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.

Place: Indianapolis

U-100 N, NPH Iletin II, Isophane Purified Pork Insulin Suspension, 10cc, CP-310P

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1982
maker
Eli Lilly and Company
ID Number
1982.0153.24
accession number
1982.0153
catalog number
1982.0153.24

U-40 Lente Iletin (Insulin, Lilly), 10cc., 40 Units per cc.

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1956
maker
Eli Lilly and Company
ID Number
1980.0076.017
accession number
1980.0076
catalog number
1980.0076.17

Walker's Glossine - for Beautifying and Softening the Hair

The indications or uses for this product as provided on its packaging:For beautifying and softening the hair. Directions: Glossine is to be used only after the hair has been thoroughly cleaned. Use very little, not enough to make hair greasy.Yellow metal tin with black print.
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided on its packaging:
For beautifying and softening the hair. Directions: Glossine is to be used only after the hair has been thoroughly cleaned. Use very little, not enough to make hair greasy.
Yellow metal tin with black print. Contents 1 oz. Label on top of tin reads: "WALKER'S / GLOSSINE / MADE BY / THE MADAM C. J. WALKER / MANUFACTURING CO. / INDIANAPOLIS, IND. / PRICE 35 CTS. / FOR BEAUTIFYING AND SOFTENING THE HAIR."
Madam C.J. Walker (1867-1919) was a successful beauty industry entrepreneur and philanthropist. In 1910, she established a manufacturing company in Indianapolis, Indiana, to produce her growing line of hair and beauty products for African Americans. By 1920, the Walker line included: Wonderful Hair Grower, Temple Grower, Witch Hazel Jelly, Tetter-Salve, Glossine, Vegetable Shampoo, Cold Cream, Vanishing Cream, Cleansing Cream, and Walker’s Supreme Face Powder.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1920s
referenced
Madam C. J. Walker
maker
Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company
ID Number
2012.0165.785
catalog number
2012.0165.785
accession number
2012.0165

Protamine, Zinc & Iletin (Insulin, Lilly), 10cc, 40 Units per cc.

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1946
maker
Eli Lilly & Company
ID Number
MG.M-06433
accession number
173800
catalog number
M-06433

U-40 Iletin Insulin, Lilly, 10cc, 400 Units

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
maker
Eli Lilly and Company
ID Number
MG.M-02894.05
catalog number
M-02894.05
accession number
111796

Lilly's Diamond Antiseptic Soap

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Eli Lilly and Company
ID Number
1982.0498.11
catalog number
1982.0498.11
accession number
1982.0498
maker number
744

Lilly Iletin Syringe

After the connection between insulin and diabetes was announced in 1921, pharmaceutical firms hastened to bring insulin and related materials to market. This cardboard box contains a hypodermic needle in a metal case, a glass bottle for alcohol, and related material.
Description
After the connection between insulin and diabetes was announced in 1921, pharmaceutical firms hastened to bring insulin and related materials to market. This cardboard box contains a hypodermic needle in a metal case, a glass bottle for alcohol, and related material. A label reads in part: “LILLY’S ASEPTIC SYRINGE NEEDLE / NO. 65 / (PATENT 1,625,035)” and “ELI LILLY & COMPANY, INDIANAPOLIS, U.S.A.”
Ref: Eli Lily, “Hypodermic Kit,” U.S. Patent 1,625,035 (April 19, 1927).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
maker
Eli Lilly and Company
ID Number
MG.M-02887
catalog number
M-02887
accession number
111796

Walker's Glossine - for Beautifying and Softening the Hair

The indications or uses for this product as provided on its packaging:For beautifying and softening the hair. Directions: Glossine is to be used only after the hair has been thoroughly cleaned. Use very little, not enough to make hair greasy.Yellow metal tin with black print.
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided on its packaging:
For beautifying and softening the hair. Directions: Glossine is to be used only after the hair has been thoroughly cleaned. Use very little, not enough to make hair greasy.
Yellow metal tin with black print. Contents 1 oz. Label on top of tin reads: "WALKER'S / GLOSSINE / MADE BY / THE MADAM C. J. WALKER / MANUFACTURING CO. / INDIANAPOLIS, IND. / PRICE 35 CTS. / FOR BEAUTIFYING AND SOFTENING THE HAIR."
Madam C.J. Walker (1867-1919) was a successful beauty industry entrepreneur and philanthropist. In 1910, she established a manufacturing company in Indianapolis, Indiana, to produce her growing line of hair and beauty products for African Americans. By 1920, the Walker line included: Wonderful Hair Grower, Temple Grower, Witch Hazel Jelly, Tetter-Salve, Glossine, Vegetable Shampoo, Cold Cream, Vanishing Cream, Cleansing Cream, and Walker’s Supreme Face Powder.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1920s
referenced
Madam C. J. Walker
maker
Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company
ID Number
2012.0165.786
catalog number
2012.0165.786
accession number
2012.0165

Lilly's Iletin Syringe No. 270

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1940
maker
Eli Lilly and Company
ID Number
1982.0498.14
catalog number
1982.0498.14
accession number
1982.0498

Humulin U, ULTRALENTE

Humulin is human insulin used for treating diabetes. Prior to its development, diabetics used insulin isolated from pig and cow pancreases.
Description (Brief)
Humulin is human insulin used for treating diabetes. Prior to its development, diabetics used insulin isolated from pig and cow pancreases. Developed by Genentech, the first American biotechnology company, Humulin was licensed to Eli Lilly and became the first marketable product created through recombinant DNA technology. Its licensing by the FDA in October 1982 also made it the first recombinant pharmaceutical approved for use in the United States.
Recombinant pharmaceuticals 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 human insulin are inserted into bacteria. Bacteria produce insulin, which is harvested and used as the active ingredient in Humulin.
Humulin U is formulated to provide a slower onset and a longer and less intense duration of activity (up to 28 hours) than regular insulin. Due to declining use of longer-acting insulins, Humulin U was discontinued in 2005.
Object is a sealed white cardboard box with black and red printing.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
before December 1994
maker
Eli Lilly and Company
ID Number
2012.0046.45
accession number
2012.0046
catalog number
2012.0046.45

Penicillin G Sodium

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Eli Lilly and Company
ID Number
MG.M-09648
catalog number
M-09648
accession number
233571

Walker's Glossine - for Beautifying and Softening the Hair

The indications or uses for this product as provided on its packaging:For beautifying and softening the hair. Directions: Glossine is to be used only after the hair has been thoroughly cleaned. Use very little, not enough to make hair greasy.Yellow metal tin with black print.
Description
The indications or uses for this product as provided on its packaging:
For beautifying and softening the hair. Directions: Glossine is to be used only after the hair has been thoroughly cleaned. Use very little, not enough to make hair greasy.
Yellow metal tin with black print. Contents 1 oz. Label on top of tin reads: "WALKER'S / GLOSSINE / MADE BY / THE MADAM C. J. WALKER / MANUFACTURING CO. / INDIANAPOLIS, IND. / PRICE 35 CTS. / FOR BEAUTIFYING AND SOFTENING THE HAIR."
Madam C.J. Walker (1867-1919) was a successful beauty industry entrepreneur and philanthropist. In 1910, she established a manufacturing company in Indianapolis, Indiana, to produce her growing line of hair and beauty products for African Americans. By 1920, the Walker line included: Wonderful Hair Grower, Temple Grower, Witch Hazel Jelly, Tetter-Salve, Glossine, Vegetable Shampoo, Cold Cream, Vanishing Cream, Cleansing Cream, and Walker’s Supreme Face Powder.
date made
ca 1920s
referenced
Madam C. J. Walker
maker
Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company
ID Number
MG.293320.0970
accession number
293320
catalog number
293320.0970

Lilly Iletin Syringe

This metal case contains two metal needles, and a graduated glass syringe with an inscription that reads in part “Lilly / ILETIN SYRINGE.” Iletin was the Eli Lilly & Co. trade name for insulin. The inscription on the case reads “Lilly / ASEPTIC.”Currently not on view
Description
This metal case contains two metal needles, and a graduated glass syringe with an inscription that reads in part “Lilly / ILETIN SYRINGE.” Iletin was the Eli Lilly & Co. trade name for insulin. The inscription on the case reads “Lilly / ASEPTIC.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
maker
Eli Lilly and Company
ID Number
MG.M-02888
catalog number
M-02888
accession number
111796

U-80 Lente Iletin, Insulin Zinc Suspension, USP, 10cc, List No. M-480

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1974
maker
Eli Lilly and Company
ID Number
1985.0475.117
catalog number
1985.0475.117
accession number
1985.0475

Accu-Chek Instant Blood Glucose Monitoring System

Blood glucose monitor with packaging, travel case, box of glucose control solutions, box of test strips, 4 batteries, quick reference guide, user's manual, quick reference guide in Spanish, and self-test diary.
Description
Blood glucose monitor with packaging, travel case, box of glucose control solutions, box of test strips, 4 batteries, quick reference guide, user's manual, quick reference guide in Spanish, and self-test diary. Blood glucose monitor is gray and white plastic with LCD display panel. Box is green with red, white, yellow and black print and picture of a stopwatch, blood glucose monitor, and pictorial instructions on the back. Travel case is green vinyl with black metal zipper and clear plastic inserts. Quick Reference Guide is a trifold pamphlet that is white and green with black print and pictures of blood glucose monitor and pictorial instructions. User's Manual is spiral-bound in white metal and is white and green paper with red, black and blue print and picture of the blood glucose monitor on the front. Inside pages are white with green and black print and pictorial instructions for use. Quick reference guide is in Spanish and is white and green paper with black print and picture of the blood glucose monitor on the front. Inside pages are white with green and black print and pictoral instructions for use. Self-test diary is white and blue paper with blue and black print and inside pages are white with blue and black print.
Printed on box: Fastest test results! 12 Second Accuracy
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1996
maker
Roche Diagnostics. Division of F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.
ID Number
2014.0140.26
accession number
2014.0140
catalog number
2014.0140.26

U-80 Iletin Insulin, Lilly, 10cc, 800 Units

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
maker
Eli Lilly and Company
ID Number
MG.M-02895.03
catalog number
M-02895.03
accession number
111796

Entoral - Oral Bacterial Vaccine Pulvules

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1951
expiration date
1951-04-01
maker
Eli Lilly and Company
ID Number
1985.0475.849
accession number
1985.0475
catalog number
1985.0475.849

One Vaccination - Vaccine Virus, Smallpox Vaccine (V-1)

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Eli Lilly & Company
ID Number
1985.0481.185
catalog number
1985.0481.185
accession number
1985.0481
1985.0481

Poliomyelitis Vaccine - CT-716 - Eli Lilly and Co.

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1955
expiration date
1955-07-18
maker
Eli Lilly and Company
ID Number
MG.M-06833
catalog number
M-06833
accession number
207394

Poliomyelitis Vaccine - Types 1, 2, and 3

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1955
expiration date
1955-04-01
maker
Pitman-Moore, Inc.
ID Number
MG.M-06834
catalog number
M-06834
accession number
207396

Hy-Kup Menstrual Cup

One Hy-Kup menstrual cup in an blue and white cardboard box with cellophane wrapper. Each side of the box has the Hy-Kup brand name with a white cross below. A single word -- Scientific - Sanitary - Comfortable - Odorless -- appears on each of the four sides.
Description
One Hy-Kup menstrual cup in an blue and white cardboard box with cellophane wrapper. Each side of the box has the Hy-Kup brand name with a white cross below. A single word -- Scientific - Sanitary - Comfortable - Odorless -- appears on each of the four sides. Inscriptions on the bottom of the box include: "Price $2.00" and the phrase "Lasts for a Year."
The Hy-Kup appears to have been first marketed in 1928. It was advertised as "scientifically correct, invented, tested and perfected for the modern woman," it "eliminates belts and pads, odor and chafing," and is "absolutely secure." Advertisements also claimed that the cup was endorsed by leading doctors and nurses. The company recruited women to serve as distributors for Hy-Kup in their communities. The cups sold for $2.00 each and were advertised to last for a year. Paul Allen Wilkey (died June, 29, 1974), of Indiana, was named as owner and distributor of Hy-Kup in his obituary.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930s
copyright date ("why you should use a hygienic menstrual cup" Hy-Kup distributors)
1928-01-29
collection
Reid Drugstore
maker
Hy-Kup Distrubutors
ID Number
1984.0351.067
accession number
1984.0351
catalog number
1984.0351.067

Entoral - Oral Bacterial Vaccine Pulvules

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1953
expiration date
1953-10-27
maker
Eli Lilly and Company
ID Number
1985.0475.848
accession number
1985.0475
catalog number
1985.0475.848

C-Quens Oral Contraceptive

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.
Eli Lilly and Company of Indianapolis, Indiana produced this C-Quens brand oral contraceptive around 1965. The paper package is folded matchbook-style with directions and blister pack inside. The pills are laid out to represent a calendar, with 15 white 80 mcg Mestranol tablets, and 5 peach colored tablets that are 80 mcg Mestranol with 2 mg of chlormadinone acetate.
The FDA approved C-Quens for marketing in May,1965. The pills were withdrawn from the market in October, 1970 after tests on dogs suggested that the synthetic progesterone used in the pills, chlormadinone acetate, may increase the risk of breast cancer.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1965
maker
Eli Lilly and Company
ID Number
1982.0531.011
catalog number
1982.0531.011
accession number
1982.0531

One Vaccination - Vaccine Virus, Smallpox Vaccine (V-1)

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Eli Lilly & Company
ID Number
1985.0481.186
catalog number
1985.0481.186
accession number
1985.0481
1985.0481

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