The Museum of Health Care is located in
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between To ...
, Canada in the Ann Baillie Building on the
Kingston General Hospital
The Kingston General Hospital (KGH) site is an acute-care teaching hospital affiliated with Queen's University located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Along with the Hotel Dieu Hospital (HDH) site, these hospitals deliver health care services to ...
site and covers medical history from the 18th century to the modern era. Its research and collection are searchable on-line via thei
websitean
online catalogue
Ann Baillie Building
The historic Ann Baillie Building is a 1904
Beaux-Arts style
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
structure and
National Historic Site of Canada
National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being ...
commemorating the history of nursing education in Canada.
Originally a dormitory, the Ann Baillie Building was designed by Kingston architect William Newlands to house 26
nursing
Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...
students at the
Kingston General Hospital
The Kingston General Hospital (KGH) site is an acute-care teaching hospital affiliated with Queen's University located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Along with the Hotel Dieu Hospital (HDH) site, these hospitals deliver health care services to ...
's
School of Nursing
Nurse education consists of the theoretical and practical training provided to nurses with the purpose to prepare them for their duties as nursing care professionals. This education is provided to student nurses by experienced nurses and other med ...
; its construction was supported by fundraising efforts by the Nurses Alumnae Association. While the first nursing students at Kingston General enrolled in 1886 and graduated in 1888 (the programme being lengthened to three years in 1905), originally nursing student accommodations were located within the hospital itself as quarters both overcrowded and at risk of contamination with
infectious disease
An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable di ...
.
The School of Nursing closed in 1974, after the
Ontario provincial government transferred the training of nurses to colleges and universities. As Queen's University constructed its own residence for nursing students, Waldron Tower, the original dormitory was vacated. The building was historically designated by the City of Kingston under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1994 and recognised to be of national historic significance by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board in 1997.
![Ann Baillie Building](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Ann_Baillie_Building.jpg)
The building currently houses the Coalition of Canadian Healthcare Museums and Archives as well as the Museum of Health Care.
Museum of Health Care
In 1995, the Museum of Health Care was relocated to the Ann Baillie Building. It is the only museum in Canada dedicated to the history of health and health care.
One of the largest collections of medical and healthcare artefacts in Canada, the Museum of Health Care at Kingston is home to a wide range of artefacts and archival documents and photographs from
surgical tools to
laboratory instruments documenting how people have preserved health and managed disease, pain, and suffering from the late 18th century to the present day. The Museum strives to connect visitors with the experience of people in past times and provide context and perspective on contemporary health issues. The Museum serves the general public, practitioners, students, and historians through exhibitions, interpretive programs, and special events throughout the year.
History
First conceived in 1988 by founder James Low, the Museum of Health Care was born in 1991 when it began to build its collections of medical and general health objects and archives from across Canada. The Museum relocated to its permanent home in the former nursing-student residence at Kingston General Hospital in 1995. The Museum is a non-profit corporation and registered charity and has had a board of directors since 1996; it bills itself as Canada's only museum dedicated solely to preserving health care history. Dr. James Low, the Museum's administrative officer, was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2014.
The Museum strives to preserve the material history of the medical and healthcare past with the goal of enhancing public understanding of the history of health and health care, particularly in Canada. The Museum acquires, conserves, researches, displays, and interprets artefacts that help to tell these stories. The Museum also serves as a primary resource for scholarly work in the history of health care.
Museum galleries are located both in the Ann Baillie Building and in a network of Outreach Galleries in healthcare centres in Kingston.
The Museum also has a commitment to scholars: the Museum benefits from the presence of the Hannah Chair, History of Medicine at Queen's University, Kingston General Hospital Archives, Queen's University Archives and
Bracken Health Sciences Library
The Bracken Health Sciences Library at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, occupies two floors of Botterell Hall. It offers complete library services and its staff are committed to excellent user service. The library is open 100 ho ...
at Queen's University.
Collections
The Museum has an extensive collection of
artifacts and archival documents, dating from the 18th century to the present. There are approximately 40,000 items in the artefact and archival collections.
The Museum's collections include a wide range of artefacts including medical, surgical, and laboratory instruments, commemorative objects, and patient care items. Some of the larger collections feature artefacts from the areas of
anesthesiology
Anesthesiology, anaesthesiology, or anaesthesia is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medicine, ...
,
renal dialysis
Kidney dialysis (from Greek , , 'dissolution'; from , , 'through', and , , 'loosening or splitting') is the process of removing excess water, solutes, and toxins from the blood in people whose kidneys can no longer perform these functions natura ...
,
orthopaedics
Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternatively spelt orthopaedics), is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...
,
cardiology
Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular h ...
,
patent medicines
A patent medicine, sometimes called a proprietary medicine, is an over-the-counter (nonprescription) medicine or medicinal preparation that is typically protected and advertised by a trademark and trade name (and sometimes a patent) and claimed ...
,
nursing
Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...
, and
X-ray
An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...
.
Significant artefacts include:
*Melrose New Electronic Products Ltd. Extracorporeal Heart and Lung machine with oxygenator, ca. 1958
*“Kingmed”
dialysis machine designed and produced at Kingston General Hospital, 1967. Last surviving model.
*A large collection of
cardiac pacemakers
350px, Image showing the cardiac pacemaker or SA node, the primary pacemaker within the electrical_conduction_system_of_the_heart">SA_node,_the_primary_pacemaker_within_the_electrical_conduction_system_of_the_heart.
The_muscle_contraction.htm ...
, 1950s – 1990s
*Prostheses collection (hip, elbow, knee, leg), c.1920–1975.
*Iron lung built at the
Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto during a polio outbreak, 1937. Believed to be the last surviving unit in Canada.
*A rare Waite & Bartlett electrostatic generator unit, circa 1910. Used for
electrotherapy
Electrotherapy is the use of electrical energy as a medical treatment. In medicine, the term ''electrotherapy'' can apply to a variety of treatments, including the use of electrical devices such as deep brain stimulators for neurological dise ...
treatment and early X-ray imaging and treatment.
*A rare collection of medical
moulage
Moulage () is the art of applying mock injuries for the purpose of training emergency response teams and other medical and military personnel. Moulage may be as simple as applying pre-made rubber or latex "wounds" to a healthy "patient's" limbs ...
s, (wax gynaecological and obstetrical anatomical teaching models), produced in Kingston, Ontario, 1940s by artist Marjorie Winslow under the guidance of Dr. Edwin Robertson of Queen's University.
*
Microscope
A microscope () is a laboratory instrument used to examine objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Microscopy is the science of investigating small objects and structures using a microscope. Microscopic means being invisi ...
used by Dr. James B. Collip.
*Over 750 items in the collection of Canadian nursing uniforms, documents, photographs, and memorabilia, 1880s to 2000.
*Over 2700 objects in the Museum's collection of drug containers and pharmacy objects (late 18th century to late 20th century).
*A dental history collection donated by the Canadian Dental Association, reported to include dental chairs, instruments, journals, lab equipment, a plaster dental cast of former prime minister
John Diefenbaker
John George Diefenbaker ( ; September 18, 1895 – August 16, 1979) was the 13th prime minister of Canada, serving from 1957 to 1963. He was the only Progressive Conservative party leader between 1930 and 1979 to lead the party to an electi ...
’s teeth and a set of painful-looking tooth extraction turn-keys.
*4000-item collection of medical artefacts from the former Academy of Medicine, Toronto, including:
*Army surgeon’s regulation instrument case, by Gardner, Stodart, circa 1812. A field set belonging to Dr. Henry Grasett, surgeon-in-chief to forces during the War of 1812
*A Mayer & Meltzer
carbolic steam sprayer, circa 1870. Technology developed by
Dr. Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister for sterilizing operating rooms.
*Antiseptic midwifery washbasin, 18th century. Used at the first obstetrics clinic at
Vienna General Hospital
The Vienna General Hospital (german: Allgemeines Krankenhaus der Stadt Wien), usually abbreviated to AKH, is the general hospital of the city of Vienna, Austria. It is also the city's university hospital, and the site of the Medical Unive ...
during the time of
Dr. Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis.
The Museum includes both on-site and off-site exhibits, focusing on the development of
medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...
and
health care, in its operations. Also in operation, is a walking tour, created in partnership with the Kingston General Hospital, of the Kingston General Hospital
National Historic Site of Canada
National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being ...
. An on-line tour "From the Collection" of 30 profiles and a database of more than 30000 artefacts was added in 2011.
Tours
The Museum is affiliated with:
CMA,
CHIN, and
Virtual Museum of Canada
The Digital Museums Canada (DMC; , ''MNC'') is a funding program in Canada "dedicated to online projects by the museum and heritage community," helping organizations to build digital capacity.
Administered by the Canadian Museum of History (CMH) ...
. The Museum has conducted special events for kids, including a one-day Teddy Bear Hospital in 2012.
Current details of the Museum's guided tours and education programs can be found on the Museum website.
museumofhealthcare.ca
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See also
* Medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pr ...
and History of medicine
The history of medicine is both a study of medicine throughout history as well as a multidisciplinary field of study that seeks to explore and understand medical practices, both past and present, throughout human societies.
More than just histo ...
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Museum Of Health Care
Museums in Kingston, Ontario
Nursing museums
Medical museums in Canada
National Historic Sites in Ontario