Dr. Manning’s 1834 daybook

Dr. Henry Manning practiced medicine in Youngstown, Ohio from around 1811 until his death in 1869. He served as a surgeon in the Ohio Militia during the War of 1812. He was one of two doctors in the town of about 400 people. He traveled to patients' homes on horseback on dirt roads at all…

So who is Rose anyway?

This week is #MuseumWeek2016. Today, museums around the world are taking a special look at the #PeopleMW who have helped make their museum special. Visitors usually ask "Who is Rose Melnick?" The short answer is that she is the mother of Dr. John C. Melnick, who named his medical history museum in her honor. The…

Doctors by the numbers: Youngstown at the turn of the 20th century

One of our visitors' favorite exhibits, the office recreations, can now be seen in downtown Youngstown at the Tyler History Center! In preparation for this exhibit, I did some additional research on the professional changes in the medical profession in Youngstown during the early 20th century. I knew, generally, about office hours and specialization, but…

New Video!

Finally! We're back to creating more videos for the museum's YouTube channel! The latest video was added last week. Its about rural doctors in the early 1800s. I hope you enjoy it!

Say what?

This week, I've been preparing to exhibit a few items from our hearing aid collection. In my research, I found it very interesting (yet logical) that technological developments in this field were closely related to the telephone, microphone, and radio. I visited the Kenneth W. Berger Hearing Aid Museum at Kent State University to learn…

Spirited Republic

Yesterday I came across the website for a new exhibit at the National Archives, "Spirited Republic: Alcohol in American History." This exhibit seems to focus on American culture during Prohibition (speak-easys and home brew) but I was glad to see they included a section on medicinal alcohol as well. I remembered the research I did…

The Great American Fraud: Quacks and quackery in medicine

In the late 1800s, quack medicine was rising concern in the United States. Harmful ingredients and ineffective medicines were a danger to the health of the country. This exhibit identifies the milestones in the federal government's efforts to regulate the drug market.

Nuts! The John Brinkley story

One of visitors' favorite exhibits at the Melnick Medical Museum is about Quack medicine. It features odd devices and medicines that were sold directly to customers to use in their homes. The creators or "doctors" of these items exist on the fringes of traditional medicine and the law, and are often involved in conscious acts…

Nursing postcards

The National Library of Medicine, History of Medicine Division has created a new exhibit called Pictures of Nursing, which is based on the postcard collection of American nurse, Michael Zwerdling. His collection consists of 2,588 postcards of nurses and the nursing profession from around the world, most of which date from 1907 to 1920. The exhibition…

Today’s African American mentors in surgery

The Melnick Medical Museum is pleased to host another banner exhibit from the National Library of Medicine. Opening Doors: Contemporary African American Academic Surgeons is an exhibition celebrating the contributions of African American academic surgeons to medicine and medical education. It tells the stories of four pioneering African American surgeons and educators who exemplify excellence in…