Indiana Medical History Museum

01/06/2024

On the twelfth day of Bruetschmas, we found at Central State…Twelve slides of tissues.

Sometimes the biggest discoveries come from looking at the smallest pieces. Our histology lab is a window into the past, showing how scientific practice from a century ago can help to inform our understanding of the field today.

Come take an up–close look at how we used to learn about and understand the human body at the Old Pathology Building at IMHM, open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM. Visit our website to schedule your tour today!

01/06/2024

“Literature has had a large role in helping me define the kind of physician I strive to be – one who is not only empathetic and a good listener but also a fierce advocate for changing the sociopolitical forces that affect my patients’ lives. I think literature can do this for other health care providers, too.”

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary...

01/05/2024

On the eleventh day of Bruetschmas, we found at Central State… Eleven first floor transoms.

Have you ever taken a good look at what’s above the doors in our museum? You might notice a pain of glass, most of which are labeled with the room. These windows, or transoms, would have been used before we had air conditioning to let in a breeze keep our building nice and cool.

Come see all the transoms plus plenty of other details that make the Old Pathology Building at IMHM such a wonder, open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM. Visit our website to schedule your tour today!

01/05/2024

Eartha Kitt and Wally Cox (Mr. Peepers) join an all-star cast at City Hall for The March of Dimes.

01/05/2024

"When the daughter of 18th-century industrialist Matthew Boulton lost an incisor, her wealthy father turned to the latest treatment to save her smile – a tooth transplant using a live donor. But in her very anonymity, the girl who sold her tooth manages to tell a story about capitalism, class and the price of beauty."

When a now anonymous teenager sold her tooth for transplant, she couldn’t have predicted that she’d end up at the heart of a troubling story about 18th-century beauty ideals.

01/04/2024

On the tenth day of Bruetschmas, we found at Central State…Ten rooms for touring.

In one hour, you can see all ten rooms on our museum tour and learn the storied history of the IMHM! From the hospital’s founding in 1848 to our designation as a museum in 1969, we have over a century of history to share.

Come learn about all these rooms and their stories with a tour of the Old Pathology Building at IMHM, open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM. Visit our website to schedule your tour today!

01/03/2024

On the ninth day of Bruetschmas, we found at Central State…Nine rows of lenses.

Number one…or number two? This lens case is an early way of testing vision to determine eyeglass prescriptions. Each one of these round sample lenses is slightly different, helping patients to find what kind of vision correction would be most helpful. Though the modern eye exam may look quite different, it follows the same ideas that are represented in our collection!

Come take a look around (no glasses needed!) the Old Pathology Building at IMHM, open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM. Visit our website to schedule your tour today!

01/02/2024

On the eighth day of Bruetschmas, we found at Central State…Eight steeples, really.

“Seven Steeples” was the nickname of the women’s dormitory on Central State’s campus. An iconic landmark, the name is somewhat inaccurate––there were not seven steeples, but eight! The story goes that the building was so massive that only a maximum of seven steeples could be seen at a time. This isn’t accurate either, though, since in front of or behind the building, you could see all eight in a row. “Seven Steeples” has since been torn down, leaving the land where it once stood to be repurposed, but the history of this magnificent structure still remains.

Come learn about the history of “Seven Steeples” and the rest of the Central State campus at the Old Pathology building at IMHM, open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM. Visit our website to schedule your tour today!

01/01/2024

On the seventh day of Bruetschmas, we found at Central State… Seven first floor radiators.

Though our building has always had functional electricity and once also had gas lines, central heating in the modern sense came much later. They no longer operate, but our building still has many radiators, all original and all featuring stunningly detailed molding to resemble filigree and flower patterns. Can you find them all?

Come warm up by our beautifully crafted radiators as you tour the Old Pathology Building at IMHM, open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM. Visit our website to schedule your tour today!

01/01/2024

On the sixth day of Bruetschmas, we found at Central State… Six rows for sitting.

While the Pathological Department was never officially affiliated with any one medical school, it regularly invited medical students from the area to our facility to learn here. The amphitheater was an educational hub with rows of seating, so visitors could see the front of the room, and until it was removed, the autopsy pit without obstruction. Today we still preserve this tradition, starting our tours in the amphitheater and inviting visitors to sit down in those original chairs from 1896.

Come learn about our amphitheater and the other rooms of the Old Pathology Building at IMHM, open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM. Visit our website to schedule your tour today!

12/30/2023

On the fifth day of Bruetschmas, we found at Central State… Five books for sale.

Want to take home some of the wonder of IMHM after your visit? We sell books covering a variety of topics, from our medical gardens to an excellent account of Dr. Edenharter’s work.

Come see our selection of books for sale and consider taking one home for the holidays at the Old Pathology Building at IMHM. Visit our website to schedule your tour today!

12/30/2023

12/29/2023

On the fourth day of Bruetschmas, we found at Central State…four cobalt panes.

Our cobalt cabinet in the histology lab is one of the many places where aesthetics meets functionality. Aside from looking gorgeous, the dark blue color that comes from the cobalt helps to block out UV light, so the pigments used to stain tissue samples can remain bright and vibrant. Though this glass is safe to use in our cobalt cabinet, the process of extracting cobalt and adding it to glass is known to pose some serious health risks to the manufacturers.

Come see these as well as plenty of other fascinating features and artifacts in the Old Pathology Building at IMHM. Visit our website to schedule your tour today!

12/29/2023

A short history of sunscreen, from basting like a chook to preventing skin cancer

Australians have used commercial creams, lotions or gels to manage our skin's sun exposure for nearly a century.

12/29/2023

A Civil War surgeon’s introspection and musings on the future amid a boring, dreary winter day in camp:

“December 27th, 1863.

"It is raining and blowing fearfully, but I am snug and dry under my canvas shelter, where, in a little space ten feet square, is combined bedroom, sitting-room, and office; for I am still living in a tent, as I cannot find sufficient wood to build a hut.

"It is dull enough, with nothing to do and nothing new to heart. I spend hours alone in my tent, thinking of the future; questioning and answering myself.

"This seems to me a desert that I am now passing through, which must be crossed before I can dream of home; before an earned contentment would satisfy me to settle down to practice my profession.”

This was what Dr. John Gardner Perry of the 20th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry wrote two days after Christmas 1863. His words were no doubt echoed by many soldiers, surgeons, and officers who spent their winters warding off the cold and thoughts of home.

Source:
“Letters of a Civil War Surgeon,” Library of Congress.

Image credit:
Dr. John Gardner Perry, March 1864, in “Letters of a Civil War Surgeon,” Library of Congress.

12/28/2023

On the third day of Bruetschmas, we found at Central State… Three skylights.

Our building has always had functional electricity, from its opening in 1896. Sometimes, though, a lot of natural light is best, especially when electric lights were not the brightest and the gas back up could pose a major fire hazard. We have three stunning skylights in our amphitheater, anatomical museum, and photography lab to bring in extra sunlight.

Come see these as well as plenty of other fascinating features and artifacts in the Old Pathology Building at IMHM. Visit our website to schedule your tour today!

12/27/2023

“Before then, diabetes was effectively a 'death sentence', with the only treatments being starvation diets.”

Before then, diabetes was effectively a 'death sentence', with the only treatments being starvation diets

12/27/2023

On the second day of Bruetschmas, we found at Central State… Two centrifuges.

Did you know that the Central State Hospital Pathological Department––which now houses the Indiana Medical History Museum––was a functional research facility for over 70 years? That is plenty of time for technology to change and evolve. A great example of this is our centrifuges in the chemistry lab. Compare the hand-cranked model used when the building opened in 1896 to this electric model purchased in the 1930s... and check out how much wall space the on/off switch and the speed control k**b took!

Come see these as well as plenty of other fascinating features and artifacts in the Old Pathology Building at IMHM. Visit our website to schedule your tour today!

12/26/2023

Due to technical problems yesterday, we were not able to post for the First Day of Bruetschmas, but we're back in business today! Our wonderful graduate student intern Ava Osowick, has put together a fun series for your viewing pleasure to highlight some of the unique spaces and collections in the Indiana Medical History Museum's Old Pathology Building. Look for these posts daily during the 12 Days of Bruetschmas!

On the first day of Bruetschmas, we found at Central State… some typhoid at the town pump.

This little goblin was published in an early 20th century Indianapolis newspaper to help draw attention to the spread of typhoid. One of the primary ways the disease was spreading was through shared water sources like town pumps, so this ‘germ’ helped people to remember how to stop the spread. What are some ways you can stop the spread of germs during cold and flu season?

Come see this original print as well as plenty of other fascinating artifacts in the Old Pathology Building at IMHM. Visit our website to schedule your tour today!

12/26/2023

"These tropical “warm spices,” which flavor many Christmas cookies and other holiday favorites, are mainstays of traditional medicine."

These tropical "warm spices," which flavor many Christmas cookies and other holiday favorites, are mainstays of traditional medicine.

12/24/2023

The woman who revolutionized nursing was also a mathematician who knew the power of a visible representation of information.

12/23/2023

In 1890s London, hospital staff did their best to give patients a bit of Christmas cheer.

12/21/2023

“This mysterious ingredient was often found in medieval Arabic books of medicine and botany."

This mysterious ingredient was often found in medieval Arabic books of medicine and botany.

12/20/2023

"How do doctors dress? It depends on whom and when you ask. Just like other forms of clothing, the history of medical garb has been subject to the trends of time. While this has changed drastically in the past century, doctors’ dress profoundly reflects the societal expectations of their role.”

Shefali SoodWashington, DC, United States How do doctors dress? It depends on whom and when you ask. Just like other forms of clothing, the history of medical garb has been subject to the trends of time. While this has changed drastically in the past century, doctors’ dress profoundly reflects the...

12/15/2023

"The revolution in anatomic drawing during the Renaissance has profoundly contributed to the evolution of both naturalism and medicine."

12/03/2023

There's still time to save your spot for today's Glenn B. Mather, MD Memorial Lecture and Annual Members Meeting! Dr. Alex Kor will present "Lessons from the Holocaust from a 2G" beginning at 2pm. Join us in person or online!

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

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 .