Medical Museum Science Café, "Caring for Collections"
August 9, 2011
Using preservation materials and some unique objects, staff from the National Museum of Health and Medicine presented a talk focusing on how the Museum cares for its diverse collections.
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NMHM at Take Your Child to Work Day
July 20, 2011
Museum staff and volunteers participated in Fort Detrick’s annual Take Your Child to Work Day event on July 20, 2011. The Museum was just one of several organizations to present fun and educational activities. Attendees young and old learned about traumatic brain injuries, the human body, and more.
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Medical Museum Presents Book Talk by Author Matthew Algeo
July 12, 2011
Author Matthew Algeo discussed his new book, "The President Is a Sick Man" at the Silver Spring Civic Building on July 12, 2011. The book details President Grover Cleveland’s secret cancer surgery onboard a yacht in the summer of 1893, which still remains an almost unknown chapter in American history.
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USAMRMC Exhibits Amputated Leg of Union Major General
May 17, 2011
The U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) is exhibiting the amputated leg of Union Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Sickles at its headquarters in Fort Detrick, MD. The artifact is on loan from the National Museum of Health and Medicine. An installation ceremony took place on May 17, 2011. The exhibit also features pictures of Sickles and a cannonball.
On July 2, 1863, at the Battle of Gettysburg in western Pennsylvania, Sickles was astride his horse, marching Third Corps along a ridge, without approval, when a cannonball shattered his right leg. As medics carted Sickles from the field, he puffed a cigar and waved to bolster morale among troops already devastated by the losses in the Confederate attack. The Union held its line that day, but Sickles lost his leg. He returned to private life with a carefully preserved personal reminder of the sacrifices made in war.
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Medical Museum Presents Book Talk by Author Holly Tucker
May 11, 2011
Author Holly Tucker discussed her new book, “Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution” at the Silver Spring Civic Building on May 11, 2011. The book gives readers a gory glimpse of the dawn of our scientific age, exploring the first blood transfusion experiments in 17th-century Paris and London.
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Valentine’s Day 2011 at the Medical Museum
February 12, 2011
A recent Valentine’s Day program offered Museum visitors a chance to get up close and personal with real animal hearts, while learning more about the vital organ that is the symbol of the romantic holiday. Participants visited three stations set up in the Museum: a dissection table featuring four different animal hearts; an area with pictures and models providing information about how the human heart develops before birth; and a Valentine’s Day card-making station
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Winter Break 2010 Art Workshops
December 29 and 30, 2010
The National Museum of Health and Medicine held two art workshops on December 29 and 30, 2010, which were inspired by the exhibit, “Wounded in Action: An Art Exhibition of Orthopaedic Advancements.” The first workshop focused on the art of collage and tasked participants with assembling and decorating collaged books. The second workshop began with an introduction to watercolor pencil techniques, and then participants created illustrations of bone specimens from the Museum’s collections. Both workshops were led by Elizabeth Lockett, a trained medical illustrator and collections manager for the Museum’s Human Developmental Anatomy Center.
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Halloween 2010 at the Medical Museum
Saturday, October 30, 2010
The Museum invited little ghouls and their families to get into the Halloween spirit on October 30, 2010 by learning about skulls. The theme of this year’s Halloween family program was Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, a holiday that celebrates the human cycle of life and death. The festivities included decorating sugar skulls; creating skull masks; participating in story time and learning about skulls from a member of the Museum’s staff.
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NMHM Exhibits at the 2010 USA Science and Engineering Festival
October 23 and 24, 2010
Thousands of people flocked to the National Museum of Health and Medicine’s booth at the first-ever USA Science and Engineering Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. October 23 and 24, 2010. The Museum, which was one of more than 500 science and engineering organizations represented at the festival, offered a number of hands-on activities featuring human anatomy, forensic idenfication, military medicine and more.
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Medical Museum Holds Lunchtime Talk Series for SciFest 2010
October 12, 19 and 20, 2010
The National Museum of Health and Medicine held a series of lunchtime talks in celebration of the first-ever USA Science and Engineering Festival in October 2010. The lectures, which focused on developing new medical technology and advances in DNA analysis, were given by Jim Cox, a retired U.S. Air Force flight surgeon and Critical Care Air Transport Team (CCATT) physician; Robert Armiger, a biomedical engineer at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory; and Suni Edson, assistant technical leader of the Mitochondrial Section at the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory.
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Paws for Purple Hearts visits the Medical Museum
September 21 and 23, 2010
Paws for Purple Hearts visited the National Museum of Health and Medicine on September 21 and 23, 2010 with three service dogs in training. These dogs, who began their training when they were just three to four days old, are learning to turn on lights, open doors, zip up clothing, pull wheelchairs and more. They are being trained by service members suffering from post traumatic stress symptoms, and will eventually be matched up with injured veterans to provide aid and companionship. Heidi Bonorato and Carolyn Ford, instructors for Paws for Purple Hearts, demonstrated what the dogs can do and answered questions from the audience.
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Teddy Bear Clinic 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
More than 60 children and their parents attended the Museum’s second annual Teddy Bear Clinic on September 18, 2010. Museum docents and medical professionals taught kids the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. Children brought along their favorite stuffed friends as they visited stations designed to highlight the importance of exercise, nutrition, good hygiene and more.
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"Wounded in Action" Lunchtime Art Workshops
July 21, July 28, August 4, 2010
The National Museum of Health and Medicine in Washington, D.C., held three lunchtime art workshops in July and August 2010 that were inspired by the exhibit, “Wounded in Action: An Art Exhibition of Orthopaedic Advancements.” The workshops asked participants to sketch wounds seen in wax models from the Museum’s Historical Collections; draw medical technology, including historic prosthetic devices; and sketch sculptures that depict the human form. “Wounded in Action” is produced and organized by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
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National Hairball Awareness Day
April 27, 2010
Visitors enjoyed a unique opportunity to hold an actual animal bezoar (specifically, the specimen was a horse bezoar) during this annual event, which features an array of specimens from the Anatomical Collection’s bezoar collection. Take a look at the photo gallery to see the exhibit and visitors learning more about the bezoar.
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The Art and Science of "OUTBREAK: Plagues that Changed History" with the artist Bryn Barnard
December 5, 2009
Bryn Barnard, author and artist of "OUTBREAK: Plagues that Changed History," hosted three exciting talks on Saturday, December 5, 2009. Bryn discussed his background as a scientific illustrator working on projects as wide-ranging as art for science-fiction paperbacks to working for National Geographic and eventually to writing and illustrating his own non-fiction science history books. His second talk discussed his own interests and research methods that led to his second book OUTBREAK, resulting in the temporary exhibit on display at NMHM through January 22, 2010. His final talk offered a vivid demonstration of the artistic process, as Bryn showed the process from start to finish in painting a cholerae bacterium. Take a look at the photo gallery to see images from the program.
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Halloween at the Medical Museum!
October 31, 2009
Nearly 200 children, parents and other visitors participated in one of the most successful Halloween programs ever in the history of the Museum. Kids made 'macaroni skeletons' and medieval plague masks, and had the opportunity to try out some 'scary' yoga postures. A costume contest hosted by Washington Family Magazine was a big hit with visitors. Enjoy the photo gallery for a few snapshots of this fun program. Thanks to all for attending!
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"Civil War Reenactment"
October 3, 2009
Over 150 people attended the "Civil War Reenactment" on October 3. Attendees witnessed performances by the Federal City Brass Band, infantry drilling exercises, medical demos and civilian demos (including the role of the Sanitary Commission and Company Laundresses). Young visitors enjoyed making medical unit flags, replicas of the hospital ship USS Red Rover and pin-hole cameras. The reenactment was made possible by members of the 3rd U.S. Regular Infantry Reenactors.
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"Teddy Bear Clinic"
September 12, 2009
Children and their parents attended the "Teddy Bear Clinic" on September 12. Museum docents and medical professionals taught kids the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. Children brought along their favorite stuffed friend as they visited five stations: Vitals, Dental, Immunization, Fitness and Nutrition. The 'Clinic' was held in conjunction with the temporary exhibition, "David Macaulay Presents: The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body."
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"An Introduction to Techniques in Medical Illustration"
July 11, July 25, August 6, 2009
On July 11 and 25, as well as on August 6, the Museum hosted an introductory class on Medical Illustration. The class was taught by Elizabeth Lockett, Scientific Illustrator and Collections Manager of the Museum's Human Developmental Anatomy Center. Using human and non-human wet specimens, as well as bones, participants crafted beautiful carbon dust illustrations. The experience levels and ages of participants varied. The class was held in conjunction with the temporary exhibition, "David Macaulay Presents: The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body."
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"David Macaulay: Author Talk and Book Signing"
June 12-13, 2009
On Friday, June 12 and Saturday, June 13, acclaimed author and illustrator, David Macaulay, discussed his latest book, "The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body." Macaulay spoke of the rigorous six-year process he went through to create the book, researching and talking to medical professionals to ensure the accuracy of his drawings. He started this project after channeling his inner curiosity on how little he knew about his own body. Using his drawings, Macaulay showed visitors the ways in which he used real-life situations to illustrate and simplify the inner-workings of the human body.
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"A Conversation on Nursing at Walter Reed"
Second in NMHM's Walter Reed Centennial Year Lecture Series
May 6, 2009
On May 6, WRAMC nurses, as well as the public, gathered to celebrate National Nurses Week at NMHM. Presenters were Debbie Cox, former Army Nurse Corps Historian; CPT Jennifer Easley, Medical/Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, WRAMC; and LTC Patrick Ahearne, Staff Officer, Office of the Army Nurse Corps, Office of the Army Surgeon General. They offered their thoughts on the history, current practices, and future of nursing at Walter Reed.
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"A Symposium on President Lincoln's Health"
April 18-19, 2009
To commemorate the 200th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's Birth, NMHM held a Symposium on Lincoln's health in April. Visitors from across the country gathered for this unique event.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
- Ronald S. Fishman, M.D. & Adriana Da Silveira, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D. – "Lincoln and His Sons: Familial Synostotic Frontal Plagiocephaly"
- Laura P. W. Ranum, Ph.D. – "Molecular Genetics with an Historical Twist: Spectrin Mutation Causes Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 5 in President Lincoln's Pedigree"
- Todd J. Janus, Ph.D., M.D. – "The Neurologic Death of Abraham Lincoln"
- Thomas M. Scalea, M.D. – "Could Lincoln Have Been Saved"
- Keynote Address by Chief Justice Frank J. Williams, former chief justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court – "Lincoln's Battles in the White House: Tales of Melancholia, Syphilis, and Leadership"
Sunday, April 19, 2009
- Todd J. Janus, Ph.D., M.D. – "The Neurologic Death and Possible Rescue of Abraham Lincoln"
- Kenneth Leetz, M.D. – "Abraham Lincoln, Psychotherapist to the Nation: Lincoln's Depression and Its Transformative Effects on Empathy and Therapeutic Communication Through Metaphors"
- Armond S. Goldman, M.D. – "Lincoln's Gettysburg Illness"
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10th Annual "Brain Awareness Week"
March 16-20, 2009
Nearly 800 middle school students from the DC area participated in the tenth annual Brain Awareness Week at the Museum last March, sponsored by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives. Students were given the chance to hold an actual human brain while learning more about brain anatomy and injuries and learning real-world lessons such as how to protect your brain while playing sports or helping someone suffering a stroke.
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"Knitting for Marines"
February 28, 2009 and March 28, 2009
On February 28, 2009 and March 28, 2009, the Museum hosted a charity event to knit helmet liners for Marines serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The liners help to keep soldiers warm during harsh winter weather. The "knitting General," Major General Douglas M. Stone (seen right), lent his support to the project by attending the March knitting event. These events were created with the help of Aimee Reeve, who works at 'Knit Happens' in Alexandria, VA.
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"Sex, Sin, and Science: A History of Syphilis in America."
February 14, 2009
On Valentine's Day, more than 70 people turned out to hear medical historian John Parascandola discuss his new book 'Sex, Sin and Science: A History of Syphilis in America.' Covering the history of the disease from Colonial times to the present, Parascandola explored several themes that illustrated ways in which non medical factors influence our views of disease, including the role that stigma played in treatment of the afflicted; balancing the rights of individuals versus the need to protect public health; and issues such as focusing blame on groups such as women or minorities. Parascandola, a lecturer at the University of Maryland also served as the Public Health Service Historian until his retirement in 2004.
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"Health, Illness and the Presidency"
First in NMHM's Walter Reed Centennial Year Lecture Series
February 4, 2009
On February 3, Lawrence C. Mohr, Jr., MD, former White House Physician and chief resident at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, offered the first in the Museum's Walter Reed Centennial Lecture Series. Mohr's presidential medical career spanned seven years and three presidents (Reagan, Bush and Clinton) and his talk was peppered with interesting insights into the inner workings of the White House. For instance, the White House Physician plans for medical emergencies on any and all presidential excursions or trips, including leisure activities: "We had to develop plans for how to provide medical attention to the President [Bush] while he was fishing and speeding in his boat," Mohr said. "The hardest job I had in the White House was trying to give normal health care in an abnormal environment," Dr. Mohr concluded.
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"Afternoon Coffee Talk at the Museum: Borrowed Soldiers"
November 12, 2008
Historian Mitch Yockelson visited the Museum on November 12, 2008 to lead a discussion about his book, Borrowed Soldiers: Americans under British Command, 1918.
During the summer and autumn of 1918, two United States Army divisions, fresh from training camps in South Carolina, were attached to the British Army and participated in some of World War I's bloodiest fighting. Attacks against strong German positions on the Western Front resulted in high American casualties and the British were called upon to provide medical support. In his talk, Yockelson discussed how the 'doughboys' were evacuated from the battlefield and taken to British hospitals for treatment.
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"Carville, the Landscape of Stigma"
August 27, 2008
Elizabeth Schexnyder, curator of the National Hansen's Disease Museum, visited the Museum in late August to see our temporary 'Triumph at Carville' exhibit and offered an engaging conversation on the significance of the social response to leprosy in the development of the National Leprosarium in Carville, Louisiana. She described the process of "othering" human beings diagnosed with leprosy and how other socio-historical factors affecting the disease stigma shaped the unique landscape--both social and physical--of the National Leprosarium.
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Archived Previous Programs
