University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Medical Museum
UIHC Medical Museum
Peer Review Status: Internally Peer
Reviewed
The Museum serves as an educational resource focusing on the progress of medicine and patient care and emphasizing the major role of University Hospitals in these advances. In this way, the study of health in Iowa illustrates the history of medicine and the health sciences. Through rotating and traveling exhibits of photographs, artifacts, and "hands-on" activities, visitors can view the advances in patient care from the time of the ancients to the present day. The Museum also sponsors a lecture series open to the general public on topics related to current exhibitions, on the history of health care, and on medical and ethical issues.
The makeup of the human body and the facts of disease and injury have remained basically unchanged over thousands of years. However, scientific understanding of the body and of pathological mechanisms has gradually improved, leading to remarkable advances in medical care. Major revolutions in medicine--from antibiotics to robotics--as well as rapidly changing notions of health and health care are documented by the Medical Museum. Our exhibits offer a glimpse into the structure and functions of the human body, and acquaint visitors with some of the most common disease and injuries. They also show how the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics has met these challenges and continues to find new answers as we head into the twenty-first century.
Tattoo, 1993
The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Medical Museum is pleased to offer "The Illuminated Body: Representation in Medicine and Culture," an exhibition that explores the range of meanings given to human bodies in different social, cultural, and scientific settings. Although bodies are endowed with a range of physical characteristics, the urge to further "perfect" the body is universal. Prehistoric findings suggest that practices in which we engage today--tattooing, body piercing and painting--were also practiced many thousands of years ago. Cosmetic surgical techniques, for example, have been practiced by men and women throughout history. Scarification and plastic surgery, its contemporary Western equivalent, are both performed to correct perceived deficiencies of face or body. Dieting, tanning, and body-building are currently popular means of reshaping and decorating the body in our own society.
Samurai armor,
circa 1700. On loan from the Putnam Museum, Davenport.
The exhibition explores the Medical Body as well as the Cultural Body. Anatomical charts and reproductions of body parts used by practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine are on display to portray how culture plays a part in anatomical theory. The "quick fix" approach to healing and self-improvement is illustrated by a number of quack medical devices that were offered for sale from the late nineteenth century through the 1950s. Some claimed to "improve" the body by electrical means. The Relax-A-Cizor and Rejuvene, for example, are two such devices. Other appliances were said to assist in weight loss, hair restoration and breast enlargement. Many were eventually declared fraudulent by the U.S. government and recalled after numerous consumer complaints.
Corset, circa
1900. On loan from Iowa State University, Department of Textiles and
Clothing.
Protective attire as an extension of the body is also exhibited. Technological advances have brought as many risks as benefits, and special garments that shield the body from visible and invisible threats are often necessary --particularly for those working in farming, medicine and science, space exploration, police work and the military. Three striking examples are a partial suit of Samurai armor borrowed from the Putnam Museum in Davenport, contemporary operating room attire and a space suit on loan from the Langley Research Center in Virginia.
"The Illuminated Body" has drawn upon an unusually wide range of collections and experts in the University and other institutions. Special thanks go to the University of Iowa Collections Coalition for their many contributions to this exhibition by way of ideas, artifacts, and expertise.
The University of lowa Hospitals and Clinics
The first University Hospital was opened with 100 beds in a
three-story brick building on the University's east campus in 1898.
By 1914, the hospital had grown to 240 beds and also cared for nearly
2,000 ambulatory clinic patients annually. In 1915 and 1919, two
historic laws, the Perkins Bill and the Haskell-Klaus Act, extended
University Hospitals' mission to offer health care to all Iowans,
regardless of their ability to pay. The Hospital also served as a
clinical training site for doctors and nurses and as a center for
medical research. By 1919, significantly expanded health care
facilities were needed. The Children's Hospital (renamed the
Steindler Building in 1983) and Psychopathic Hospital (now
Psychiatric Hospital) were constructed on the west campus and began
serving patients in 1919.
Even with these additions, the increased patient care requirements exceeded the capacity of the main hospital. More space was needed. A new 700-bed General Hospital with its landmark Gothic tower was opened at the current site in 1928. Since then, the physical plant and the number of patients served have continued to expand.
The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) now cares for nearly 500,000 hospital and ambulatory patients each year in 251 medical specialty clinics. As a teaching hospital, The UIHC serves as the prime clinical training base for the University of Iowa's health science education programs. These programs prepare the professionals necessary to staff Iowa's community-based health care delivery systems in the future. More than 2,500 students are trained each year in 35 different educational programs; on any given day there are more than 1,200 students training in the University Hospitals. The UIHC also serves as a base for clinical research conducted by faculty from the University of Iowa's health science colleges. Intensive research efforts have enabled the University Hospitals to be an innovator in developing and implementing many new patient care procedures. UIHC's modern facilities, state-of-the-art medical technology, and over 7,500 specialized patient-care professional and support staff, are a solid foundation for providing Iowans with high-quality health care now and in the future.
Location
The Medical Museum is located in the Patient and Visitor Activities
Center, eighth floor, John W. Colloton Pavilion. Take elevator F at
the first floor atrium of the Colloton Pavilion.
Hours and Tours
The Medical Museum is open from 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday, 1
pm to 4 pm Saturday and Sunday. Tours and special arrangements may be
made by contacting Adrienne Drapkin, Director, at 319/356-7106.
Gifts and Donations
Much of our collection has come as a result of the generosity of
University Hospitals physicians, physician and nurse alumni of the
University of Iowa, their families, and other health professionals.
We welcome your gifts and donations. Contributions can be made to:
All programs and exhibitions are free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Adrienne Drapkin, Director, Medical Museum, 319/356-7106.
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