Health & Medicine - Overview
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.
"Health & Medicine - Overview" showing 6 items.
Enovid-E 21 Oral Contraceptive
- 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.
- G. D. Searle and Company of Chicago, Illinois, produced this Enovid-E 21 brand oral contraceptive around 1975. This 21-pill blister pack is in Searle’s trademarked Compack plastic case. The gold-foil blister pack organizes the monthly dosage into three weekly rows, with each column labeled for the day of the week. The pack includes a pamphlet directing patients on proper usage.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1975
- maker
- G. D. Searle and Company
- ID Number
- 1981.0760.014
- catalog number
- 1981.0760.014
- accession number
- 1981.0760
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Loestrin 1.5/30 Oral Contraceptive
- 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.
- Parke-Davis and Company of Detroit, Michigan, produced this Loestrin 21 1.5/30 brand oral contraceptive around 1974. The packaging of the Loestrin features a photograph of a young woman. To maintain the routine of taking a daily pill, many manufacturers began including a fourth week of pills that were supplements or inert. This Loestrin regimen contains 28 pills, including 7 tablets that were iron supplements. Included is a packet entitled “What you should know about ‘the pill.’” The pills came in a white plastic compact case decorated with a raised floral design.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1974
- maker
- Parke, Davis and Company
- ID Number
- 1981.0760.031
- accession number
- 1981.0760
- catalog number
- 1981.0760.031
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Oral Contraceptive
- Description (Brief)
- This oral contraceptive was produced by an unknown manufacturer during the second half of the 20th century. It has a unique design as both a memory aid and dispenser. The paper tab on the left lists the days of the week, with a notched side to allow for different days to be assigned to different pills. The 21 pills are stacked in a plastic vial, with directions to begin taking a white pill on day five, until day 21, when the 5 pink tablets will be taken for the next 5 days.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 1982.0531.012
- accession number
- 1982.0531
- catalog number
- 1982.0531.012
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Ovulen Oral Contraceptive
- 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.
- G. D. Searle and Company of Chicago, Illinois, produced this Ovulen brand oral contraceptive for sale in Argentina during the 1960s. The regimen is in two silver blister packs of 10 pills, each inserted into a cardboard holder. The interior of the holder is divided into a five by five grid with a space for the day and date to be written by the user in each square. These oral contraceptives were distributed as a physician’s sample in Argentina.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s
- maker
- G. D. Searle and Company
- ID Number
- 1982.0531.015
- accession number
- 1982.0531
- catalog number
- 1982.0531.015
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Family Planning Pills
- 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.
- Schering AG of Berlin, Germany, manufactured these oral contraceptives during the late 20th century. The logo of the “blue lady” taking her pill adorned all U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) oral contraceptive packages that were distributed worldwide to family planning programs. Compared to other oral contraceptives of the time, these USAID pills are packaged very simply, lacking any kind of discreet container or memory aid. The packet contained three cycles of 28 pills, with 21 white hormonal tablets and 7 tablets of iron supplements.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1980
- maker
- Schering A. G.
- ID Number
- 1990.3201.05
- catalog number
- 1990.3201.05
- nonaccession number
- 1990.3201
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Prempro Hormone Replacement Therapy
- Description (Brief)
- Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, produced this Prempro brand hormone replacement therapy around 2002. The Prempro is in a white foil package with a red and gold label. The package contained a trademarked EZ Dial dispenser with 28 tablets. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was meant to relieve the hot flashes, night sweats, and physical discomfort associated with menopause. HRT pills were taken daily, and this package includes a trademarked EZ Dial dispenser. HRT was very popular during the 1990s, but in 2002 a Women’s Health Initiative study reported that HRT users were at increased risk of heart disease, blood clots, and breast cancer. The story had an immediate impact on the number of HRT prescriptions written, and the donor of this sample of Prempro stopped her hormone replacement therapy the day the news broke.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 2002
- maker
- Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories
- ID Number
- 2002.0308.1
- catalog number
- 2002.0308.1
- accession number
- 2002.0308
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center