MUSEUM BLOG
The Story of Santa Claus and his Coca-Cola connection
So why does the Museum of Health Care have bottles of Coca-Cola in its collections? When Coca-Cola was first sold in the late-nineteenth century, it was marketed as a patent medicine which could cure headache, neuralgia, melancholy, hysteria, morphine addiction, and more. This was because it contained cocaine, from the coca leaves from which it was made, and caffeine, from kola nuts. It was not until around 1903-1904 that the company removed cocaine from the popular drink due to changes in laws surrounding the drug.
The Story of Dr. C. H. Bird and Dr. H. G. Bird and their family practice
Meet father-son medical team Dr. Charles H. Bird and his son Dr. H. Godfrey Bird! Collectively, this pair of
The Story of Nora Valleau and her career in nursing
If you happen to be browsing through the Museum of Health Care’s online database in the nursing category, you might notice that a lot of the artefacts therein-- 185, in fact-- were donated by one Nora Valleau.
Museum Committee Members Wanted!
We are looking for enthusiastic committee members who will help support museum staff and work diligently to support our mission and vision. Our vision is to be recognized as the national resource for Canada’s evolving health and healthcare history. Our mission is to inspire wonder, promote learning and create knowledge that contributes to a better future in health and healthcare.
The Story of Nancy Malloy and her noble sacrifice
It was in Chechnya in 1996 that Malloy would lose her life, along with five others, as she slept in the hospital compound at Novye Atagi. A peace treaty had recently been signed between Russia and Chechnya, but tensions were still high after two years of warfare. A group of armed men (later found out to be Russians on a mission gone wrong), entered the hospital and killed Nancy Malloy and her colleagues.
The Story of Dr. James C. Connell and his Book of a Life
He wrote his Book of a Life after he retired. He meant for the book to be a source of education to the public on both the importance of keeping health records and on healthy living standards. He is remembered as a good surgeon and teacher.
Museum hosts event celebrating the 125th anniversary of arrival of x-rays in Kingston
On Tuesday, November 16th the Museum of Health Care was pleased to host a virtual event celebrating the 125th anniversary of the arrival of x-ray technology in Kingston.
Presented by the Department of Diagnostic Radiology at Kingston Health Sciences Centre, the presentation included a history of x-ray technology from 1896 to present.
The Story of Viola Allan Abrum and her military commission
Viola Allan Abrum, born on June 9th, 1911, graduated from the Brockville General Hospital Training School for Nurses in 1933. After graduating, she worked as a private duty nurse before enlisting in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps. From 1941 to 1945, Captain (Matron) Viola Allan worked as a Nursing Sister in France and Belgium, as well as in England where she took care of Canadian prisoners of war at the No. 9 Unit in Horsham. As a Lieutenant, she received the military commission in 1943. After the war, in 1946, she was decorated as an Associate of the Royal Red Cross.
The History of Temporary Military Hospitals in Kingston
Kingston was especially hard-hit by these events compared to other towns. Even during a pandemic just over a hundred years ago, Kingston served the same role of regional health care centre as it did during the COVID pandemic. As the largest city between Ottawa and Toronto, Kingston’s healthcare facilities have always serviced a particularly large surrounding area. On top of this, Andrew Belyea, a previous Margaret Angus Research Fellow for the Museum, notes that Kingston was a military hub around the time of the First World War, with a very large number of soldiers stationed in or otherwise filtered through town (find his article here). This created a larger-than-expected need for hospital care when the war ended and soldiers began returning to Canada – a need that would be difficult to meet.