MUSEUM LOANS MEDICAL ARTIFACT TO LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON LIBRARY
AND MUSEUM IN TEXAS

The National Museum of Health and Medicine has loaned a clyster syringe, used to administer medication anally, to the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum in Austin, Texas.

The device, presented to the museum in 1897 by Dr. Samuel Green of Boston, was used in the middle of the 18th century and would have been similar of the medical gear carried by Lewis and Clark during their expedition.

The artifact was borrowed from the Washington, D.C. museum's more than 12,000 historical medical objects and will be on display Feb. 15, 2003 through Aug. 3, 2003 in an exhibit entitled, "Discovering America: The World of Lewis and Clark." It will highlight the story of the Lewis and Clark journey from 1804 to 1806.

The Texas museum is open daily, except Dec. 25, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum contains one of ten Presidential libraries operated by the National Archives and Records Administration. Located on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin, it houses the official records of the Johnson presidency, including nearly 36 million pages of materials, 620,000 photographs, and 37,000 gifts given to President and Mrs. Johnson. The 134,695 square foot facility is both a major research institution and a museum, showcasing the collections and hosting traveling exhibitions. For information, call (512) 916-5137 or visit their web site at www.lbjlib.utexas.edu.

The historical collection at the National Museum of Health and Medicine documents changes in medical technology since the early 17th century and includes objects ranging in size from a suture needle to a two-ton MRI magnet, such as X-ray equipment, microscopes, surgical instruments, numismatics, and anatomical models. The collection is made available for the education of medical professionals, Department of Defense personnel, historians, and the public through exhibits in the museum, loans to other institutions, and individualized study.