MUSEUM BLOG
Explore our blog to learn about pieces from Canada’s largest collection of medical artifacts, discover the lesser-known history of health care, or hear about all of the exciting developments at the Canadian Museum of Health Care.
2023 Summer Positions Available
The Museum of Health Care is hiring for the summer! If you are enthusiastic, creative and have an interest in working in heritage, we want to hear from you!
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.
Teddy Bear Hospital Returns this Family Day
On Monday, February 20 bring your teddy bear or other special stuffed animal to the Museum where trained “teddy doctors and nurses” will be on hand to examine and treat your toy's bumps, lumps, and bruises. Learn, laugh, and find out why doctors and hospitals aren't so scary after all! The event will include hands-on activities and crafts. Suitable for all ages!
Special Event to Celebrate New Addition
Information about mNRA vaccines, such as that for COVID-19, has been added to mark this important time in medical history. To celebrate the gallery update, the Museum is holding a special event!
“You wake up soaked”: Mist Tents and Cystic Fibrosis
For those living with cystic fibrosis (CF) from the 1960s to mid-1970s, nights called for fog. People with CF would tuck into bed under a plastic canopy filled with a medicated mist, accompanied by one or more whirring compressors nebulizing solution all night long. These “mist tents,” as the devices were known, were considered a mainstay of CF treatment—until, abruptly (and perhaps mercifully), they weren’t.
2022 Margaret Angus Research Lecture
Anna’s project examines the lived experience of cystic fibrosis (CF) in the latter half of the 20th century as expressed through the healthcare objects associated with its treatment. By tracing the material histories of two fundamental categories of CF-related objects, inhalation therapies and parenteral antibiotics, she evokes the changing routines of everyday life with the illness from the 1940s to 1990s.
The Llandovery Castle Tragedy – and the 14 Nurses Who Shaped History
The story of the Llandovery Castle is one of reprieve turned tragedy – the deadliest Canadian naval disaster of World War I. However, its legacy and those of the 14 nursing sisters on board have now been largely forgotten in the pages of history. The implication of this disaster compels a resurfacing of the story and a commemoration of those whose lives were lost.
The Story of Tommy Douglas and Hospital Insurance
ommy Douglas implemented the Hospital Services Plan which made hospital services free and available to all. It was the first health care plan of its kind in Canada. This plan inspired the federal government to create one that helped fund hospital-operating costs and diagnostic services all throughout Canada.