Maude Abbott Medical Museum facts for kids
The Maude Abbott Medical Museum is a special place at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. It's like a treasure chest of medical history! This museum is named after a very important Canadian doctor, Maude Abbott. She helped take care of the museum's collections a long time ago, in the late 1800s.
Contents
A Look Back: How the Museum Started
The museum began with collections of 'interesting specimens' that belonged to university professors. In the late 1800s, it had things like skeletons, bones, and models made from different materials. These models were often made of papier-mâché, wax, or plaster.
A famous doctor named William Osler gave almost 500 special items to the museum. These items came from places like the Université de Montréal and the Montreal General Hospital. Other people, like Wyatt Johnson, also added to the collection.
At first, a younger professor looked after the museum. In 1894, the museum was in two rooms inside the medical building. Then, in 1898, Maude Abbott became the assistant curator. A curator is like a manager who organizes and cares for a museum's collections. Maude Abbott did a great job organizing everything with a special system. In 1899, she became the main curator of the museum.
What's Inside?
The museum has different collections, each with its own story.
The Osler Collection
This part of the museum is named after Dr. William Osler. In 1899, his collection had about 180 items. By 1935, around 130 of these items were still there.
The Abbott Collection
The Maude Abbott collection has many unique items. These are special specimens from animals and humans. They show different heart and blood vessel problems.
