AMA Medical History Museum

The museum is presently housed in the attic rooms of AMA House, a Georgian building erected in early 1850s. The collection reflects medical practice in Tasmanian from the late 1800s to the present, and complements other medical collections in Tasmania. The museum organises small displays at AMA house and at conferences and works with staff at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery on their medical history displays. The museum hold occasional seminars and publishes 'The Archive', a newsletter previously published by the historical committee of Launceston General Hospital.

Address: 
2 Gore Street, South Hobart, TAS
Tel: 
0362232047
Hours: 
By appointment
Facilities: 
Guided tour
Collection: 
The collection includes a small but very interesting collection of early medical curiosities and surgical instruments, a large collection of items from the past 60 years, about 500 medical books dating from the early 1900s and the archival records of the Tasmanian Branch of the Australian Medical Association

Items

Surgical Instruments

Cased Set of Surgical Instruments

Cased Set of Surgical Instruments
Creator:
Most instruments made by Weiss
Description:
Brass bound box of surgical instruments. 28 items in the case but many missing.
Date:
1860s (or earlier)

Donated by the family of Colonel W.W. Giblin who in 1917 was an Honorary surgeon at the Hobart hospital and the army's Principal Medical Officer. Gilblin probably 'collected' the instruments and did not actually use them.

Medical Instrument

ECG Machine "Both Cardiograph"

ECG Machine "Both Cardiograph"
Creator:
Both & Olympus
Description:
ECG machine housed in wood-look, plastic case. Control knobs, switch, plug socket, disc (for placing cardiodiscs), and fold-down lens and eyepiece are mounted on a steel plate. Came with 5 round metal tins each containing glass cardiodiscs with labelled tracings of about eight patients.
Date:
C1920s
Item Id Number:
99.A.38

Used by cardiologist, Sir Ralph Wishaw, this was the first ECG machine used in Tasmania.

Medical Instrument

Cupping Set

Cupping Set
Description:
Wooden box containing brass spirit lamp, 2 dome-shaped hand blown glasses, brass scarificator with blades and 3 spare shafts with attached blades.
Date:
1800s
Item Id Number:
99.A.37

Listed in original museum catalogue 1971, provenance not known. Used to bleed patients.

Medical Instrument

Pneumothorax Apparatus

Pneumothorax Apparatus
Creator:
Genito -Urinary Mfg.Co.Ltd
Description:
Wooden box containing metal pump, regulating valve, aneroid manometer and filter.
Date:
1934-1936
Item Id Number:
99.A.36

Used for the treatment of tuberculosis patients. Belonged to Dr Huish at Launceston General Hospital, then Dr Bruce Macdonald at the Royal Hobart Hospital. Described and illustrated in the British Medical Journal, June 2, 1934.

Microscope

Monocular microscope and accessories

Monocular microscope and accessories
Creator:
AF Eden
Description:
Monocular brass microscope which fits in mahogany case containing 8 internal drawers. These hold mounted microscope slides, microscope accessories and tools.
Date:
C1860's
Item Id Number:
99 A 13

Belonged to the Hon Henry Butler, Tasmanian surgeon and politician, born 1821 at Cornhill, London and died 1885 at Stowell, Hobart.