Mobile Medical Museum: A Journey Through Healing History

The Mobile Medical Museum, located in the Lyons Park area of Mobile, Alabama, offers a captivating exploration of medical history spanning three centuries. Founded in 1962 by Dr. Samuel Eichold II, the museum preserves and exhibits medical artifacts and archives, commemorating Mobile's vital role in medical education and public health along the Gulf Coast.Housed since 2004 in the Vincent-Doan House, one of Mobile's oldest homes dating back to 1827, the museum provides a tangible link to the past. The building itself adds to the atmosphere, offering a glimpse into the lives of those who lived and practiced medicine in earlier times.The permanent exhibit presents over 300 years of medical history from the colonial period to the present day. Visitors can examine pre-Civil War anatomical models used for teaching, early 20th-century X-ray equipment, and a functioning 1969 heart-lung machine. An Emerson model iron lung from the 1930s serves as a reminder of the challenges posed by the polio epidemic and the importance of vaccination. The museum also organizes special exhibits in the Mary Elizabeth and Charles Bernard Rodning Gallery, as well as at various offsite locations throughout Mobile.The Robert Thrower Medicinal Garden showcases multicultural traditions of herbal medicine practiced around the world for thousands of years. The museum's J.L. Bedsole Archives and Ben May Library contain rare books, letters, documents, and photographs available to students and scholars by appointment.The museum's collections, with over 5,000 artifacts, and exhibitions aim to provide the public with a broad understanding of the evolution of healthcare, showcasing the art and science of medicine through the ages.