Welcome to your annual CALHN Health Museum dental check up Dentistry was first introduced to South Australia in 1840, with the availability of regular dental services. These services included extractions and the supply of artificial teeth. Before then, extractions were done by blacksmiths and enthusiastic amateurs, relying on “speed, brawn, and a firmly held patient”. […]
In 1886, Levi Yaggy published a ground breaking work called Yaggy’s Anatomical Study. This work featured full-sized diagrams of human organs, muscles, skeleton, arteries and veins. The album contains nine large colour illustrations, including diagrams showing the effects of alcohol on the kidneys, liver, and brain. Printed on cloth-coated paper, the illustrations include fold-our flaps, […]
A fancy word for a nurses utility belt which seemed to include a tool to handle any emergency. The word comes from the French term chatelaine meaning the mistress of the chateau. She would have worn a belt for her keys which is where the present term comes from. In the 19th century, when nursing […]
Joe Tilcer was a paraplegic artist who spent most of his adult life at the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre. In 1972, he provided an autobiography to the Australian Handicapped and Disabled Artists Journal. The CALHN Health Museum has several of Joe’s paintings in its collection, including the recently donated painting ‘Dandelions’ by the Barbour and Trenaman […]
Part 2: As the Royal Adelaide Hospital moves sites so does spiritual care. On the 25th August 2017 the Chapel at the Royal Adelaide Hospital was decommissioned. A ceremony was held to officially end worship at Royal Adelaide Hospital site. Memories were shared about past spiritual care on the site and hopes for the future. […]
With the 17th Summer Paralympic Games set to commence in Paris next week, it is fitting that this blog post highlights the connection between the games and the CALHN Health Museum. The museum has a strong connection to the Paralympics, housing numerous artefacts from past games and sharing its grounds with the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre […]
Group of South African Boer War medals and ribbons belonging to Archibald Watson – brilliant, eccentric anatomist and surgeon. 2. Ribbon band for Queen’s South Africa Medal and Kings. The ribbon has stripes of green, white, orange and red, blue and yellow,; 3. Miniature King’s South Africa Medal 1901-1902. The ribbon has stripes of green, […]
Part 1: From humble beginnings Pastoral care has been part of the hospital from very early days. Initially, this was offered by visiting ministers, who provided ‘religious services in the room set apart for that purpose’ (Annual Report, 1879) In 1881 the nurses dining room in the East Wing was being used as a chapel […]
Part 5: 1970 – 2017 The next few decades in the Royal Adelaide Hospital’s history didn’t see as much architectural change as the preceding ones. Instead, the hospital entered an era of specialisation and restructuring. In 1971, honorary doctors providing unpaid labour were replaced by paid visiting medical staff. That same year, the volunteer unit […]
Who would have thought there would be so many uses for the humble spoon! Within the CALHN Health Museum’s collection, there are spoons for heating amalgam, scooping mustard and stirring a simple cup of tea. There are metal spoons, ceramic, wooden and even glass spoons. Below is a small selection of some of the different […]
This week we take a look at an essential piece of medical equipment, the microscope. The microscope is defined as an instrument used to examine anything which is difficult to see by the naked eye. Various types of contraptions designed for this magnifying purpose have been present for thousands of years, however the microscope design […]
Part 4: 1960s Hospital Redevelopment Following World War II, Adelaide experienced a significant population boom and an influx of migrants. This surge placed considerable demand and strain on the Royal Adelaide Hospital, its services, and staff. The need for redevelopment of the hospital site was first discussed in the 1950s. At that time, the hospital […]
This fire mimic panel call board, dating from 1938, was in use at the Royal Adelaide Hospital until 1987. The panel is divided into sections, each representing a ward or area. As the names of wards and buildings changed, new labels were stuck over the original ones. In the case of a fire alarm, a […]
Part 3: 1857 – 1963 In 1853, the site for the new hospital was chosen, just a few hundred metres west of where the existing hospital stood. This move would mark the beginning of a 160-year history with the site, as the new hospital would stand where the old Royal Adelaide Hospital as we knew […]
‘Shining a Light’ on Operating Theatre Lights – Exploring the Royal Adelaide Hospital Operating Theatre Lights held in the museum collection. Several bulky wrapped ‘lumps’ of different sizes lie in our storage room. On closer inspection, the ‘lumps’ reveal themselves to be large, circular surgical lights. These lights have been rescued from operating theatres that have long been demolished, […]