On September 25, students from Dr. Audra Jennings’ Disease and American Medicine course visited the Kentucky Museum. They got to look closely at items in our collection related to death and disease, ranging from the Civil War era to the present. Everyone excitedly gathered around tables to inspect these objects and ask questions of the museum staff.
Each student brought their unique background and interests to the experience. History students were studying the Civil War surgical equipment and relating it to their recent studies with Dr. Jennings. Pre-Med students compared a medical kit from the early 20th century to the modern equipment they will use in their careers. Students with a background in folklore explored the culture surrounding death in the Victorian era. But together, they had some enlightening conversations while looking at the same objects. It’s always incredible to see the infinite stories an object can hold.
Bryan Morey leads the Close Study for Dr. Jennings’ class.
Uncovering
Our collection has artifacts for almost any topic you could want to explore, and the history of medicine is no exception. But how did we know what to pull and where to find it? For some objects, the answer was straightforward. We keep records of our collections in a secure database software called PastPerfect. So the first step was to search there. We compiled a pretty extensive list of items like the Civil War surgical kit and a child’s hearing aids.
But we knew we had more. Over several decades, objects have been donated but have yet to be put into the database. So the search began for more objects to give students the best learning experience. Bryan Morey, our Collections Manager, noted that he also learned a lot:
“Working with these items also broadens my own knowledge, which makes me better at my job and a better teacher for the students who come in for these close studies… It also gave me an opportunity to begin cataloging some artifacts that have been sitting unprocessed for decades.”
Two of these objects, and Bryan’s favorites, were the Birtcher Corporation Myosynchron and Hyfrecator, pictured below. They were unprocessed, and Bryan discovered that they were from the mid-1950s, which was the early era of electro-therapy. Doctors still use similar devices today for the same reasons. For instance, the Hyfrecator name is still used. In fact, it is a device used for cauterizing small wounds for minor in-office surgeries.
Myosynchron used in the mid-1950s, 1988.37.2
Hyfrecator used in the 1950s, 1988.37.3
Why Death and Disease?
But why do we keep objects about topics like death and disease? What can we learn from them? For one, death and disease are inevitable components of the human experience. While they are unpleasant, they are certainties in life, and they are worth acknowledging and remembering. Studying these objects reveals vital information about how illness and grief impacted individuals and the larger culture.
Beyond studying the past, these objects also explain a lot about the present and our future. As Bryan put it:
“Learning about how humans have treated disease in the past compared to now should give us an appreciation for modern medicine, but it can also show us how advanced medicine was 70 to 100 years ago. Many of the medicines I pulled for the class are still used today. I think it is especially helpful for future medical professionals to learn about how their profession has developed.”
Regardless of what lesson the students took away from this class, we are glad that we could assist in the education of this incredible group of students.
Always Teaching, Always Learning
Our goal at the Kentucky Museum is to make learning accessible for everyone. Whether it’s teaching a classroom of students, creating diverse exhibits for the public, offering special community events, and so much more, we are proud to prioritize learning here.