Author: Museum of Health Care

The Museum of Health Care (MHC) shows how Canadians have preserved health and managed disease, pain and suffering. The Museum strives to connect visitors of all ages with the experience of people in past times and provide context and perspective on today's health issues. Our blog is regularly updated with interesting and insightful entries by MHC staff and volunteers. Learn more about who we are and what we're working on. We welcome your feedback and comments.

Medicine in the Mushkegowuk: A Connection Between North and South

August 21, 2013

Residents of Kingston will be aware of the positive impact that the local hospitals have on our city’s overall health, but what many of us might not know is that they have a much wider reach than just Kingston and its neighbouring communities; in fact, Kingston General Hospital, Hotel Dieu and Providence Care have been intimately linked with a hospital in a remote area of northern Ontario for the past fifty years. … More Medicine in the Mushkegowuk: A Connection Between North and South

A Tribute to Canada’s Nurses: Celebrating Nursing Week 2013

May 10, 2013

In Canada, the hard work and dedication of nurses is formally recognized during National Nursing Week, the second week of May.  International Nurses Day, designated by the International Council of Nurses in 1974, is celebrated on May 12th.  This day was chosen as significant because it is Florence Nightingale’s birthday. … More A Tribute to Canada’s Nurses: Celebrating Nursing Week 2013

National Stress Awareness Day, 16 April: Managing Stress Then and Now

April 16, 2013

April 16th marks National Stress Awareness Day. Stress often accompanies difficult situations or circumstances that a person undergoes. Psychological, emotional and mental stress can lead to negative consequences on one’s physiological stability.  As a student at Queen’s University, stress is not a foreign concept to me. … More National Stress Awareness Day, 16 April: Managing Stress Then and Now

World Health Day 2013 – A Short History of Sphygmomanometers and Blood Pressure Measurement

April 7, 2013

April 7th marks World Health Day, a day that celebrates the birthday of the World Health Organization (WHO) by drawing attention to a significant health problem affecting the world today.  The focus in 2013 is high blood pressure. … More World Health Day 2013 – A Short History of Sphygmomanometers and Blood Pressure Measurement

Celebrating National Doctor’s Day

March 30, 2013

National Doctor’s Day is celebrated annually in the United States on March 30th. The holiday originated in the 1930s when a physician’s wife in Georgia organized a lunch for her husband and his fellow doctors to show appreciation for their hard work. March 30th is significant because it marks the day in 1842 that anesthesia was administered to a patient for the first time. … More Celebrating National Doctor’s Day

World TB Day 2013: A Fearsome Disease, Hope for New Vaccines

March 25, 2013

The image of bacterial time-bombs in the lungs is frightening.  Even more so, perhaps, when you consider that for most of history there was no effective treatment for TB.  Or, that increasingly tuberculosis bacteria are becoming resistant to the treatments that are currently available. … More World TB Day 2013: A Fearsome Disease, Hope for New Vaccines