Canadian Museum of Health Care

@museumofhealthcare

Where Canada’s Health History Lives! Ann Baillie Building (NHS) 32 George Street Kingston, ON

586 Following416 Followers186 Posts

Bluesky

Is this your profile?Claim it and museumofhealthcare.dirty.social is yours.Claim profile

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· 2d

Upcoming Agnes event: Shaping Collections for the Future ⁠ ⁠ Ethics and practice of collections deaccessioning for cultural heritage professionals, curators, conservators, artists, and creators With Dr Jenny Durrant.⁠ ⁠ More information can be found here: agnes.queensu.ca/participate/...

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· 3d

We’re grateful to be part of the Teddy Bear Party again this year! 🏥🧸 We welcomed over 200 stuffed patients for check-ups, first-aid, vaccines. ⁠ A huge thank you to the Boys and Girls Club for having us and to all our wonderful patients.🩺 Wishing stuffies a speedy recovery!⁠

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· 12d

We had a great time at the Women’s Art Festival and Visitor Information Centre this week! ⁠ ⁠ Thank you to everyone who stopped by to test their knowledge of women’s health history, explore anatomical models from our collection, and take a closer look at historic medical tools. 🩺🔍 #Histmed⁠ ⁠

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· 12d

Collections Spotlight🔦 This bill is for a combined Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy which totaled the patient $35 in 1958 ($400 today). Search our collection here: mhc.andornot.net ⁠ #Histmed

Small cream coloured quarter sheet of paper invoice produced by Dr. Thomas F. Rutherford for Mr. Chisnall;For Master Robert. // Tonsillectomy + Adenoidectomy // Apr 18/58 By cheque from B. Cross // $35 // $25 // $10 // Balance due // Apr 30/58 // By cash $10 // Rec'd Payment // much thanks // Dr T. F. Rutherford //

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· 26d

Saturday marked the end of #HistoricPlacesDays 2026! This last collections spotlight is Lee’s Priceless Recipes, a recipe book dating from 1895. Before health insurance helped cover the cost of doctor’s visit, many families relied on recipe booklets to make their own medicines.⁠ #histmed ⁠

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· Jul 16

Collection Spotlight🔦 Radium Water Crock This water crock from the 1920s was lined with radium. The crock was promoted to benefit your health. However, the effects of heavy metals and radium quickly pulled these from the stores. #histmed #radium #museumofhealthcare

A ceramic radium water crock; the crock (a) is cylindrical, bulging out in the centre; the bottom portion is beige, and it turns brown near the top; there is a metal tap coming out from the front; there is also a lid (b) with a handle on the top.

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· Jul 13

It's #HistoricPlacesDays 2026! This item is a set of artificial ear drums from the 1950s. To help repair a perforated ear drum or a damaged tympanic membrane, doctors often used rubber “prosthetics" inside the ear. These acted as the patient’s ear drum, and were quite effective! #Histmed

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· Jul 13

It's #HistoricPlacesDays 2026! For this year's theme, we're sharing eyeglasses with hearing aids attached to the sidepieces from the collection. #HPD2026 #NationalTrustCanada #Histmed

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· Jul 9

The latest blog post from Fiona L. Kenney explores how children’s toys introduced young audiences to healthcare and communicated ideas about gender, authority, and expertise.⁠ ⁠ The fellowship was sponsored by Ian M. Fraser and Janine M. Schweitzer.⁠ Read more: www.museumofhealthcare.ca/blog

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· Jul 6

Collections Spotlight🔦 Apothecary Pill Rolling Machine (1860-75) This machine cut solid rolls into a set number of pills. The pills were then spun in a bowl or a pill silverer until the edges were rounded. #pharmacy #histmed #pharmacyhistory

Two piece pill roller consists of slanted base (a) and roller handle (b) made of fine grade mahogany and brass sides and grooves; base plate has two brass side rails and twenty-four fluted brass strip with graduated markings indicating 0, 6, 12, 18, 24 designed for 5 grain medications; roller handle has four brass wheels in the side rail and matching fluted brass strip; handle designed with spoke handles.

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· Jun 22

It's all in the details✨️ The Canadian Museum of Health Care is full of hidden gems, unexpected discoveries, and touches that bring history to life! Here are some of our favourites. Summer Hours: Open everyday 10am-4pm Location: 32 George Street Kingston, ON

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· Jun 18

Collections Spotlight 🔦 This is an early 1900s hand-operated respiration machine patented as the Lungmotor. Pushing the handle down forced air into the victim's lungs and raising the handle suctioned the air out again. View our collection here: mhc.andornot.net/en #histmed #firstaid

Manual artificial respiration machine patented as Lungmotor was hand-operated.; black covered wooden suitcase with metal banding around all edges (k) with custom holders for the heavy silver Lungmotor (a) contained leather harness apparatus to hold the face mask on the face and other parts such as: (b) face mask; (c) folding tongue depressor, a chrome-plated tong-like device; (d) clamp-like device; (e) wrench; (f) clamp, one side double pronged, the opposite side spoon-shaped with two holes; (g,n) rubber bulbs; (h) small clamp-like structure; (i) leather harness; (j) metal "cup"; (l,m) metal tubing, corrugated and bendable; (o) rubber face mask ring; (p) piece of rubber tubing; (q) rubber tubing; (r) rubber tubing with metal end; (s) rubber wedge; (t) bag of hardened rubber bits (remains of borken bellows).

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· Jun 15

We are grateful to be part of "From Brain Scans to Baby Food: Lessons from a Life in Science and Business" talk featuring Dr. Teresa Purzner! ⁠ ⁠ We enjoyed speaking with guests about Canadian inventions such as Publum and a range of reflex hammers from the 1800s to now!⁠ ⁠ #histmed

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· Jun 11

Margaret Angus Research Fellow Fiona L. Kenney explores how children's media was part of an effort to reshape the experiences of hospitals in the twentieth century. Read more here: tinyurl.com/ynpwajb3 The 2026 Fellowship was generously sponsored by Ian M. Fraser and Janine M. Schweitzer. #histmed

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· Jun 10

What if Olivia Rodrigo filmed "The Cure" music video at the Canadian Museum of Health Care? #histmed #thecure #OliviaRodrigo #CanadianMuseumofHealthCare

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· Jun 9

This summer, the Canadian Museum of Health Care invites young explorers aged 5–12 to roll up their sleeves and dive into the science and history of the human body at Health Adventures Camp. Learn more: www.museumofhealthcare.ca/events #VisitKingston #KingstonMuseum

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· Jun 4

Happy Pride Month! 🌈⁠ In this blog, Matt Edwards explores how medical museums can support LGBTQIA+ communities by sharing stories of how 2SLGBTQIA+ communities have resisted, contributed to, and reshaped health care. 🏛️ Read Matt's blog here: www.museumofhealthcare.ca/blog/what-ro...

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· Jun 4

Collections Spotlight🔦 Dr. Thomas' Eclectic Oil is a cure-all patent medicine created in the 1860s.“Eclectric” was likely an attempt to take advantage of the fascination with electricity around the time of invention, although it had nothing to do with electricity. Explore more: mhc.andornot.net/en

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· May 25

The Canadian Museum of Health Care is seeking two Board Directors to join our volunteer board. We are looking for leaders with experience in business management or fundraising. Please send a current résumé and a short statement of intent outlining your interest to museum@kingstonhsc.ca. #histmed

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· May 22

Collections Spotlight🔦 This medicine chest was brought to Canada from Scotland in the 1830s. Medicine chests were brought by doctors to different house visits so they could prepare medicine at the patient's bedside. Explore more of our rich collection here: mhc.andornot.net/en #histmed

Rectangular wooden family medicine chest with brass handle that fits into handle-shaped depression in a brass plate that is screwed to the top of the chest; front part of chest is in two pieces; each piece is connected to the main body of the chest by hinges along the side; these pieces swing outwards to form side wings of the chest; each wing contains six compartments for storing medicine bottles; the main body of the chest has four compartments that are on top of two drawers; each drawer has a number of compartments, but the bottom one contains compartments for three small bottles of chemicals and two jars of ointments.

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· May 12

Happy #NursingWeek! The Museum is housed in a 1904 nursing residence for the Kingston General Hospital School of Nursing. The first graduated received a certificate of completion, $25, and a nursing medal. By its closure in 1974, the school had trained over 3,000 nurses. #nursinghistory #histmed

Sterling silver pin; geometric and leaf decorative markings; bar header; swinging plaque body; medallion to centre of body; with inscription front and back. Engraved on front: "KINGSTON GENERAL HOSPITAL TRAINING SCHOOL FOR NURSES."

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· May 8

Sunday marks Mother's Day in Canada! Here is a Mother's Day card from our collection from the 1930s held together with a large metal safety diaper pin.🍼 #histmed #mothersday #1930s #carddesign

Printed on front of card: "To MOTHER on Mother's Day. I present my first FRATERNITY PIN."

printed inside card: "With LOVE to Mother from the kid who wears THREE-CORNERED PANTS! // xxxxxxx."

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· May 7

Test your medical history knowledge at GirlsInMed's upcoming ONLINE TRIVIA EVENT featuring artifacts and insights from the Canadian Museum of Health Care, home of Canada’s largest medical collection (free to join and open to all individuals)! 🙋‍♀️ Register here: www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticket...

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· May 1

Congrats to all of the recipients of the 2026 KAM Awards of Excellence. Pictured are Liana Shaw, the CMHC’s director, Dr. Simge Erdogan-O'Connor, recipient of the Paul O. Robertson Award for Leadership & Innovation, and Megan Wedderspoon.⁠ ⁠ Congratulations again on these very deserving awards!🏅🎊⁠

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· Apr 29

This commemorative silver skeleton ashtray celebrates the 1932 Queen's University Medical School Dance. It is marked "Medical at Home" and is a slightly eerie piece of medical history. #museumofhealthcare #histmed #medicalhistory #coolcollections #QueensUniversity

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· Apr 29

Welcome to the 2026 MARF, Fiona L. Kenney. Fiona L. Kenney is a PhD candidate at the McGill University School of Architecture interested in the intersections between architecture, care, and ethics. The 2026 Fellowship was generously sponsored by Ian M. Fraser and Janine M. Schweitzer. #MARF2026

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· Apr 14

The Canadian Museum of Health Care is excited to return to Science Rendezvous Kingston!🩻 ⁠ It is happening on Saturday, May 9, from 10 to 3 at the Slush Puppie Place featuring 60 booths, chemistry experiments, and more!⁠ ⁠ Learn more: www.queensu.ca/science-rend...

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· Apr 14

Collection Spotlight🔦Branston Violet Ray Generator This device claimed to be an "absolutely harmless" cure all for poor eyesight, paralysis, tooth aches, and prostatic troubles, etc. Models ranged from $25-$100 ($346-$1,456 today) View more from our collection: mhc.andornot.net/en #histmed

Tall narrow gold covered booklet with decorative fonts and drawings of the electrodes and generator on cover; pasted inside cover is a page for 1921 accessories price list for all 134 items available; pages with decorative red border and tinted photographs showing how to hold the electrodes and provides information about the healthful uses of this unit.

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· Apr 10

"What does it mean to be intelligent? Is it a fixed trait or a skill improved with adequate resources?" Answer this question in the research blog, as Ella traces the parallel histories of eugenics and intelligence testing in Canada. Read more: www.museumofhealthcare.ca/blog/objecti...

Canadian Museum of Health Care@museumofhealthcare· Apr 10

Collection Spotlight🔦 This poison bottle has several clues to warn people of danger. The raised lettering reads, "Poison / Do not take/ Use with caution." Raised X marks signal danger and back is flat which resembles the shape of a coffin. Search our collection here: mhc.andornot.net/en #histmed