On a gorgeous weather day last Thursday, walking from my desperately needed yet dreaded root canal to school, I passed the International Museum of Surgical Science on Lake Shore Drive. This statue stands in front of the museum.
I guess the oral surgeon did, as described by the engraving at the base of the statue, give me hope – that the pain could end – and help – he ended the pain by performing his procedure. While I was suffering through my dental woes, I thought often about the centuries of misery caused by small and large dental problems. I was focused on the Middle Ages, but real dental hope and help wasn’t even a reality for this guy, who I also passed in that same walk.
The Surgical Museum has always been a great venue for Medical Humanities. When I was in nursing school, I saw an exhibit of anatomical art by Frank Netter, who was the first artist to illustrate medical and surgical procedures as they happened.
Their current exhibits are no less fascinating. One shows the work of Matthew Cox, featuring embroidered x-rays.
