The Story of James Sampson and the History of Kingston
August 23, 2022
James Sampson had a significant impact on Kingston’s history and development. … More The Story of James Sampson and the History of Kingston
Tag: surgery
Von Graefe’s Cataract Knife (From the Collection #32)
October 9, 2021
The Story Cataracts are an opacity of the eye’s crystalline lens, found behind the pupil. This opacity stops rays of light from reaching the retina, causing blindness. The first recorded cataract surgeries occurred as early as 600 BCE. Couching, a process in which the cataractous crystalline lens is displaced inside the vitreous cavity of the … More Von Graefe’s Cataract Knife (From the Collection #32)
Carbolic Steam Sprayer (From the Collection #24)
August 14, 2021
The Story Lord Joseph Lister revolutionized surgery in the late 19th century by introducing antiseptic methods. These drastically reduced the incidence of infection and death, enabling the field of surgery to expand rapidly. In the 1860s, mortality rates for surgeries were at 45-50% due to infection. Rates of infection were especially high in trauma cases, … More Carbolic Steam Sprayer (From the Collection #24)
Hey’s Saw (From the Collection #14)
May 8, 2021
The Story Trepanning, also known as trephining, dates back at least 7000 years to the Neolithic period. Derived from the Greek meaning to auger or to bore, trepanning is a surgery in which a piece of the skull is removed by incising the skull with a knife or, after the discovery of metallurgy, drilling a … More Hey’s Saw (From the Collection #14)
Leucotome (From the Collection #15)
May 8, 2021
The Story First undertaken in 1935 by Portuguese neuropsychiatrist Dr. Antonio Egas Moniz, leucotomy involves the removal of brain tissue from the pre-frontal lobe in order to treat psychoses. His initial approach was improved upon with the use of a leucotome, invented by Canadian neurosurgeon Dr. Kenneth G. McKenzie in the 1940s. The leucotome is … More Leucotome (From the Collection #15)
Anastomosis Button (From the Collection #8)
March 13, 2021
The Story Once called the “surgical genius of our generation” by Dr. William Mayo, Dr. John Benjamin Murphy (1857-1916) was a renowned American surgeon who pioneered techniques in general surgery, orthopedics, cardiothoracic surgery, and neurosurgery. He attached his name to a number of tests and instruments, including Murphy’s sign (a diagnostic for cholecystitis), Murphy’s punch … More Anastomosis Button (From the Collection #8)
Heart and Lung Machine (From the Collection #5)
February 13, 2021
The Story The creation of a functional heart and lung bypass machine in the early 1950s was a milestone in the history of heart surgery. Prior to WWI, the average survival rate for heart operations was less than forty percent. Twentieth-century technological innovations such as the invention of x-ray machines, the discovery of anti-coagulants, and … More Heart and Lung Machine (From the Collection #5)
A Mere Appendix: Pioneering Surgery in Grand Valley Ontario
October 30, 2015
The appendix represents quite a mystery. For many years it was believed to be a vestige of our distant ancestors; the trace of a cecum, a part of many animals large intestine. This theory was put forward by Charles Darwin, but was mostly refuted in 2013. … More A Mere Appendix: Pioneering Surgery in Grand Valley Ontario
Statuette of Hua Tuo
March 16, 2013
Approximately 1600 years before William T. G. Morton, Chinese physician Hua Tuo invented an anaesthetic that he called mafeisan and applied this substance to patients undergoing abdominal surgery. … More Statuette of Hua Tuo
Reflections on Friendly Fire
July 11, 2012
Friendly Fire is a project developed by the Agnes Etherington Art Centre in collaboration with the Museum of Health Care engaging the power of the artist as a story teller and synthesizer. The artist, Howie Tsui investigated health and medicine during the war of 1812. The resulting exhibition illuminates the brutal conditions of the body in war and the medical techniques of the period. … More Reflections on Friendly Fire