MUSEUM BLOG
World TB Day 2013: A Fearsome Disease, Hope for New Vaccines
The image of bacterial time-bombs in the lungs is frightening. Even more so, perhaps, when you consider that for most of history there was no effective treatment for TB. Or, that increasingly tuberculosis bacteria are becoming resistant to the treatments that are currently available.
Statuette of Hua Tuo
Approximately 1600 years before William T. G. Morton, Chinese physician Hua Tuo invented an anaesthetic that he called mafeisan and applied this substance to patients undergoing abdominal surgery.
The Evolution of Dentistry
Dentistry is a branch of medicine specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders of the teeth and gums, as well as ailments of the oral cavity and maxillofacial area. It plays a vital role in health care.
Public Sleep Day 2013
Sleep is a vital component in the maintenance of health, yet millions of North Americans do not get enough sleep or suffer from sleep disorders.
Grin and Bear It: Toothache Day and Why It Was Best to Avoid the Dentist in the Ancient World
February 9th marks Toothache Day, a day to celebrate... toothaches? Toothache Day is a reminder to all to see the dentist regularly. And count your blessings that you aren’t suffering from a toothache in the Ancient or Medieval Worlds!
From Apothecary Shop to Independent Science: Celebrating National Pharmacist Day
The United States annually recognizes pharmacists’ contribution to patient healthcare, celebrating National Pharmacist Day, each January 12. Pharmacists apply their extensive knowledge of the chemical composition of medicines to help patients manage disease and pain.
Celebrating Museum of Health Care Volunteers
In honour of International Volunteer Day, the staff at the Museum wrote a few words about the importance of volunteers to our organization. Our volunteers are extremely important to our staff. From cataloguing and research to education programs, they help us with a variety of tasks and contribute to the daily operations of the Museum. We are grateful to have such a wonderful group of people support our work and improve the overall efficiency of the Museum of Health Care. Thank you to our volunteers for helping us preserve and share healthcare history!
World AIDS Day 2012
December 1st 2012 will mark the 24th year of World AIDS Day. Beginning in 1988, Worlds AIDS Day was the first ever global health day. It aims to support people around the world who have been affected by HIV and remember those who were lost to the virus. The World AIDS Day initiative works to eradicate the stigma surrounding the virus and to raise awareness and funds for prevention and research.
“Limbsomnia”: Pins and Needles Day and Paraesthesia
The expression “pins and needles” is used to describe both a feeling of nervousness or anxiety, as well as the tingling feeling experienced after a period of extended pressure on a muscle, causing an itching or numbing sensation, formally known as “paraesthesia.”
Medical Contributions of The Great War: Blood Transfusion
Prior to World War One, blood transfusion was a rarely performed and risky procedure. On the eve of the war, scientific development in relation to transfusion technology progressed making it a more viable procedure. Survival rates on the front lines increased as new transfusion techniques were mastered. The benefits of the medical developments that occurred during the war should not only be remembered on Remembrance Day, as blood transfusions continue to save hundreds of lives each day.