Mandrakes, from Mythology to Museum Collectable
The mandrake surfaces in a wide array of religious, scholarly, literary and popular culture texts. The root’s human-like form and properties as a narcotic (as well as, allegedly, an aphrodisiac and fertility aid) may partially account for the wealth of attention lavished on the plant, as well as its associations with magic and magical practitioners.
Faith, Healing and Medical Miracles
Welcome to the Museum of Health Care’s first edition of Ex crypta: Curator’s Blog. Ex crypta (From the Vault) will feature periodic entries about artefacts in our collection, intriguing stories related to health care history, or details about ongoing projects or subjects I am pursuing. The Museum’s collection of objects and archival materials documenting the history of health and medicine in Canada contains many wonderful treasures. This blog is one way that we can share some of them with you.