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.

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1999
maker
Russ Berrie and Company, Inc.
ID Number
2017.0192.01
accession number
2017.0192
catalog number
2017.0192.01
date made
ca 1995
maker
Johnson & Johnson
ID Number
2001.0031.02.01
accession number
2001.0031
catalog number
2001.0031.02.01
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1995
ID Number
2017.0193.02
catalog number
2017.0193.02
accession number
2017.0193
A group of printed materials documenting the career of Dr. Maurice R. Hilleman. Materials include: Time magazine containing article about Dr. Hilleman’s mumps vaccine; The New Yorker magazine, Dec. 8, 1997, containing special advertising feature article about Dr.
Description (Brief)
A group of printed materials documenting the career of Dr. Maurice R. Hilleman. Materials include: Time magazine containing article about Dr. Hilleman’s mumps vaccine; The New Yorker magazine, Dec. 8, 1997, containing special advertising feature article about Dr. Hilleman, “Celebrities of Science – People You Should Know”; Merck World, January 1992, with article and pictures regarding Colin, son of Jeryl Lynn Hilleman, receiving MMR immunization by Dr. R. Buchta; Montana Collegian magazine, issue Autumn 1968, containing article “His Work Keeps Millions Healthy”; The Merck Review, Summer 1969, article about Meruvax rubella vaccine; The Merck Review, Summer 1966, article about new Jeryl Lynn strain of mumps vaccine; Noon Extract, July 18, 1988, article about Dr. Hilleman receiving National Medal of Science from President Ronald Reagan; Medical World News, issue December 2, 1966, “Long-Acting Mumps Shot Forecast for 1967”; The Daily, issue December 17, 1991, newsletter for Merck employees, contains article and pictures regarding Colin, son of Jeryl Lynn Hilleman, receiving MMR immunization by Dr. R. Buchta; The Daily, issue January 13, 2000, newsletter for Merck employees containing article “Merck Medical Advances preserved in National Time Capsule”; Scientific American magazine, issue 1997, containing article “The Induction of Interferon,” authored by Hilleman and Tytell. Supplemental materials, such as photocopied articles from magazine publications, are also included.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1960s - 1990s
ID Number
2017.3081.14
catalog number
2017.3081.14
nonaccession number
2017.3081
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1995
maker
Merck Sharp and Dohme
ID Number
2017.0193.01
catalog number
2017.0193.01
accession number
2017.0193
In March 1856, the University of Michigan named a committee “to contract for the construction of a suitable microscope for the University.” Within a year or so, this committee had spent $469 for a microscope made by Charles Achilles Spencer, America’s first successful microscope
Description
In March 1856, the University of Michigan named a committee “to contract for the construction of a suitable microscope for the University.” Within a year or so, this committee had spent $469 for a microscope made by Charles Achilles Spencer, America’s first successful microscope maker. This enormous sum was charged to the account of "Natural History" and the microscope was placed in the hands of Alexander Winchell, a professor of geology who would soon be named Geologist of the State. Twenty years later, after Winchell had left the University, the costly microscope was transferred to the Physiological Laboratory in the Medical School. The transfer was arranged by Charles Stowell, a young doctor who would spend his career teaching physiology and microscopy, and who was clearly aware of the historic importance of the instrument. In an obituary notice penned shortly after Spencer’s death in 1881, Stowell explained that the objective was a 1/16 of “as near 180°as can be obtained.” That is, it had a very short focal length and a very wide angular aperture. When Stowell got his hands on this objective, he saw a crack “running across about 1/3 of the field,” and so returned it to the firm. Spencer replied that he could make a new objective nearly as cheap as he could remedy this, “for it is one of my first glasses.” Accepting the inevitable, Stowell ordered a new 1/18. We have not yet measure the objective, but note that it does not appear to have a crack.
Spencer referred to the stand of this microscope as a Pritchard, recognizing that the form had been popularized by Andrew Pritchard, an important London naturalist and optician. The “C. A. & H. Spencer / Canastota, N.Y.” inscription on the tube refers to the partnership between Charles A. Spencer and his cousin Hamilton, a partnership that began around 1848 and ended around 1854.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1849-1859
associated dates
1990-04-10
maker
C. A. & H. Spencer
ID Number
1990.0183.01
catalog number
1990.0183.01
accession number
1990.0183
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1999
maker
Bio-Medical Products Corporation
ID Number
1999.0171.3
catalog number
1999.0171.3
accession number
1999.0171
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1993
maker
Schering-Plough Corporation
ID Number
1997.0147.03
accession number
1997.0147
catalog number
1997.0147.03
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1998
ID Number
2014.3066.12
nonaccession number
2014.3066
catalog number
2014.3066.12
Posilac is a recombinant pharmaceutical used to increase milk production in lactating dairy cows. Approved by the FDA in 1993, Posilac was the first biotechnology product offered for sale by Monsanto.
Description (Brief)
Posilac is a recombinant pharmaceutical used to increase milk production in lactating dairy cows. Approved by the FDA in 1993, Posilac was the first biotechnology product offered for sale by Monsanto. The company sold the rights to Elanco, a division of Eli Lilly and Company in 2008.
Its active ingredient, bovine growth hormone-also known as rBGH and rBST-has been at the center of ongoing controversy in the United States. Although deemed safe by the FDA, rBGH is banned in many other countries. American consumer groups have countered FDA claims of safety with concerns about possible health risks stemming from differences in milk produced by cows treated with rBGH and milk produced by untreated cows.
Recombinant pharmaceuticals like Posilac are created by inserting genes from one species into a host species, often yeast or bacteria, where they do not naturally occur. The genes code for a desired product, and therefore the genetically modified host organisms can be grown and used as a kind of living factory to produce the product. In this case, genes coding for bovine somatotropin (growth hormone) are inserted into bacteria. Bacteria produce the somatotropin, which is harvested and used as the active ingredient in Posilac.
Object consists of a white cardboard box with light blue, dark blue, and red printing. Box contains 25 needles, 25 syringes, and a product insert. Needles are disposable, wrapped individually, and have a purple plastic base and a clear plastic cap. Syringes are 500-mg single doses, and they are made of white plastic with white labels with red, blue, and black printing.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
April 1993 to June 1994
product expiration date
1994-06
maker
Monsanto Company
ID Number
2012.0046.50
accession number
2012.0046
catalog number
2012.0046.50
Blood glucose monitor with user's manual. Blood glucose monitor is white and blue plastic with blue print, LCD display panel, and blue and red print. User's Manual is white paper with black print and includes written and pictorial directions (copyright 1992).
Description
Blood glucose monitor with user's manual. Blood glucose monitor is white and blue plastic with blue print, LCD display panel, and blue and red print. User's Manual is white paper with black print and includes written and pictorial directions (copyright 1992). Manual cover is purple with white print and picture of blood glucose monitor. Medical Services Representative contact information on reverse side.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
about 1992
maker
Boehringer Mannheim Corporation
ID Number
2014.0140.09
accession number
2014.0140
catalog number
2014.0140.09
This handheld device detects the presence of troponin T in blood, which is a marker for for myocardial infraction (heart attack).
Description (Brief)
This handheld device detects the presence of troponin T in blood, which is a marker for for myocardial infraction (heart attack). The device is used by health care professionals to quickly diagnosis cardiac events and to determine whether there is damage to the heart muscle.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1996
maker
Boehringer Mannheim Corporation
ID Number
2014.0247.23
accession number
2014.0247
catalog number
2014.0247.23
Blood glucose monitor with box, carrying case, quick reference guide, lancets, box of test strips, check strip bag, "We'll Get You Started!" card, guarantee and limited warranty cards in English and Spanish, membership application (American Diabetes Association), and user's manua
Description
Blood glucose monitor with box, carrying case, quick reference guide, lancets, box of test strips, check strip bag, "We'll Get You Started!" card, guarantee and limited warranty cards in English and Spanish, membership application (American Diabetes Association), and user's manual.
Blood glucose monitor is beige and gray plastic with LCD display panel and one blue button on the front. Box is white and purple with black, yellow, white and pink print with picture of blood glucose monitor on the front and side and pictorial instructions on the back of the box. Carrying case is black leatherette with clear, plastic sleeves, metal snaps, quick reference guide, lancets, and "We'll Get You Started" card. Quick Reference guide is white and purple with black font and pictoral instructions. Lancets are beige plastic and are included in the carrying case. Box of test strips is white and purple with black, pink, and yellow print with pictures of blood glucose monitor and test strips and pictorial instructions on the back. Check test strip bag is clear plastic and contains white and gray pamphlet with gray print and picture of check strip on the front. Bag also contains blue and green metal and plastic check strip. Guarantee and Limited Warranty cards are folded white cardstock with black print. One is in English and the other is in Spanish. User's Manual is white paper with purple and black print and includes pictorial instructions and English and Spanish text.
Printed on front of box: New! No calibration or coding required / Easy to Use / Accurate / Results in 30 seconds
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1996
maker
MediSense Inc.
ID Number
2014.0140.22
accession number
2014.0140
catalog number
2014.0140.22
A print of a July 1991 photograph documenting Dr. R. Buchta vaccinating Colin, the son of Jeryl Lynn Hilleman, against measles, mumps, and rubella. The MMR vaccine that Colin received was developed by Colin's, grandfather, Dr. Maurice Hilleman.
Description (Brief)
A print of a July 1991 photograph documenting Dr. R. Buchta vaccinating Colin, the son of Jeryl Lynn Hilleman, against measles, mumps, and rubella. The MMR vaccine that Colin received was developed by Colin's, grandfather, Dr. Maurice Hilleman. The mumps component of the MMR vaccine contains the Jeryl Lynn strain of virus - a strain that the Dr. Hilleman isolated from his daughter, Jeryl Lynn, when she was sick with the mumps.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1991
ID Number
2017.3081.05
catalog number
2017.3081.05
nonaccession number
2017.3081
This color poster depicts "the proven route to biopharmaceutical approval" as a series of steps on a path riddled with potential pitfalls. It advertises the testing services offered by Microbiological Associates Inc.
Description (Brief)
This color poster depicts "the proven route to biopharmaceutical approval" as a series of steps on a path riddled with potential pitfalls. It advertises the testing services offered by Microbiological Associates Inc. The poster was collected at the BioEast conference in 1994.
Biopharmaceuticals are a class of drugs produced by organisms, cells, or biological systems that have been modified by scientists in order to create molecules useful as medicines or diagnostics. Typically these drugs are proteins, nucleic acids, or antibodies.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1994
ID Number
1994.3125.06
nonaccession number
1994.3125
catalog number
1994.3125.06
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1996
ID Number
2017.0193.04
catalog number
2017.0193.04
accession number
2017.0193
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1997
maker
Schering-Plough Corporation
ID Number
1998.0102.07
catalog number
1998.0102.07
accession number
1998.0102
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1996
ID Number
2017.0193.06
catalog number
2017.0193.06
accession number
2017.0193
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1997
distributor
Proctor & Gamble
maker
Procter & Gamble Company
ID Number
1998.0102.08
catalog number
1998.0102.08
accession number
1998.0102
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1994
associated dates
1994
maker
Warner-Lambert Pharmaceutical Company
ID Number
1995.0013.02
catalog number
1995.0013.02
accession number
1995.0013
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1989
product expiration date
1996-04
ID Number
2014.3066.02
nonaccession number
2014.3066
catalog number
2014.3066.02
Blood glucose monitor with box, bottle of normal glucose control, test strips, At-a-Glance guide, warranty card, procedures guide, carrying case, logbook, and owner's manual.Blood glucose monitor is light gray and dark gray with black and blue print and handwritten "J.
Description
Blood glucose monitor with box, bottle of normal glucose control, test strips, At-a-Glance guide, warranty card, procedures guide, carrying case, logbook, and owner's manual.
Blood glucose monitor is light gray and dark gray with black and blue print and handwritten "J. Roe" on the back of the monitor. Monitor has LCD display panel and three blue buttons. Box is blue with white, red, yellow, and blue print and pictures of blood glucose monitor on front and back. Handwritten "J. Roe" on the front of the box. At-a-Glance guide is cardboard with white paper insert. Blue cardboard with white, yellow, and red print and picture of blood glucose monitor on the front and pictorial instructions inside. Carrying case is black and gray vinyl with clear plastic and black metal zipper. Carrying case has "OneTouch Profile" embossed on the front. Logbook has a gray and white cover with blue print and white pages with blue print on the inside. Owner's booklet is spiral-bound and white with blue and red print and has a picture of the blood glucose monitor on the front. Inside is white paper with blue and black print and pictorial instructions.
Printed on box: Simple accurate testing / 250 test memory / Averages results by time of day or activity / Records insulin type and dosage
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1995
maker
LifeScan Inc.
ID Number
2014.0140.19
accession number
2014.0140
catalog number
2014.0140.19
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1997
ID Number
1998.0102.15
catalog number
1998.0102.15
accession number
1998.0102
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1999
maker
Retractable Technologies
ID Number
2000.0001.01
catalog number
2000.0001.01
accession number
2000.0001

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