Category: History of Current Healthcare Issues

Nineteenth-Century Gynaecology: A History in Objects

September 23, 2023

the landscape of gynaecology changed dramatically during the nineteenth century. Along with experimentation, research, and increasing knowledge came innovation in techniques and technologies until, for better or worse, the Victorian gynaecologist had a veritable arsenal of tools at their disposal. Drawing primarily from the Museum of Health Care’s collection, this blog post examines some of the medical instruments that helped change the face of gynaecology in the nineteenth century, many of which are still in use in some variation today. … More Nineteenth-Century Gynaecology: A History in Objects

Rockwood Asylum featured in new exhibit at the Museum of Health Care

July 20, 2023

The Museum of Health Care at Kingston has installed a new temporary exhibit, with Rockwood as the first subject.

Colloquially known as Rockwood, the city’s first psychiatric hospital has had many names over the years. With artifacts, panels, and even supplementary media links, this small exhibit provides a short overview of the hospital’s history from its beginning all the way to closure. … More Rockwood Asylum featured in new exhibit at the Museum of Health Care

2023 Margaret Angus Research Fellowship (MARF) Competition Open

March 15, 2023

This competition is now closed. The Museum of Health Care would like to thank all applicants. The Museum of Health Care is accepting proposals for a resident 16-week summer research fellowship (May – September), which will investigate a topic relevant to the history of health and health care. The fellow will communicate the results of … More 2023 Margaret Angus Research Fellowship (MARF) Competition Open

MARF 2022 Lecture recording and manuscript now available

December 15, 2022

If you missed the live presentation of this lecture, a recording is now available at the link below. You can also access a digital version of Anna’s manuscript below. Anna’s project examines the lived experience of cystic fibrosis (CF) in the latter half of the 20th century as expressed through the healthcare objects associated with … More MARF 2022 Lecture recording and manuscript now available

Museum of Health Care marks moment in time with COVID-19 update

December 12, 2022

The Museum of Health Care at Kingston has updated its popular Vaccines and Immunization gallery to reflect the latest innovations in vaccination technology. Vaccines and Immunization: Epidemics, Prevention, and Canadian Innovation was first installed in 2013. Developed with Guest Curator Dr. Christopher Rutty, and funded in part by the Kingston and United Way Community Fund, … More Museum of Health Care marks moment in time with COVID-19 update

“You wake up soaked”: Mist Tents and Cystic Fibrosis

November 18, 2022

For those living with cystic fibrosis (CF) from the 1960s to mid-1970s, nights called for fog. People with CF would tuck into bed under a plastic canopy filled with a medicated mist, accompanied by one or more whirring compressors nebulizing solution all night long. These “mist tents,” as the devices were known, were considered a mainstay of CF treatment—until, abruptly (and perhaps mercifully), they weren’t. … More “You wake up soaked”: Mist Tents and Cystic Fibrosis

2022 Margaret Angus Research Lecture

November 12, 2022

Anna’s project examines the lived experience of cystic fibrosis (CF) in the latter half of the 20th century as expressed through the healthcare objects associated with its treatment. By tracing the material histories of two fundamental categories of CF-related objects, inhalation therapies and parenteral antibiotics, she evokes the changing routines of everyday life with the illness from the 1940s to 1990s. … More 2022 Margaret Angus Research Lecture