WELCOME // ABOUT US
Based in Kingston, ON, our mission at the Museum of Health Care is to connect learners of all ages with Canadian health care’s complex and intriguing history.
Explore our blog to learn about select pieces from our 40,000 artifact collection, discover lesser known history about the medical profession, or take a look at our at-home educational activities.
Born in a log cabin in Almond, Wisconsin, in 1853, Henry Wellcome was one of the most influential pharmacological entrepreneurs and an avid collector of medical artefacts. … More The Story of Sir Henry Wellcome and the Wellcome Collection
Jennie Kidd Trout was Canada’s first female physician licensed to practice and an incredibly respected and impactful activist. … More The Story of Jennie Trout and Women in Medicine
Since cystic fibrosis (CF) was identified in 1938, tens of thousands have lived with the severe genetic disease. Each experience has been individual, yet common threads run through, most notably experiences of healthcare. People with CF become well-acquainted with the clinic, the hospital, the pharmacy; the need to accommodate at home piles of pill bottles, physio devices, nebulizer set-ups, perhaps home IVs, feeding tubes, oxygen compressors, insulin. The lived experience of everyday life with CF in a large part resides in these objects and their environments. … More The “Stuff” of Cystic Fibrosis
Born in 1815, Dr. Crawford Long studied medicine and surgery under renowned scholars and had the opportunity to participate in several surgeries. Surgery was a different experience in the early nineteenth century because patients were not sedated and were in excruciating pain throughout the procedure. … More The Story of Dr. Crawford Long and the Ether Controversy
Perry Davis (1791–1862) was born in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, on July 7, 1791. His parents owned no property and thus did not even show up on tax records at the time of Davis’ birth. By 1837, he had tried, unsuccessfully, to start multiple businesses, leaving him $4500 in debt. In 1840, Davis became so sick that his pain was debilitating. His solution? A mix of alcohol, opiates, and herbs, which would later be dubbed “Perry Davis’ Painkiller.” … More The Story of Perry Davis and His Painkiller
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As part of the Historic Places Days’ challenge to explore the stories connected to our National Historic Site, we present to you the story of our site’s namesake through the life of lauded Superintendent of Nurses at KGH, Ann Baillie. … More The Story of Ann Baillie and Our National Historic Site
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Even people who aren’t up on their medical history tend to know at least one fact: old-fashioned medical doctors used leeches. The leech is almost as iconic a symbol of antique medicine as the head lamp or the beak-masked plague doctor. … More Medicinal Leeches: Still A Bloody Good Idea
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The Story Advice manuals as a distinct form of literature began appearing as early as the 17th century. William A. Alcott … More The Young Husband (From the Collection #31)
The Story Cataracts are an opacity of the eye’s crystalline lens, found behind the pupil. This opacity stops rays of … More Von Graefe’s Cataract Knife (From the Collection #32)
The Museum of Health Care at Kingston is encouraging all families and stuffy lovers to join in on the fun of this full day, virtual adventure to be held on Family Day, Monday February 21, 2022, 9:00am-4:00pm … More Teddy Bear Hospital Virtual Family Day Event
Did you see that! There seems to be some Lego figures hiding in the museum just waiting for you to … More Virtual Scavenger Hunt
