The Imperial Asylum at Vincennes
On March 8, 1855, Napoleon III of France announced the creation of the Imperial Asylum at Vincennes. It opened in 1857 and was intended to be a place where workers could receive care comparable to military veterans—particularly significant as construction and factory jobs had become more important and more dangerous. The Emperor subsidized the early […]
Children at play in the East London Hospital for Children
The first hospital for children in London was established with ten beds in 1866 during a terrible cholera epidemic. It relied entirely on charity, was enlarged in 1875 and subsequently expanded, merged, and incorporated into larger facilities until it was closed after the introduction of the National Health Service in 1948. At the time it […]
Sydney clinic
In the Australian state of New South Wales, a system of medical inspection of schoolchildren was organized in 1913 and arrangements were made to examine each child at least twice during their periods of school attendance, which was compulsory between the ages of seven and fourteen years. The inspections were conducted by a staff of […]
Maria Lorenza Longo and the birth of the “Incurabili” Hospital in Naples
Marco Luchetti Milano, Italy Maria Lorenza Longo. Source In the Middle Ages hospitals were charitable institutions that took care of those that could not afford a doctor at home, such as the poor, elderly, orphans, and single mothers. In Naples there was an urgent need for a large facility with many doctors where “incurable” […]
Santa Maria Nuova: curing and caring
Michael Mortellaro Florida, USA Replica of “The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp.” Originally by Rembrandt. Re-painted by Navid Eghbalieh, MD. The concept of a hospital for sick people first emerged in the western world in late medieval Italy. A prime example of this was the Florentine hospital Santa Maria Nuova, which the humanist […]
Qatar’s Sidra Hospital and Damien Hirst’s Miraculous Journey
Sally Metzler Chicago, IL, USA Amazing, inspiring art and architecture seem to appear almost daily in Doha, Qatar, the host city of the 2024 World Cup. The Sidra Hospital for women and children soars among the many shining examples of architecture throughout this small Middle Eastern Gulf country. The building is graceful and sleek. Interior […]
The founding of Rush Medical College
Joseph deBettencourt Chicago, Illinois, USA Act I: Dr. Daniel Brainard Figure 1. Cover of Brainard’s introductory lecture given at the first day of class, December 4, 1843 Beneath the impressive shadow of Notre Dame, a young American cut a path through the winding cobblestone maze of the Île de la Cité to the doors […]
St. Mary’s Hospital, birthplace of penicillin
Anabelle S. Slingerland Leiden, Netherlands Kevin Brown London, England Lithograph of St. Mary’s Hospital, 1853 On April 23, 2018, Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge left the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital in London with their new baby boy. Fans of the Royals, who had been camping outside St. Mary’s for […]
The Steno Memorial Hospital of Copenhagen
Anabelle S. Slingerland Leiden, Netherlands Where science and human nature meet Figure 1. Niels Stenseens Hospital including apple orchard In November 2017 the Niels Steensens Hospital or Steno Memorial Hospital of Copenhagen, celebrated its 85th anniversary (Figure 1). It was named after the distinguished Danish scientist Nicolaus Steno(nis) (1638-1688), a modern-day Renaissance man, autodidact […]
Montefiore: instrument for social good
Grace Sotomayor Charlotte, North Carolina Main entrance to Montefiore Medical Center in Norwood, Bronx, NY. 31 July 2017, 15:46:12. Hugo L. Gonzalez. At this time in the United States, there is heated debate and rancor about whether health care is a right or a privilege and how and if our country should pay for […]