5 medical device history museums you should know

Warren Anatomical Museum

The Warren Anatomical Museum at Harvard University in Boston is an anatomy and pathology museum founded in 1897. The founder originally wanted to preserve and classify specimens and models for teaching and, up until 1999, was part of Harvard University’s Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology. The museum is now part of the Country Library’s Center for the History of Medicine and serves as a teaching and research resource.

The collection houses things like a vial of sheep lung surfactant, a platinum cast of a child with a tumor, a platinum cast of a seven-fingered hand cast and more. It features over 3,200 anatomical and osteological preparations, 875 wet tissue preparations and 8,500 medical, dental and public health instruments and devices.

The Warren Anatomical Museum also offers online exhibits that allow you to take a look at its collection.