Indiana Medical History Museum

12/01/2023

It’s not too late to save your spot!

“Lessons from the Holocaust from a 2G: Personal, Professional, and Historical Reflections” presented by Dr. Alex Kor

11/28/2023

Today is , an opportunity for people around the world to use their individual power of generosity to support their communities and the causes that matter to them.

As a nonprofit organization, everything we do is made possible by through gifts from generous donors like you! Your gift ensures that IMHM can continue to fulfill its mission by providing a unique, immersive, and thought-provoking experience for all through tours, public and school programs, and community projects that spark curiosity and a love of learning.

Every gift matters, and every gift makes a difference. Even if you've made a gift to IMHM this year, please consider making an additional donation to support the campaign at
www.imhm.org/support .

11/27/2023

Sunday, December 3, 2023 at 2pm, (Eastern)

2023 Glenn B. Mather, MD Memorial Lecture and Annual Members Meeting: “Lessons from the Holocaust from a 2G: Personal, Professional, and Historical Reflections” presented by Dr. Alex Kor

FREE for IMHM members; $5 for non-members

This event will be held in-person at the Indiana Medical History Museum. Registration for the livestream is also available. Advanced registration is required for in-person or virtual attendance.

“As the son of two Holocaust survivors who has been to Auschwitz over 20 times, one of the challenges that I encounter is how to educate our young people and future leaders on the Holocaust as well as teach the lessons learned from this terrible history. A hypothetical scenario is presented that asks, “What would you do?...” ~Dr. Alex Kor

Join us along with Dr. Alex Kor as he presents some of the lessons the history of the Holocaust offers, including from his personal and professional perspective.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Alex Kor, DPM, MS is Fellow and Past President of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, Fellow of the American Society of Podiatric Surgeons, and Clinical Assistant Professor for Marion University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

“Lessons from the Holocaust from a 2G: Personal, Professional, and Historical Reflections” presented by Dr. Alex Kor

11/26/2023

Yancia the bulldog even made the local paper: "This Seattle Dog Wears Flu Mask."

11/15/2023

Michael DeBakey (1908-2008) the American vascular and cardiac surgeon, scientist and medical educator. DeBakey performed the first successful carotid endarterectomy in 1953 and was among the earliest surgeons to perform coronary artery bypass surgery.

10/31/2023

Join us, Tuesday, October 31st at Ash & Elm Cider Co. from 630pm to 8pm for our Books, Booze, and Brains discussion on "Dr Mutter's Marvels" with Executive Director of the Indiana Medical History Museum, Sarah Halter!

10/28/2023

As many Hoosiers begin scheduling their vaccines, one cannot help but consider the similarities between the COVID-19 pandemic and the 1918 influenza outbreak. Our new post explores Eli Lilly’s efforts to develop a vaccine, various treatments sought by Hoosiers, and theories as to why the flu took the lives of so many healthy, young individuals, including soldiers in World War.

Read now: https://blog.history.in.gov/reflections-and-remedies-the-1918-influenza-outbreak-in-indiana/

10/25/2023

Woodruff Place, Indianapolis - In 1898 pioneering female physician Dr. Rachel (Way) Swain built one of Woodruff Place’s larger houses at 608 Middle Drive as Swain’s Home Health Sanitorium. This rare construction photograph, dated May 12, 1898, documents workers posing with their tools. (Thanks to Pam Mangan, antiques dealer at Midland Arts and Antiques, for rescuing this photo.)

Dr. Swain (1835-1919), later joined by her son Fremont, welcomed a small number of patients into her 7,200 square foot home. Patients with maladies ranging from pleurisy, pneumonia, constipation, gall-stones, asthma, eczema, varicose veins, cramping toes, noises in head, and barrenness were evaluated by Dr. Swain. Treatment included diet, exercise, rest, recreation and psychical influences, electricity, hydrotherapy, and osteopathy. Drugs and surgical operations were only used as a last resort.

Upon retirement at age 70, Swain and her daughter-in-law rented out rooms in the house, known in 1912 as the Woodruff Inn. As was typical of the large old houses, the old sanitorium was later broken into over a dozen apartments. After suffering a fire, the Huckaby family restored the home in 1975. More recently the Sentissi family lived in and updated the 22-room house, which is currently on the market.

Learn more about the home's history: -https://historicindianapolis.com/then-and-now-swain-sanitarium-608-middle-drive-woodruff-place/

-https://historicindianapolis.com/indianapolis-then-and-now-swain-sanatorium-608-middle-drive-woodruff-place/

Sale details and current photos:
https://www.indystar.com/story/entertainment/real-estate/2023/10/21/indianapolis-indiana-real-estate-historic-homes-for-sale-swain-sanitorium/71255010007/?fbclid=IwAR3ghPxOJF_PmhNZTJwDypnH2IfkxBFjzEKG6KU-uvbhalA8kL7U0mpnqRs

10/24/2023

Join us in person or online on Wednesday, October 25th at 6pm Eastern) for "COVID-19 and Albert Camus's 1947 Novel The Plague, a panel discussion"

Suggested Donation $5; Scroll down for registration link

This event will be held in-person at the Indiana Medical History Museum. Registration for the livestream is also available. Doors open to in-person attendees at 5:40pm. Advanced registration is required for in-person or virtual attendance.

Peg Brand Weiser, editor of Camus's The Plague: Philosophical Perspectives (January 2023), will moderate a panel discussion of the book. This collection of original essays on philosophical themes in The Plague is of special relevance during and in the aftermath of Covid-19 but also provides reflections that will be of lasting value to those interested in this classic work of literature.

Moderator: Peg Brand Weiser is editor of Camus’s The Plague: Philosophical Perspectives (Oxford University Press, 2023); author of “Introduction” and the essay, “Modern Death, Decent Death, and Heroic Solidarity”; Emerita Associate Professor of Philosophy and Women’s Studies/Gender Studies, Indiana University; Pro Tem Professor of Philosophy, Robert D. Clark Honors College, University of Oregon.

Discussants: Jane Schultz Jane E. Schultz is Professor Emerita of English, History, and Medical Humanities at Indiana University in Indianapolis and co-editor of Manchester University's Nursing History and Humanities book series. In addition to her work as board president of the Indiana Medical History Museum, she has written widely on nursing and medical history, cancer memoirs, and the genre of illness narrative. Jane is author of the essay, “Present in Effacement; The Place of Women in Camus’s Plague and Ours.”

Margaret E. Gray is Professor of French, French and Italian Department, Indiana University, Bloomington and author of the essay, “’I Can’t Breathe’: Covid-19 and The Plague’s Tragedy of Political and Corporeal Suffocation.” Her work focuses on narrative dynamics in twentieth-century French and Francophone novels, including texts by Proust, Gide, Colette and Camus.

***Important information for attendees: Advanced registration is required. In-person seating is limited. This is a hybrid event with ticket options for both in person and virtual attendance. Please make sure you are registering for the correct ticket type. Virtual attendees will receive a link to join the event via Zoom 24 hours prior to the event. If you don't receive it by then, check your email junk folder or email us at [email protected]. Doors open for in person attendees at 5:40pm.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/covid-19-and-albert-camuss-1947-novel-the-plague-tickets-736863146507?aff=oddtdtcreator

10/21/2023

We hope you'll join us on Wednesday evening for COVID-19 and Albert Camus's The Plague, a panel discussion with Peg Brand Weiser, Jane Schultz, and Margaret Gray. See our previous post for the link to register (in person or virtual) and check out Peg Brand Weiser's blog post from last month.

Three months after the official US government “end” of three years of monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic that took over 1.1 million American lives, we are back to “new normal.”

10/20/2023

We had an issue with our registrations, but it is fixed now. If you tried to register for either in person or virtual attendance and EventBrite said the event was sold out, PLEASE TRY AGAIN NOW. Thanks for your patience!

Join us for a discussion of Camus's The Plague: Philosophical Perspectives (January 2023).

10/20/2023

This will be so much fun, and we’re delighted to be a part of it. Hope to see you there!

A murder mystery experience at the Indiana Historical Society will task Hoosiers with solving a real-life murder from the 1900s. Participants will get clues by using historical documents.

10/12/2023

Join us in person or online on Wednesday, October 25th at 6pm (Eastern) for a panel discussion: "COVID-19 and Albert Camus's 1947 Novel The Plague"

Peg Brand Weiser, editor of Camus's The Plague: Philosophical Perspectives (January 2023), will moderate a panel discussion of the book. This collection of original essays on philosophical themes in The Plague is of special relevance during and in the aftermath of Covid-19 but also provides reflections that will be of lasting value to those interested in this classic work of literature.

Moderator: Peg Brand Weiser is editor of Camus’s The Plague: Philosophical Perspectives (Oxford University Press, 2023); author of “Introduction” and the essay, “Modern Death, Decent Death, and Heroic Solidarity”; Emerita Associate Professor of Philosophy and Women’s Studies/Gender Studies, Indiana University; Pro Tem Professor of Philosophy, Robert D. Clark Honors College, University of Oregon.

Discussant: Jane Schultz Jane E. Schultz is Professor Emerita of English, History, and Medical Humanities at Indiana University in Indianapolis and co-editor of Manchester University's Nursing History and Humanities book series. In addition to her work as board president of the Indiana Medical History Museum, she has written widely on nursing and medical history, cancer memoirs, and the genre of illness narrative. Jane is author of the essay, “Present in Effacement; The Place of Women in Camus’s Plague and Ours.”

Discussant: Margaret E. Gray is Professor of French, French and Italian Department, Indiana University, Bloomington and author of the essay, “’I Can’t Breathe’: Covid-19 and The Plague’s Tragedy of Political and Corporeal Suffocation.” Her work focuses on narrative dynamics in twentieth-century French and Francophone novels, including texts by Proust, Gide, Colette and Camus.

***Important information for attendees: Advanced registration is required. In-person seating is limited. This is a hybrid event with ticket options for both in person and virtual attendance. Please make sure you are registering for the correct ticket type. Virtual attendees will receive a link to join the event via Zoom 24 hours prior to the event. If you don't receive it by then, check your email junk folder or email us at [email protected]. Doors open for in person attendees at 5:40pm.

Join us for a discussion of Camus's The Plague: Philosophical Perspectives (January 2023).

10/05/2023

“The case of the Pleistocene amputee called TB1 quickly became not only the oldest amputation ever, but also the oldest example of a successful amputation that was ever registered.”

The case of a Pleistocene man (now called TB1) amazed the world as the oldest amputation ever discovered: discover the behind the scenes of an amazing medical record.

10/03/2023

“Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman were awarded one of the most prestigious prizes in the scientific world for discoveries that saved millions of lives.”

Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman were awarded one of the most prestigious prizes in the scientific world for discoveries that saved millions of lives.

10/02/2023

"As nurses today fight for better pay and more respect for their work, DiGregorio points out that centuries ago, they were regarded as an integral part of the healthcare system in many civilizations, revered for their knowledge and skills in healing the sick..."

In Taking Care: The Story of Nursing and its Power to Change the World, author Sarah DiGregorio tells how nurses had great stature centuries ago — and how they got pushed into the background.

09/21/2023

Elizabeth Blackwell (1821–1910) - British physician, notable as the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States and the first woman on the Medical Register of the General Medical Council.

09/20/2023

The 2023 George H. Rawls, MD Memorial Lecture on the History of Minorities and Medicine is presented by Leon E. Bates.

09/14/2023

MRS. MEDICINE: DOCTORS’ WIVES AND THE MAKING OF MODERN AMERICAN HEALTH CARE

An interview with Kelly O’Donnell PhD on her NLM History Talk and her research on mid-20th century women’s auxiliary organizations in medicine.

09/12/2023

“How Black Nurses Were Recruited to Staten Island to Fight a Deadly Disease”

Many old buildings at a New York City hospital are in ruins, but it played a key role in the battle against tuberculosis, which killed 5.6 million people in the U.S. in the first half of the 20th century.

09/07/2023

2023 George H. Rawls, MD Memorial Lecture on the History of Minorities & Medicine: “Medical Care in Indianapolis During the Age of Jim Crow” presented by Leon E. Bates

Wednesday, September 20th at 6pm (Eastern)

During the height of Jim Crow (1896-1954), one Indianapolis doctor, Joseph H. Ward (1872-1955), went from first-generation freedman to physician, surgeon, army medical officer, first black field hospital commander, and then first black Veterans Hospital administrator. He operated his own private hospital, Ward’s Sanitarium, in Indianapolis, which was equipped with separate lab, surgery, patient area, maternity and nursery area, and X-ray room. His facility was open to all and he provided care to some of Indianapolis’ most prominent residents, including Madame C.J. Walker.

The 2023 George H. Rawls, MD Memorial Lecture on the History of Minorities and Medicine is presented by Leon E. Bates.

09/05/2023

“As the name suggests, a few licks of ice cream cost just a penny. Contracting tuberculosis was free.”

This glass made small scoops seem large and helped spread tuberculosis.

08/21/2023

“In the new paper, published by iScience,antibodies extracted from 800-year-old medieval human teeth were found to be stable and still able to recognize viral proteins.”

A recent study has discovered that teeth may have the ability to preserve antibodies for several centuries. This could provide scientists with a valuable resource for exploring the history of infectious diseases in humans. Antibodies are proteins that the immune system generates in response to pa

08/20/2023