Health & Medicine

Iron Lung

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.

Resource Type: Prints

Sebastianus Schröderus Onoldino

Portrait of Sebastian Schroder from the upper torso within an ovular frame bearing a Latin inscription and a fruit pattern of grapes and apples. A crest at the top of the frame consists of three wreaths.
Description (Brief)
Portrait of Sebastian Schroder from the upper torso within an ovular frame bearing a Latin inscription and a fruit pattern of grapes and apples. A crest at the top of the frame consists of three wreaths. At the bottom of the frame is the Schroder family crest flanked by two cornucopias and olive branches. The crest is a beetle on a shield with wings and claws at the top. Outside the frame is an eagle in the top right corner, a lizard in the top left corner, a fish like animal in the bottom left and a snake in the bottom right corner.
Anderaus Khol. German printmaker 1624-1656.
Anselm van Hulle. Flemish printmaker 1601-1674.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1650
depicted
Onoldino, Sebastianus Schroderus
ID Number
1991.0664.0036
collector/donor number
SAP 908
accession number
1991.0664

Friedrich Herrmann Ludewig Muzell

Portrait print of the German physician, Friedrich Hermann Ludwig Muzell (1715-1784), based on a 1773 painting by Anton Graff, and engraved by Daniel Berger in 1786.Currently not on view
Description
Portrait print of the German physician, Friedrich Hermann Ludwig Muzell (1715-1784), based on a 1773 painting by Anton Graff, and engraved by Daniel Berger in 1786.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1786
artist
Graft, Anton
engraver
Berger, Daniel
depicted
Muzell, Friedrich Herrmann Ludewig
ID Number
1991.0664.0007
accession number
1991.0664

Wolffgang Stoberlein

Etching of Wolffgang Stoberlein (1589-1646), a German apothecary.Currently not on view
Description
Etching of Wolffgang Stoberlein (1589-1646), a German apothecary.
Location
Currently not on view
depicted
Stoberlein, Wolffgang
ID Number
1991.0664.0057
accession number
1991.0664
catalog number
M-06203
collector/donor number
SAP 896

Fort Jungen's

A cartoon in watercolor and ink. Medicines carried by a soldier jokes “Batten Nevr” (Battered nerves), “Baren Fett” (Bear fat), "gesund heits trank fur schwangere” (sound cheerful potion for pregnancies).
Description
A cartoon in watercolor and ink. Medicines carried by a soldier jokes “Batten Nevr” (Battered nerves), “Baren Fett” (Bear fat), "gesund heits trank fur schwangere” (sound cheerful potion for pregnancies). The image was replicated by Johann Christian Benjamin Gottschick (1776-1844) from a drawing by Christian Johann Oldendorp (1772-1844?).
This image is possibly from Oldendorp's book "Unglück und Rettung oder Jugendschicksale eines Offiziers aus der Zeit Friedrichs des Großen" printed in 1826 in Leipzig.)
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1826
ID Number
1991.0664.0065
accession number
1991.0664
catalog number
M-06271
collector/donor number
SAP 964

George Everhard Rumphius

George Everhard Rumphius (1627-1702) was a German-born botanist who was employed by the Dutch East India Company.
Description
George Everhard Rumphius (1627-1702) was a German-born botanist who was employed by the Dutch East India Company. His major work, Het Amboinsche kruidboek or Herbarium Amboinense, a catalog of the plants on the island of Amboina (in modern-day Indonesia), was published posthumously in 1741. This portrait was made by his son, Paul Augustus Rumphius, around 1695-96. The inscription at the bottom reads, in part, “EFFIGIES / GEORGII EVERHARDI RUMPHII, HANOVIENSIS AETATS: LXVIII.”
Location
Currently not on view
depicted
Rumpf, Georg Eberhard
ID Number
1991.0664.0021
accession number
1991.0664
collector/donor number
SAP 921

Apothecter Gewicht und Chemische Zeichen

Woodcut image of an apothecary shop, with inscription at bottom that reads “Lib: 3, C.
Description
Woodcut image of an apothecary shop, with inscription at bottom that reads “Lib: 3, C. 46.” This is from the GEORGICA CURIOSA (1682), an encyclopaedic textbook covering many aspects of household and agricultural management, written by the Austrian nobleman Wolf Helmhardt von Hohberg (1612–1688).
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1991.0664.0046
accession number
1991.0664
catalog number
M-06251
collector/donor number
SAP 944

Johann Christian Preis

Portrait print of Johann Christian Preis (1630-1670), a pharmacist in Nuremberg.Currently not on view
Description
Portrait print of Johann Christian Preis (1630-1670), a pharmacist in Nuremberg.
Location
Currently not on view
depicted
Preis, Johann Christian
ID Number
1991.0664.0032
accession number
1991.0664
collector/donor number
SAP 903

Daniel Guilelmus Trillerus

Daniel Wilhelm Triller (1695-1782) was a professor of medicine at the University in Wittenberg, and author of the "Dispensatorium Pharmaceuticum Universale."This portrait print was based on a painting by Franz Lippold (1688-1768), and produced by the engraver, Johann Jakob Haid (
Description
Daniel Wilhelm Triller (1695-1782) was a professor of medicine at the University in Wittenberg, and author of the "Dispensatorium Pharmaceuticum Universale."
This portrait print was based on a painting by Franz Lippold (1688-1768), and produced by the engraver, Johann Jakob Haid (1704-1767).
Location
Currently not on view
depicted
Trillerus, Daniel Guilelmus
maker
Haid, John Jacob
ID Number
1991.0664.0039
accession number
1991.0664
catalog number
M-06239

Wilhelm Stirn, Apothectes In Nurnberg

Wilhelm Stirn (1628-1677) was a German apothecary. The “J. Sandrart sculpsit” inscription on this portrait print refers to either Joachim van Sandrart (1606-1688), or his nephew, Jacob van Sandrart (1630-1708).Currently not on view
Description
Wilhelm Stirn (1628-1677) was a German apothecary. The “J. Sandrart sculpsit” inscription on this portrait print refers to either Joachim van Sandrart (1606-1688), or his nephew, Jacob van Sandrart (1630-1708).
Location
Currently not on view
depicted
Stirn, Wilhelm
ID Number
1991.0664.0052
catalog number
M-06202
accession number
1991.0664
collector/donor number
SAP 895

Georgivs Vollandvs

Etched portrait of Georg Volland (1560-1631), a Nuremberg botanist and apothecary.Currently not on view
Description
Etched portrait of Georg Volland (1560-1631), a Nuremberg botanist and apothecary.
Location
Currently not on view
depicted
Vollandi, Georgivs
ID Number
1991.0664.0035
accession number
1991.0664
collector/donor number
SAP 902

Johann Christian Wiegleb

Johann Christian Wiegleb (1732-1800) was a prominent German apothecary and chemist. This portrait was engraved by Johann Conrad Krüger.Currently not on view
Description
Johann Christian Wiegleb (1732-1800) was a prominent German apothecary and chemist. This portrait was engraved by Johann Conrad Krüger.
Location
Currently not on view
depicted
Wiegleb, Johann Christian
ID Number
1991.0664.0050
accession number
1991.0664
catalog number
M-06222
collector/donor number
SAP 915

Martin Brendel

Portrait of Martin Brendel (1595-1647) was a pharmacist in Nuermberg.Currently not on view
Description
Portrait of Martin Brendel (1595-1647) was a pharmacist in Nuermberg.
Location
Currently not on view
depicted
Brendel, Martin
ID Number
1991.0664.0044
accession number
1991.0664
catalog number
M-06213
collector/donor number
SAP 906

Matthaeus Keller, Phat Macopaeus

Portrait print of Matthaeus Keller (1620-1661), a Nuremberg pharmacist. This was engraved by J. Sandrart, after a drawing by R. Warenfels, ca. 1665.Currently not on view
Description
Portrait print of Matthaeus Keller (1620-1661), a Nuremberg pharmacist. This was engraved by J. Sandrart, after a drawing by R. Warenfels, ca. 1665.
Location
Currently not on view
depicted
Keller, Matthaeus
ID Number
1991.0664.0022
accession number
1991.0664
collector/donor number
SAP 898

Matin Heinrich Klaproth

Martin Heinrich Klaproth (1743-1817) was a Prussian chemist, mineralogist, and owner of a large apothecary shop in Berlin. This profile portrait was engraved by Ambroise Tardieu, after an image by E. Henne.Currently not on view
Description
Martin Heinrich Klaproth (1743-1817) was a Prussian chemist, mineralogist, and owner of a large apothecary shop in Berlin. This profile portrait was engraved by Ambroise Tardieu, after an image by E. Henne.
Location
Currently not on view
depicted
Klaproth, Matin Heinrich
Maker
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
ID Number
1991.0664.0030
collector/donor number
SAP 916
accession number
1991.0664

Jacob Zobel

Etched portrait of Jacob Zobel owner of a "Moor Pharmacy" in Nuremberg. An inscription reads “T. B. Leonhart f. 1662.”Currently not on view
Description
Etched portrait of Jacob Zobel owner of a "Moor Pharmacy" in Nuremberg. An inscription reads “T. B. Leonhart f. 1662.”
Location
Currently not on view
depicted
Zobel, Jacob
ID Number
1991.0664.0024
accession number
1991.0664
collector/donor number
SAP 905

Ambrosi Gesner

Portrait of Ambrosius Gessner (1601-1669), a pharmacist from Regenburg. The “M.V. Sommern, f.” inscription at the bottom refers to the engraver.Currently not on view
Description
Portrait of Ambrosius Gessner (1601-1669), a pharmacist from Regenburg. The “M.V. Sommern, f.” inscription at the bottom refers to the engraver.
Location
Currently not on view
depicted
Gessner, Ambrosius
ID Number
1991.0664.0020
accession number
1991.0664
collector/donor number
SAP 913

Sebastian Vaillant

Woodcut portrait of Sébastian Vaillant (1669-1722), an important botanist at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris.Currently not on view
Description
Woodcut portrait of Sébastian Vaillant (1669-1722), an important botanist at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris.
Location
Currently not on view
depicted
Vaillant, Sebastian
ID Number
1991.0664.0048
accession number
1991.0664
catalog number
M-06229
collector/donor number
SAP 922

Der Apotecter

Woodcut image of an apothecary in his shop, standing behind a counter grinding herbs with a mortar and pestle, and conversing with two customers. The shelves in the background are stocked with boxes and jars for holding herbs and medicines.Currently not on view
Description
Woodcut image of an apothecary in his shop, standing behind a counter grinding herbs with a mortar and pestle, and conversing with two customers. The shelves in the background are stocked with boxes and jars for holding herbs and medicines.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1991.0664.0019
accession number
1991.0664
collector/donor number
SAP 943

Michael Kretschmann

Mezzotint image of Michael Kretschmann, a seventeenth-century physician and apothecary, with a Florence flask in his left hand. This was engraved by M[ichael] Fennitzer, in Nuremberg, in 1676.Currently not on view
Description
Mezzotint image of Michael Kretschmann, a seventeenth-century physician and apothecary, with a Florence flask in his left hand. This was engraved by M[ichael] Fennitzer, in Nuremberg, in 1676.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1676
ID Number
1991.0664.0034
accession number
1991.0664
collector/donor number
SAP 900

Portrait of Andreas Vesalius

Andreas Vesalius (1514–1564), an early European physician and professor of medicine, wrote an important treatise on the human body, published in 1543.
Description
Andreas Vesalius (1514–1564), an early European physician and professor of medicine, wrote an important treatise on the human body, published in 1543. He provided detailed illustrations that demonstrated muscle structure and other features of human anatomy, based on his work dissecting cadavers. Vesalius's work revolutionized the teaching of anatomy and remained influential for generations.
In Vesalius's time, dissection was discouraged by religious and cultural forces that misunderstood its potential contributions to science. Edouard Hamman's 1849 painting, reproduced as a lithograph by Adolphe Mouilleron in the early 1850s, suggests Vesalius's conscientious struggle with religion as he pursed his anatomical studies through dissection. He stands beside a cadaver laid out on the table, and his dissecting tools are at hand. He is pictured as if paused in thought, looking at a crucifix on the wall to his right. A skull and several large books suggest his research materials.
Lithography offered artists a medium for literally drawing on stone that was used for high-quality reproductive prints in 19th-century France. Mouilleron, an accomplished lithographer, was not only a superb draftsman, but it was said that in his hand the lithographic crayon took on the characteristics of color as used by painters. His larger prints, like this portrait of Vesalius, have rich tonal variations that convey the color values of the original painting in shades of black and white. Many American artists like Philadelphian Stephen J. Ferris (1835–1915), whose family donated this print to the Smithsonian, avidly collected and studied French prints of all periods.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1850
subject
Vesalius, Andreas
graphic artist
Mouilleron, Adolphe
original artist
Hamman, Edouard Jean Conrad
publisher
Bertauts
ID Number
GA.15366
catalog number
15366
accession number
94830

Christopher Hempelivs

Portrait print of Christopher Hempelivs.Currently not on view
Description
Portrait print of Christopher Hempelivs.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1657
depicted
Hempelivs, Christopher
ID Number
1991.0664.0031
accession number
1991.0664
collector/donor number
SAP 911

Samuel Hahnemann

Engraving of Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), a German physician and the founder of Homeopathy.Currently not on view
Description
Engraving of Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), a German physician and the founder of Homeopathy.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1831
depicted
Hahnemann, Samuel
ID Number
1991.0664.0043
accession number
1991.0664
catalog number
M-06243
collector/donor number
SAP 936

Samuel Hahnemann

Lithographed portrait bust of Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), German physician and founder of homeopathy. The “Rosselin, 21 Quai Voltaire” inscription identifies the publisher.Currently not on view
Description
Lithographed portrait bust of Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), German physician and founder of homeopathy. The “Rosselin, 21 Quai Voltaire” inscription identifies the publisher.
Location
Currently not on view
depicted
Hannemann, Samuel
ID Number
1991.0664.0027
accession number
1991.0664
collector/donor number
SAP 938

Johannes Vollandt Apothecte

Portrait print of Johannes Vollandt (1560-1631), a pharmacist and botanist in Nuremberg. This was engraved by Johann Plann and dated 1646.Currently not on view
Description
Portrait print of Johannes Vollandt (1560-1631), a pharmacist and botanist in Nuremberg. This was engraved by Johann Plann and dated 1646.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1646
depicted
Vollandt, Johannes
ID Number
1991.0664.0023
accession number
1991.0664
collector/donor number
SAP 901

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