Rare Iron Lung Now on Display at Southern California Medical Museum June 26, 2018 General, Press Releases iron lung, Southern California Medical Museum 0 NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Alison Elsner, 909-273-6000 (W) June 18, 2018 760-413-5053 (C), aelsner@sbcms.org (Inland Empire, CA.) – The Southern California Medical Museum is announcing the acquisition of a rare iron lung, now on display at the Museum, located in the Nursing Science Center on the campus of Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California. This remarkable piece of medical equipment was acquired through the generosity of the Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center in Downey, California. The cumbersome mechanical respirator reminds modern day Museum visitors about the ways that physicians commonly treated patients with paralyzing diseases like polio starting in the mid-1920s. Rows of iron lungs filled hospital wards at the height of the polio outbreaks of the 1940s and 1950s, helping children and adults with polio. Some polio patients with paralysis up to the chest could spend various lengths of time inside an iron lung, an airtight metal chamber that would force air into the patient’s lungs through negative pressure. Some patients were known to have spent years inside the apparatus. The development of modern ventilators and polio vaccination programs have largely rendered the iron lung obsolete, and today polio is almost completely eradicated. In 1959, there were 1,200 people users in the United States, but by 2004 there were only 39. By 2014, there were only 10 people left using an iron lung. Museum Director, Dr. Bert “Hans” Davidson said, “We are excited to showcase this spectacular, vintage machine. It’s a prime example of the advances that have been made in modern medicine. Our iron lung is a fascinating peek into history. But, more importantly, it is a reminder how infectious disease could ravage the population and the danger of the current opposition to vaccination by some people unencumbered by knowledge or insight. Without such vaccination programs, diseases like polio could return with devastating consequences.” This particular iron lung was used for an adolescent, and the display presents a compelling narrative, including sound effects, of a young girl who was afflicted with polio circa 1952, prior to the introduction of the polio vaccine. The iron lung will be on display indefinitely, and guests are invited to take advantage of this awe-inspiring exhibit that makes medicine come alive. **Dr. Davidson is available for interviews. Additional information and photos will gladly be provided upon request and are also able to be viewed on the Museum’s website and Facebook page.** ABOUT THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MEDICAL MUSEUM The Southern California Medical Museum (SCMM) houses a treasure trove of fascinating medical, dental and pharmacy artifacts, wartime surgery kits, an impressive medical library, medical artwork and photographs, rare and antique bottles that were used to hold and dispense salves, pills, powders and elixirs, unusual and often hard to believe quackery devices and numerous special exhibits. There is even a lifelike diorama re-creation of a doctor's and dentist’s office as it would have appeared during the 1910 - 1930’s. Museum exhibits find receptive and fascinated audiences in all ages and include items dating back to Roman times until the present. Instruments used during times of war, such as during the Civil War, are also part of the Medical Museum’s collection, with an amputation kit that holds 30-40 medical implements in its original travel case made of rose wood and a unique collection of Greco-Roman surgical tools. A wide variety of historical periods, geographic locations and medical specialties are represented in the collection. SCMM is the only museum in southern California dedicated to the collection and preservation of medical artifacts and history of healthcare. The Southern California Medical Museum was established in 1982 by Merlin A. Hendrickson, M.D., to provide education on the history of medicine. Bert (Hans) Davidson, M.D., Ph.D. serves as the Museum’s director. He is a recognized expert on the Civil War with particular emphasis on the challenges involved in wartime care such as contaminated conditions and commonplace practice of amputation, and he lectures frequently on the topic. Elliot Weinstein, M.D. is the Museum’s Curator and is a practicing pediatrician in the Inland Empire. The SCMM is located at: Western University of Health Sciences, Nursing Science Center, 350 S. Garey Avenue, Pomona, California, 91766. Its website is: socalmedicalmuseum.org. Visitors may also view photos and information on the Museum’s facebook page at: facebook.com/socalmedmuseum. Museum tours are offered by appointment (advance reservation required) with special arrangements and fees available for group tours and private events. The admission fee is $5 for adults and $3 for children. Armed forces personnel and their families receive free admission. To schedule a tour, guests are asked to contact Debbie Long at the San Bernardino County Medical Society (SBCMS) at 909-273-6000 or dlong@sbcms.org. Comments are closed.
