National Museum of Health and Medicine in Silver Spring, Maryland is a national museum that is not in the nation’s capital, but a few miles north of the DC. As a pharmacist, I had certain expectations from a museum of health and medicine. I was expecting exhibits on different types of medicines, general advice on health, few health indicators, a commentary about the national health system, and even something on health insurance as well as medical innovations. Contrary, the museum was surprisingly different. It was a history of military medicine in the USA. I concluded the name National Museum of Health and Medicine was misleading. Nonetheless, the museum was still informative and exciting. It was a new way of looking at medical principles and history.
On a separate note, I visited minuteman missile silo and museum in South Dakota a couple of years ago and discovered that the interstate system was primarily built to facilitate transportation of nuclear arsenal. At the spy museum, I saw a lot of modern technology originally being discovered for military and strategic espionage. Everyone has a different reaction to the military-industrial complex of the USA and the military might of the country. However, many of the modern innovations and amenities are gifts from military innovations and the military-industrial complex. Healthcare and modern medicine are not different. I discovered that fact at the National Museum of Health and Medicine.
The museum was remarkably well organized and cozy. The extent of information was impressive considering the smaller size of the museum. I easily spent over three hours there. The use of lighting and glass case were adequately unique. It created a somber ambiance. I generally do not write about lighting in the museum, but this museum was different. It had a calming effect. I remember yellow focus lights were particularly used with a great effect.
Upon entering the museum, a section explained the anatomy and physiology of the human body and basic concepts there within that led to advances in medicine. The rest of the exhibits were focused on military medicine and its history. A large section described medicines in the days of civil war. The exhibit described not only medicines, but also ambulance, healthcare logistics and challenges, the role of doctors and paramedics, and the advancements that came out of those challenges.
A major challenge for the military is traumatic head injury. Anatomy and physiology exhibit had a dedicated section on explaining traumatic head injury in detail. With the example of the Iraq war, a separate exhibit explained the realities of war, challenges of trauma and treatments. Other innovations in prosthetics, painkillers, restructuring, surgery, medical logistics and rehabilitation were also exhibited. Medical visualization, biomedical engineering, and pathology made up the rest of the medicine exhibits. In addition, the legacy of Walter Reed was described. Major Walter Reed was the founder of the museum as the Army Medical Museum, which later became the National Museum of Health and Medicine. Walter Reed Institute of Research is a famous landmark in Washington, DC. Walter Reed was a professor there, which was known as Army Medical School in those days.
I would call the museum National History Museum of Military Medicine rather than the National Museum of Health and Medicine. Regardless, it is a unique museum. I would recommend the museum as the number one place to visit while in Silver Spring. Next week I will write about realto beach in Washington.
Mihir Jaiswal is a traveler and the author of Sculpting Revenge. Blog: mihirjaiswal.blogspot.com; Twitter: @mihirja; Snapchat: @mihirj9
