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.

Date: 1990s

Pearl Drops Toothpolish Gel

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1997
distributor
Carter Products Company
ID Number
1998.0102.03
catalog number
1998.0102.03
accession number
1998.0102

Re-Flex VSP (w/ Split-Toe) prosthetic foot

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
c. 1993
maker
Ossur North America
ID Number
2003.0315.12
serial number
80082
accession number
2003.0315
catalog number
2003.0315.12

Plague Vaccine, USP

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1998
expiration date
1998-11-07
maker
Greer Laboratories
ID Number
2000.0056.02
accession number
2000.0056
catalog number
2000.0056.02

Nordette 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.
Wyeth Laboratories of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, produced this Nordette brand oral contraceptive around 1982. The 28-pill regimen is in a grey blister pack, in a grey plastic holder with the days of the week inscribed around the rim. The pills slide into a grey plastic sleeve for carrying. The monthly regimen consists of 21 peach hormonal tablets, and 7 inert pink tablets. The prescription comes with a booklet containing user information entitled “On your way with Nordette.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1994
maker
Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories
ID Number
2004.0118.05
accession number
2004.0118
catalog number
2004.0118.05

Ortho Tri-Cyclen 28 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.
The Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation of Raritan, New Jersey, produced this Ortho-Tri-Cyclen 28-pill oral contraceptive around 1999. The pills are in a blister pack that fits into a pink plastic DialPak dispenser. A foil pack with one blister pack refill ring is included.The center dial in the Dialpak was set by the user to the first day of the pill cycle before inserting the blister pack refill. Each subsequent pill was dispensed on the correct day through the bottom of the DialPak.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1999
maker
Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation
ID Number
2000.0090.14
accession number
2000.0090
catalog number
2000.0090.14

Ortho-Cept 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.
The Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation of Raritan, New Jersey, produced this Ortho-Tri-Cyclen 28 oral contraceptive around 1992. The 28-pill regimen is in a red foil wrapper that contains a DialPak dispenser and a booklet entitled “Questions and answers on Ortho-Cyclen tablets.” Ortho trademarked the term DialPak in 1965, and was the first company to release their medication in a memory-aid device, now ubiquitous among makers of oral contraceptives.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1994-1996
product expiration date
1996-12
maker
Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation
Diosynth bv
ID Number
2004.0118.08
accession number
2004.0118
catalog number
2004.0118.08

Ortho Tri-Cyclen 28 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.
The Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation of Raritan, New Jersey, produced this Ortho-Tri-Cyclen 28 oral contraceptive around 1996. The pills are in a ring-shaped blister pack that fits into a blue and white plastic compact. The inside lid of the compact had a space for a prescription label and notes the patent number for the compact, 4,165,708. A black arrow in the center points to the days of the week around the wheel. This allowed the user to set the day of her first pill and track her daily use from there. This prescription contains 28 pills: 7 green pills, 14 blue pills, and 7 white pills. The package includes directions for use.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1996
maker
Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation
ID Number
2000.0090.12
accession number
2000.0090
catalog number
2000.0090.12

Alesse -28 Oral Contraceptive Starter Pack

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.
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

button, Pride+Unity

Pin-back buttons serve many purposes. They are efficient advertising vehicles, handy for fund-raising in support of a cause, concise statements of a person’s beliefs, a form of educational outreach, and convenient ice-breakers for conversation.
Description (Brief)
Pin-back buttons serve many purposes. They are efficient advertising vehicles, handy for fund-raising in support of a cause, concise statements of a person’s beliefs, a form of educational outreach, and convenient ice-breakers for conversation. NMAH has several hundred pin-back buttons related to disability, including this 1993 one from New York City.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1993
maker
N. G. Slater Corp.
ID Number
1999.0263.17
accession number
1999.0263
catalog number
1999.0263.17

Daddy McCollough Pine Soap

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1960-1991
maker
House of Prayer
ID Number
2005.0100.073
catalog number
2005.0100.073
accession number
2005.0100

Biotene Antibacterial Dry Mouth Toothpaste

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1997
ID Number
1998.0102.18
catalog number
1998.0102.18
accession number
1998.0102

Jenest-28 Oral Contraceptives

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 a discreetly designed case for easy carrying 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.
The Ortho Pharmaceutical Corp. produced this Jenest-28 brand oral contraceptive for Organon Inc. of West Orange, New Jersey, around 1995. The foil wrapper contains a physician’s sample of Jenest-28, consisting of 21 hormonal tablets and seven inert green tablets. The pills were dispensed in a “cyclic tablet dispenser.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1995
maker
Organon Inc.
Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation
ID Number
2004.0118.03
accession number
2004.0118
catalog number
2004.0118.03

Tri-Levlen 28 Oral Contraceptives

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.
Berlex Laboratories, a subsidiary of Wyeth Laboratories Inc. in Wayne, New Jersey, produced this Tri-Levlen 28 brand oral contraceptive around 1996. The object consists of a white paper box containing a physician’s sample of Levlen 28 and a user’s information booklet entitled “What You Should Know About Your New Oral Contraceptive.” Tri-Levlen 28 includes Wyeth’s patented Slidecase dispenser. The monthly dosage consists of 6 brown tablets, 5 white tablets, 10 yellow tablets, and 7 green inert tablets.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1996
maker
Berlex Laboratories, Inc.
Wyeth Laboratories Inc.
ID Number
2004.0118.11
accession number
2004.0118
catalog number
2004.0118.11

Air-Flex Prototype, prosthetic foot

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
c. 1992
c. 1993
maker
Ossur North America
ID Number
2003.0315.17
accession number
2003.0315
catalog number
2003.0315.17
model number
3

button, Shock is Elder Abuse

Pin-back buttons serve many purposes. They are efficient advertising vehicles, handy for fund-raising in support of a cause, concise statements of a person’s beliefs, a form of educational outreach, and convenient ice-breakers for conversation.
Description (Brief)
Pin-back buttons serve many purposes. They are efficient advertising vehicles, handy for fund-raising in support of a cause, concise statements of a person’s beliefs, a form of educational outreach, and convenient ice-breakers for conversation. NMAH has several hundred pin-back buttons related to disability, including this one. It is a criticism of electro-convulsive shock treatment, used on people with psychiatric disabilities.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1990
maker
unknown
ID Number
2000.0030.01
accession number
2000.0030
catalog number
2000.0030.01

button, Equality, Justice & Access for All ADA...

Pin-back buttons serve many purposes. They are efficient advertising vehicles, handy for fund-raising in support of a cause, concise statements of a person’s beliefs, a form of educational outreach, and convenient ice-breakers for conversation.
Description (Brief)
Pin-back buttons serve many purposes. They are efficient advertising vehicles, handy for fund-raising in support of a cause, concise statements of a person’s beliefs, a form of educational outreach, and convenient ice-breakers for conversation. NMAH has several hundred pin-back buttons related to disability, including this one that supports the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1990
maker
unknown
ID Number
2004.3055.02
nonaccession number
2004.3055
catalog number
2004.3055.02

foot, prosthetic; Flex Walk II with Pump

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
c. 1997-1998
maker
Ossur North America
ID Number
2003.0315.01
serial number
56151
accession number
2003.0315
catalog number
2003.0315.01
model number
3

Trocar, Norplant System Levonorgestral Implants, Resource Center educational materials

The Norplant System trocar was used with the model arm (see 1998.0157.02.01) to train medical professionals in the implantation technique. In the Norplant system of contraception, six (6) capsules of levongesterol are inserted under the skin of the upper arm.
Description
The Norplant System trocar was used with the model arm (see 1998.0157.02.01) to train medical professionals in the implantation technique. In the Norplant system of contraception, six (6) capsules of levongesterol are inserted under the skin of the upper arm. The capsules may remain in place for up to 5 years. Norplant was approved by the FDA in 1990. Wyeth-Ayerst, distributor of the Norplant system, worked with the Population Council to develop the training materials.
See 1998.0157.02 for the full educational kit.
See 1998.0157.01 for the Norplant System with implants
See 1998.0157.03 for the patient counseling kit
Researchers at the Population Council, a non-profit focused on global population concerns, began developing Norplant in the mid-1960s for use in international population control programs. After FDA approval in 1990, Norplant was licensed to Wyeth-Ayerst for distribution in the United States. Norplant consisted of six silicone rods implanted in a woman’s arm that released contraceptive hormones for up to five years, although they could be removed at any time. Norplant was immediately controversial due to concerns that law- and policy-makers targeted poor, teenage, and/or African American women as intended users due to the duration of contraception it provided, and complaints about its cost ($365 for Norplant itself, plus insertion) and negative side effects. The most serious health complaints involved infection and scarring at the insertion site and problems with removal. With declining sales and litigation costs of nearly 200 lawsuits, Wyeth suspended distribution in 2000, and removed Norplant from the market in 2002.
Reference: Watkins, Elizabeth Siegel. "From Breakthrough to Bust: The Brief Life of Norplant, the Contraceptive Implant." Journal of Women's History, vol. 22 no. 3, 2010, p. 88-111.
Location
Currently on loan
date made
early 1990s
maker
Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories
ID Number
1998.0157.02.02
catalog number
1998.0157.02.02
accession number
1998.0157

button, AIDS 12TH ANNUAL WALK WASHINGTON

Pin-back buttons serve many purposes. They are efficient advertising vehicles, handy for fund-raising in support of a cause, concise statements of a person’s beliefs, a form of educational outreach, and convenient ice-breakers for conversation.
Description (Brief)
Pin-back buttons serve many purposes. They are efficient advertising vehicles, handy for fund-raising in support of a cause, concise statements of a person’s beliefs, a form of educational outreach, and convenient ice-breakers for conversation. This button is a souvenir of the 1998 AIDS Walk in Washington, D.C.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1998
ID Number
1998.0275.02
catalog number
1998.0275.02
accession number
1998.0275

Double-Chek One Step Pregnancy Test - Test in Vitro

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1999
maker
Bio-Medical Products Corporation
ID Number
1999.0171.2
catalog number
1999.0171.2
accession number
1999.0171

Oral Polio Vaccine drops - Trivalent

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1999-07
expiration date
2001-06
maker
Panacea Biotec Ltd.
ID Number
2004.0288.14
accession number
2004.0288
catalog number
2004.0288.14

Norplant System Levonorgestral Implants, Resource Center educational materials

This Norplant System Resource Center kit contains one (1) white folder holding brochures and product information; two (2) video tapes - "Insertion/ Removal Techniques" and "Counseling Guidelines;" and one (1) metal trocar (1998.0157.02.02) and one (1) arm model, "Subdermal Implan
Description
This Norplant System Resource Center kit contains one (1) white folder holding brochures and product information; two (2) video tapes - "Insertion/ Removal Techniques" and "Counseling Guidelines;" and one (1) metal trocar (1998.0157.02.02) and one (1) arm model, "Subdermal Implant Training Model," (1998.0157.02.01). The model arm and trocar were used to train medical professionals in the implantation technique. In the Norplant system of contraception, six (6) capsules of levongesterol are inserted under the skin of the upper arm. The capsules may remain in place for up to 5 years. Norplant was approved by the FDA in 1990. Wyeth-Ayerst, distributor of the Norplant system, worked with the Population Council to develop the training materials.
Researchers at the Population Council, a non-profit focused on global population concerns, began developing Norplant in the mid-1960s for use in international population control programs. After FDA approval in 1990, Norplant was licensed to Wyeth-Ayerst for distribution in the United States. Norplant consisted of six silicone rods implanted in a woman’s arm that released contraceptive hormones for up to five years, although they could be removed at any time. Norplant was immediately controversial due to concerns that law- and policy-makers targeted poor, teenage, and/or African American women as intended users due to the duration of contraception it provided, and complaints about its cost ($365 for Norplant itself, plus insertion) and negative side effects. The most serious health complaints involved infection and scarring at the insertion site and problems with removal. With declining sales and litigation costs of nearly 200 lawsuits, Wyeth suspended distribution in 2000, and removed Norplant from the market in 2002.
Reference: Watkins, Elizabeth Siegel. "From Breakthrough to Bust: The Brief Life of Norplant, the Contraceptive Implant." Journal of Women's History, vol. 22 no. 3, 2010, p. 88-111.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
early 1990s
copyright date
1990
maker
Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories
ID Number
1998.0157.02
catalog number
1998.0157.02
accession number
1998.0157

Halter for "First Flight"

First Flight was a thoroughbred horse that was transformed by scientists into a living factory to produce botulism antitoxin from the late 1970s through the 1990s.Originally a race horse, First Flight later worked as a caisson horse in military funerals at Arlington National Cere
Description (Brief)
First Flight was a thoroughbred horse that was transformed by scientists into a living factory to produce botulism antitoxin from the late 1970s through the 1990s.
Originally a race horse, First Flight later worked as a caisson horse in military funerals at Arlington National Ceremony. After serving for a time in this capacity, he was found to be too skittish. In 1978, at the age of 10 years, First Flight was transferred to the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) at Fort Detrick, Maryland.
Scientists at USAMRIID undertake defense research against biological weapons, and while there First Flight participated in efforts to produce a countermeasure against attack with botulinum toxin. As the most powerful natural poison known to exist, botulinum represents one of the greatest threats for biological warfare. Produced by the bacteria Clostradium botulinum, the toxin is responsible for botulism, a disease which results in paralysis and often death if not treated. (The powers of botulinum are also put to work in the popular drug Botox, which, when injected, reduces the appearance of wrinkles by paralyzing facial muscles.)
Researchers harnessed the power of First Flight’s immune system to produce the antitoxin. They injected him with altered less-toxic forms of the botulinum toxin in order to induce his body to produce antibodies against the attack. Antibodies are small, disease-specific proteins the body produces in order to recognize and help fight invading infectious agents. After First Flight produced sufficient botulinum antibodies to protect himself, scientists injected him with the real toxin, which boosted his production of antibodies even further.
First Flight was then carefully bled to obtain the antibodies from his blood. These antibodies, contained in his blood plasma, made up the key ingredient in antitoxin serum. Once purified, the serum could be injected into humans suffering from botulism in order to neutralize the effects of the botulinum toxin. This form of treatment, known as serum therapy, has been practiced since the late 19th century, when it was important in the fight against rabies, diphtheria, tetanus, and other illnesses.
In 1980 First Flight moved to a new home at the University of Minnesota Medical School, which specialized in harvesting horse antibodies. Nearly 16,000 liters of blood were removed from First Flight during his time at Minnesota, and he became the nation’s sole source of antitoxin against all seven forms of botulinum toxin. With the start of the Gulf War in 1991, First Flight’s antitoxin was shipped to Saudi Arabia to be at hand should Saddam Hussein order the use of botulinum toxin to attack U.S. troops. Thankfully, the serum did not need to be used.
First Flight eventually retired from service and returned to Fort Detrick, where he died at age 31 in his paddock on May 17, 1999, of natural causes.
Sources:
Accession File
“Race for a Remedy.” Crowley, Carolyn. Smithsonian Magazine. December 2000.
“Botulinum Toxin (Botulism) Fact Sheet.” University of Pittsburg Medical Center for Health Security. http://www.upmchealthsecurity.org/website/our_work/biological-threats-and-epidemics/fact_sheets/botulinum.html
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1980-1990
ID Number
2001.0131.01
catalog number
2001.0131.01
accession number
2001.0131

Ortho Tri-Cyclen Oral Contraceptives

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.
The Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation of Raritan, New Jersey, produced this Ortho-Tri-Cyclen 28 oral contraceptive around 1991. The 28-pill regimen is in a purple foil wrapper that contains a DialPak dispenser. Ortho trademarked the term DialPak in 1965, and was the first company to release their medication in a memory-aid device, now ubiquitous among makers of oral contraceptives.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1991
maker
Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation
ID Number
2004.0118.07
accession number
2004.0118
catalog number
2004.0118.07

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