth century because patients were not sedated and were in excruciating pain throughout the procedure.
Medicinal Leeches: Still A Bloody Good Idea
Even people who aren’t up on their medical history tend to know at least one fact: old-fashioned medical doctors used leeches. The leech is almost as iconic a symbol of antique medicine as the head lamp or the beak-masked plague doctor.
