Health & Medicine

The Museum's collections of medical science artifacts represent nearly all aspects of health and medical practice. Highlights include early X-ray apparatuses, such as one of Wilhelm Roentgen's tubes, penicillin mold from Alexander Fleming’s experiments, and Jonas Salk's original polio vaccine. More recent acquisitions include the first artificial heart implanted in a human, the earliest genetically engineered drugs, and materials related to David, the "Bubble Boy." Other artifacts range from artificial limbs and implant devices to bloodletting and dental instruments, beauty products, and veterinary equipment. The contents of a medieval apothecary shop and an 1890s drugstore form part of the collections, along with patent and alternative medicines. The collections also document the many differing perspectives on health and medical issues, from patients, family members, doctors, nurses, medical students, and out-of-the-mainstream health practitioners.

Blood glucose monitoring kit with packaging, carrying case, bag of thin lancets, "Getting Started" pamphlet, User's Guide, Warranty Registration mailer, and blood glucose test strips.White and gray glucose monitor with blue button, LCD display panel, and blue and black print.
Description
Blood glucose monitoring kit with packaging, carrying case, bag of thin lancets, "Getting Started" pamphlet, User's Guide, Warranty Registration mailer, and blood glucose test strips.
White and gray glucose monitor with blue button, LCD display panel, and blue and black print. Box is blue and white with images of the glucose monitor, pictorial instructions, and pictures of people as well as a contents list. The carrying case is a zippered black fabric case with plastic compartments inside for blood glucose monitor and testing strips. Carrying case has blue print on the outside. The package of ultraTLC Thin Lancets contains an information sheet and 9 thin lancets. Lancets are clear plastic with needle inside and expiration date of December 2005. "Getting Started" pamphlet is white and blue with black print and includes pictorial instructions. User's Guide is a booklet with pink and black print and illustrations on the inside. Blood Glucose test strips box is blue and white with pictures of people and the test strips. Contains 40 test strips, booklet, and one calibrator. Test strips expire March 31, 2002. Test strips were not part of the original kit.
Printed on box: The new MediSense Sof-Tact system obtains and applies a blood drop in one easy, virtually painless step; Confident Testing / Convenient automated testing at a single button press. / Comfortable virtually pain-free sampling sparing fingertips. / Consistently accurate lab-like results.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
about 2000
maker
Abbott Laboratories
ID Number
2014.0140.01
accession number
2014.0140
catalog number
2014.0140.01
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Abbott Laboratories
ID Number
1984.0389.14
accession number
1984.0389
catalog number
1984.0389.14
This hand held device is used to diagnose respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in nasopharyngeal swab specimens. The specimens are collected from the upper most back of the throat.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
This hand held device is used to diagnose respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in nasopharyngeal swab specimens. The specimens are collected from the upper most back of the throat.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1989
maker
Abbott Laboratories
ID Number
2014.0247.24
accession number
2014.0247
catalog number
2014.0247.24
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1930s
collection
Reid Drugstore
maker
Abbott Laboratories
ID Number
1984.0351.242
accession number
1984.0351
catalog number
1984.0351.242
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
collection
Reid Drugstore
maker
Abbott Laboratories
ID Number
1984.0351.061
accession number
1984.0351
catalog number
1984.0351.061
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
collection
Reid Drugstore
maker
Abbott Laboratories
ID Number
1984.0351.154
accession number
1984.0351
catalog number
1984.0351.154
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:PainCurrently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:
Pain
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1950-1960
collection
Reid Drugstore
maker
Abbott Laboratories
ID Number
1984.0351.105
accession number
1984.0351
catalog number
1984.0351.105
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:For simple coughs due to throat irritation caused by colds, excessive use of the voice, or smoking. Also to prevent gagging before the introduction of tongue depressors or dentures.Currently not on view
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided by the manufacturer are:
For simple coughs due to throat irritation caused by colds, excessive use of the voice, or smoking. Also to prevent gagging before the introduction of tongue depressors or dentures.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1941
collection
Reid Drugstore
maker
Abbott Laboratories
ID Number
1984.0351.044
accession number
1984.0351
catalog number
1984.0351.044
On March 2, 1985, Abbott Laboratories of Chicago, Illinois received the first government license to produce a blood test designed to screen blood for exposure to the AIDS virus.
Description
On March 2, 1985, Abbott Laboratories of Chicago, Illinois received the first government license to produce a blood test designed to screen blood for exposure to the AIDS virus. The test, named ELISA or EIA (Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay), did not diagnose AIDS, but instead detected antibodies produced by the body's immune system to fight HTLV-III (Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type-3) which had been identified as the probable cause of AIDS.
About 2% of the over 8,000 cases of AIDS reported between 1981 and 1985 were linked to contaminated blood transfusions. With over 3 million individuals receiving transfusions each year, guaranteeing safe blood supplies became paramount for public health officials. In response, the government selected five drug companies to compete to produce a blood screening test and promised to expedite the licensing process. After Abbott Laboratories' success in March, 1985, the ELISA test was immediately put to use in blood collection centers around the country, and by the end of July the nation's blood supply was declared free of AIDS.
While officials grappled with questions of when and how to inform and counsel donors whose blood tested positive for the AIDS virus antibodies, more difficult concerns about the test arose. The test was often falsely positive, of little consequence when screening the blood supply but of serious consequence to the individual tested. Furthermore, the presence of antibodies alone did not mean a person would develop AIDS, or that they were even currently infected with the virus. Although officials stressed that test information would be kept strictly confidential, many people feared the misuse of information might lead to discrimination or social ostracism. The test proved especially controversial in the gay community that was most affected by AIDS.
For these reasons the government required the kit bear the label: "It is inappropriate to use this test as a screen for AIDS or as a screen for members of groups at increased risk for AIDS in the general population. The presence of HTLV III antibody is NOT a diagnosis of AIDS." However, in popular understanding and practice, the ELISA test became the "AIDS test."
The test worked as follows: The kit contains a vial of resin beads coated with antigens (viral proteins) of HTLV-III, the AIDS virus. A blood sample is added. If antibodies to the virus are present in the blood sample they will "stick" to the antigen-coated beads. A chemical is added which then sticks to the antibodies if present, or is washed away if they are not. A second chemical is added which turns a yellow-orange color if the first chemical is present, indicating a positive test and the presence of AIDS virus antibodies in the blood sample.
In 1985 the first commercial HIV test became available. Using a technique developed in the 1960s and 1970s, the test identified HIV antibodies. It also sparked intense debates about privacy and the potential misuse of test results.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1986
expiration date
1986-12-04
maker
Abbott Laboratories
ID Number
2007.0060.001
catalog number
2007.0060.001
accession number
2007.0060
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1989 - 2003
maker
Abbott Laboratories
ID Number
2014.0247.15
accession number
2014.0247
catalog number
2014.0247.15
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time.
Description (Brief)
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time. Pill manufacturers developed unique packaging in order to distinguish their product from those of their competitors and build brand loyalty. Packaging design often incorporated a “memory aid” to assist women in tracking their daily pill regimen, as well as styled cases to allow pills to be discreetly carried in bags and purses. The National Museum of American History’s Division of Medicine and Science’s collection of oral contraceptives illustrates some of the changes that the packaging and marketing of the Pill underwent from its inception in 1960 to the present.
Abbott Laboratories of Chicago, Illinois, produced this Ogen 1.25 brand estrogen hormonal treatment around 1977. The yellow, blue, and orange packaging has a cutout to reveal a sample pill. The 21 pills are contained in a trapezoidal blister pack inside an orange trapezoidal blister pack holder. The holder has the days of the week embossed around the perimeter. These pills contain 1.25 mg of sodium estrone sulfate.
Location
Currently not on view
drug
1979
maker
Abbott Laboratories
ID Number
1981.0760.073
accession number
1981.0760
catalog number
1981.0760.073
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time.
Description (Brief)
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time. Pill manufacturers developed unique packaging in order to distinguish their product from those of their competitors and build brand loyalty. Packaging design often incorporated a “memory aid” to assist women in tracking their daily pill regimen, as well as styled cases to allow pills to be discreetly carried in bags and purses. The National Museum of American History’s Division of Medicine and Science’s collection of oral contraceptives illustrates some of the changes that the packaging and marketing of the Pill underwent from its inception in 1960 to the present.
Abbott Laboratories of Chicago, Illinois, produced this Ogen 2.5 brand estrogen hormonal treatment around 1977. The yellow, blue, and orange packaging has a cutout to reveal a sample pill. The 21 pills are in a trapezoidal blister pack inside a blue trapezoidal blister pack holder. The holder has the days of the week embossed around the perimeter. These pills contain 2.5 mg of sodium estrone sulfate.
Location
Currently not on view
drug
1979
paper cover
1977
maker
Abbott Laboratories
ID Number
1981.0760.074
accession number
1981.0760
catalog number
1981.0760.074
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time.
Description (Brief)
The popularity of “the Pill” created a new market for pharmaceutical companies. For the first time, healthy women would be taking medication for an extended period of time. Pill manufacturers developed unique packaging in order to distinguish their product from those of their competitors and build brand loyalty. Packaging design often incorporated a “memory aid” to assist women in tracking their daily pill regimen, as well as styled cases to allow pills to be discreetly carried in bags and purses. The National Museum of American History’s Division of Medicine and Science’s collection of oral contraceptives illustrates some of the changes that the packaging and marketing of the Pill underwent from its inception in 1960 to the present.
Abbott Laboratories of Chicago, Illinois, produced this Ogen .625 brand estrogen hormonal treatment around 1977. The yellow, blue, and orange packaging has a cutout to reveal a sample pill. The 21 pills are contained in a trapezoidal blister pack inside a yellow trapezoidal blister pack holder. The holder has the days of the week embossed around the perimeter. These pills contain .625 mg of sodium estrone sulfate.
Location
Currently not on view
case
1977
maker
Abbott Laboratories
ID Number
1981.0760.072
accession number
1981.0760
catalog number
1981.0760.072
The Upjohn Company of Kalamazoo, Michigan, produced this Ogen .625 Estropipate Tablets around 1996. The green cardboard box contains a white plastic bottle and user information insert.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
The Upjohn Company of Kalamazoo, Michigan, produced this Ogen .625 Estropipate Tablets around 1996. The green cardboard box contains a white plastic bottle and user information insert.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1996
product expiration date
1996-05-01
maker
Upjohn Company
Abbott Laboratories
ID Number
2004.0118.04
accession number
2004.0118
catalog number
2004.0118.04

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