Hands That Healed: The Founders’ Medical Legacy
This month we look at the founders of HSMC with a special interest in “fixing” the human body and mind.
medicine
Dr. Mary P. Hough
We have another article found in HSMC’s microfilm collection by former Board President and volunteer Charles Kelly. This time he was reading the Whitemarsh Valley News. Dr. Mary P. Hough was a pioneering woman doctor and noted historian in the Ambler area. She had a long obituary written in the paper on July 31, 1942. Whitemarsh… Read More »Dr. Mary P. Hough
The Dill Company
One question people often ask me is “How do you research some of the items in HSMC’s collection?” This depends a lot on the type of item in question and what we already know about it from the donor’s records. For example, there are some items, like this medicine bottle pictured below, that come to… Read More »The Dill Company
A Raid of Body Snatchers
The story was dated February 26, 1923. Which paper it is from is unknown, but given the topic, it was likely a local paper. The story starts with the title “A Raid of Body Snatchers”. There was an incident of body snatching at the Harriton burial ground in 1838. The persons involved were attempting to… Read More »A Raid of Body Snatchers
The Polio Vaccine
Although poliomyelitis has been around for thousands of years (images of polio victims appear in ancient Egyptian carvings), in the early 20th century it took on new urgency. In the early 1950’s the US averaged about 25,000 cases each year, spiking at 58,000 in 1952. Most people infected recovered, but about 1% of cases led to… Read More »The Polio Vaccine
Dr. Chevalier Q. Jackson
For our upcoming exhibit, Montgomery County Hospitals, we were fortunate to receive some loaned items from Sunrise Mill. Currently, this historic mill is undergoing construction and is planned to be open the public in the next few years.
Montgomery County’s First Female Physician
Margaret Phillips Richardson was born in Radnor Township (Delaware County) on October 27, 1816. She married Abraham Richardson on September 12, 1839 and lived with him in Juniata County for several years. Abraham died on August 6, 1841 and Margaret remained in the county with their son, John P. Richardson, until she decided to obtain… Read More »Montgomery County’s First Female Physician
Science or Fiction?
Experimentation with medical devices to cure ailments is common among every culture throughout much of human history. Even today it is nearly impossible to turn on the television or log onto the internet without seeing an advertisement for a new cure for a common ailment. However, as many of us know, some of these medical… Read More »Science or Fiction?