MUSEUM BLOG
A Fighting Chance: Disease, Public Health, and the Military, Part 1
When we think about war and health care our imaginations are immediately drawn to ideas of war wounds, amputations, mobile surgical hospitals, and even psychiatric trauma and PTSD. These are among the most visible marks that war can leave on its participants. But until very recently in human history, war and health care meant something else.
The APPle of our Eye: 80 Years of Hospital History in the Palm of your Hand!
In 2011, the Museum received the fantastic news that it had been awarded a grant for $52,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. This funding enabled the Museum to leap with both feet into an exciting two-year project to develop not one, but two new apps that will allow users to explore local medical and nursing history on their phones and mobile devices.
What’s So Now About History?
When I reflect on my summer at the Museum, beyond finding medical history interesting, I was also reminded of the ways in which it is important. Far from being ‘old news’ my experience has confirmed my belief in the contemporary value of knowing and learning from the past.
Working for the Museum of Health Care (summer 2013)
Working at the Museum was a really exciting chance to step outside my areas of knowledge. I really threw myself into learning and researching my interests relating to history of medicine; I read a lot of academic journals, textbooks, and other resources about medicine and medical history. This research culminated in an upcoming blog post about female hysteria treatments.
Medicine in the Mushkegowuk: A Connection Between North and South
Residents of Kingston will be aware of the positive impact that the local hospitals have on our city’s overall health, but what many of us might not know is that they have a much wider reach than just Kingston and its neighbouring communities; in fact, Kingston General Hospital, Hotel Dieu and Providence Care have been intimately linked with a hospital in a remote area of northern Ontario for the past fifty years.
The Humble Toothbrush’s Extravagant Past
Oral hygiene and beauty have been interlinked throughout history. Since ancient times, people have attempted to clean their teeth to reduce or eliminate the pain and embarrassment of tooth decay while also working towards a perfect smile.
A Tribute to Canada’s Nurses: Celebrating Nursing Week 2013
In Canada, the hard work and dedication of nurses is formally recognized during National Nursing Week, the second week of May. International Nurses Day, designated by the International Council of Nurses in 1974, is celebrated on May 12th. This day was chosen as significant because it is Florence Nightingale’s birthday.
National Stress Awareness Day, 16 April: Managing Stress Then and Now
April 16th marks National Stress Awareness Day. Stress often accompanies difficult situations or circumstances that a person undergoes. Psychological, emotional and mental stress can lead to negative consequences on one’s physiological stability. As a student at Queen’s University, stress is not a foreign concept to me.
World Health Day 2013 – A Short History of Sphygmomanometers and Blood Pressure Measurement
April 7th marks World Health Day, a day that celebrates the birthday of the World Health Organization (WHO) by drawing attention to a significant health problem affecting the world today. The focus in 2013 is high blood pressure.
Celebrating National Doctor’s Day
National Doctor’s Day is celebrated annually in the United States on March 30th. The holiday originated in the 1930s when a physician’s wife in Georgia organized a lunch for her husband and his fellow doctors to show appreciation for their hard work. March 30th is significant because it marks the day in 1842 that anesthesia was administered to a patient for the first time.