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 52 items.
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Ovral 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.
- Wyeth Laboratories Inc. produced this Ovral brand oral contraceptive around 1982. The 21 pills are encased in a plastic and aluminum blister pack with punch-outs on the reverse. The blister pack is surrounded by a white plastic holder with the days of the week embossed around the perimeter. The blister pack has a rectangular white plastic carrying pouch that is decorated with two blue flowers and a yellow-green butterfly. The Ovral pill regimen came with a separate white paper insert with instructions for the user.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1982
- maker
- Wyeth Laboratories Inc.
- ID Number
- 1980.0160.12
- accession number
- 1980.0160
- catalog number
- 1980.0160.12
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Ovral 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.
- Wyeth Laboratories Inc. produced this Ovral brand oral contraceptive around 1982. The 21 pills are encased in a plastic and aluminum blister pack with punch-outs on the reverse. The blister pack is surrounded by a white plastic holder with the days of the week embossed around the perimeter. The blister pack has a rectangular white plastic carrying pouch that is decorated with two blue flowers and a yellow-green butterfly. The Ovral pill regimen came with a separate white paper insert with instructions for the user.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1982
- maker
- Wyeth Laboratories Inc.
- ID Number
- 1980.0160.13
- accession number
- 1980.0160
- catalog number
- 1980.0160.13
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Lo/Ovral 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.
- Wyeth Laboratories Inc. produced this Lo/Ovral brand oral contraceptive around 1980. The 21 pills are in a blister pack that is inserted into a pink plastic holder. The holder has the days of the week embossed around the perimeter. The pills come with a pink carrying sleeve decorated with flowers and a butterfly. The pill pack includes a small booklet with instructions for the user.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1980
- maker
- Wyeth Laboratories
- ID Number
- 1981.0760.027
- accession number
- 1981.0760
- catalog number
- 1981.0760.027
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Ovral 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.
- Wyeth Laboratories Inc. produced this Ovral brand oral contraceptive around 1982. The 21 pills are in a blister pack that is inserted into a white plastic holder. The holder has the days of the week embossed around the perimeter. The pills come with a carrying sleeve decorated with flowers and a butterfly. The pill pack includes a paper insert with instructions for the user.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1981
- maker
- Wyeth Laboratories Inc.
- ID Number
- 1981.0760.042
- accession number
- 1981.0760
- catalog number
- 1981.0760.042
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Oral Contraceptives
- 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.
- Wyeth Laboratories of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 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 to worldwide 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 a cycle of 28 pills, with 21 white hormonal tablets and 7 tablets of iron supplements.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Wyeth Laboratories
- ID Number
- 1982.0531.040
- accession number
- 1982.0531
- catalog number
- 1982.0531.040
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Ovral 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.
- Wyeth Laboratories Inc. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, produced this Ovral brand oral contraceptive around 1968. The 21 pills are in a blister pack that is inserted into a white plastic holder. The holder has the days of the week embossed around the perimeter. The pills come with a carrying sleeve decorated with flowers and a butterfly. This box of physician’s samples includes 6 blister packs that were used as refills for the white plastic dispenser.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1968
- maker
- Wyeth Laboratories
- ID Number
- 1982.0531.044
- accession number
- 1982.0531
- catalog number
- 1982.0531.044
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Triphasil-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.
- Wyeth Laboratories of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, produced this Triphasil-21 brand oral contraceptive around 1984. The monthly dosage of 28 pills consists of 6 brown, 5 white, 10 yellow, and 7 green tablets in a blister pack housed in a grey compact case. Triphasil-21 is packaged in a purple box with the advertising slogan, “The First Oral Contraceptive Tuned to Her Timing,” and includes an instructional paper insert.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1984
- maker
- Wyeth Laboratories
- ID Number
- 1988.0655.06
- catalog number
- 1988.0655.06.01
- accession number
- 1988.0655
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Nordette 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.
- Wyeth Laboratories of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, produced this Nordette brand oral contraceptive around 1982. The 21-pill regimen is in a grey blister pack that slides into a grey plastic sleeve. The prescription also comes with a booklet containing patient information.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- booklet
- 1982-07
- maker
- Wyeth Laboratories
- ID Number
- 1988.0655.13
- catalog number
- 1988.0655.13
- accession number
- 1988.0655
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Nordette 28 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.
- Wyeth Laboratories of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, produced this Nordette brand oral contraceptive around 1991. The 28 pill regimen is in a grey blister pack with “sample” repeatedly printed in black over the pack. A silver blister pack fits into a grey plastic holder with the days of the week embossed around the perimeter. The holder and blister pack slides into the included plastic sleeve decorated with flowers and a butterfly.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1991
- maker
- Wyeth
- ID Number
- 1997.0360.04
- catalog number
- 1997.0360.04
- accession number
- 1997.0360
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Alesse -28 Oral Contraceptive Starter Pack
- 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.
- Wyeth Laboratories Inc. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, produced this Alesse-28 brand oral contraceptive starter pack around 1998. Alesse-28 is in a soft blue plastic zippered pouch that contains two foil-wrapped dial dispensers. This dial dispenser contains 21 pink combination hormone pills and 7 green inert pills. The starter pack includes five paper inserts detailing patient and product information including the booklet “Starting Out Right with New Alesse.”
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1998
- maker
- Wyeth Laboratories Inc.
- ID Number
- 1997.0360.11
- accession number
- 1997.0360
- catalog number
- 1997.0360.11
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center