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The Colorful Chemistry of Show Globes

The Colorful (and Dangerous?) History of Show Globes Many hypotheses swirl around the origins of the pharmacist’s show globe, (see this amazing online exhibit from the Waring Historical Library), but by the late 19th century, these spherical glass containers functioned more as traditional signage. Just as barber poles, the colorful globes alerted people walking by about the goods and services inside. According to American Druggist and Pharmaceutical Record, “bold, indeed, and reckless would be the druggist who should discard the colored show globe, and not one of you can name druggists who can tell why they have them except for...

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STUDENT RESEARCH AT THE DITTRICK, Part 3

Welcome to the final installment of the Dittrick's special series on student work. Today we feature a guest post from Jonah Raider-Roth on the writings of Charles Knowlton. Want to learn more? Visit the Dittrick Museum's Skuy Gallery of historical contraception or the website's early literature page, for more details. Sex and Sensibility: The Writings and Controversy of Charles Knowlton Scientific understanding is usually hailed as progressive, driving humanity toward some higher knowledge and ability. However, different views of morality occasionally draw a great deal of criticism toward commonplace knowledge and discovery. Charles Knowlton, who found himself at the center of...

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Student Research at the Dittrick, part 2

Last week, we featured some of the work being done by undergraduates pertaining to the Dittrick collections. Today's student guest post talks about an unusual artifact from the museum: the compression chamber of nobel-prize winner John James Rickard Macleod. Under Pressure: How a Metal Tube Saved Lives Caisson disease was a mystery. It had no visible cause and no known treatment. The people who witnessed this were dumbfounded at how random it seemed. The symptoms were varied and sudden and even the healthiest of men could be stricken. How do you guard yourself against an invisible, undiscriminating affliction? Framed like this...

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Student Research at the Dittrick

The Dittrick Medical History Center welcomes researchers from the community, the region, the nation, and abroad. We've been pleased to host a number of colleagues, including David Jones, Diana Day, Mike Sappol, and many others. But seasoned scholars and PhDs are not the only visitors to the collections here; Case Western Reserve University students frequently attend classes in the museum's Zverina room. Today, we begin a three part series featuring some of their work. As always, we welcome all curious and intrepid explorers of our medical past! There are few instruments more recognizable or emblematic of medicine than the stethoscope....

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