Yes even in the wholesome world of Indianapolis, there are remarkable things to see beyond the mundane and common. As our extended missives make there way out through Internetapolis, we have come to believe that it is quite likely that there are Oddasee worthy sites within striking range of everyone that receives our words and pictures. A little research and you can all find similar adventures in your backyard. Take the time, don't hurry and just see what you find....
As an example, the museum we visited on Friday is only 3 miles from downtown but we wonder how many people actually visit The Indiana Medical History Museum; the guest sign-in book goes back many years with few entries. Our tour was a grand and wonderful step back in time. Truly one of the best museums on our journey and as you know by now, we are not easily impressed as our reference points are ever-expanding in quality and quantity. This place was so far beyond our expectations, that we were reminded once again to keep on keeping on and be open to surprises.
The Pathological Building that houses the museum was once the central scientific and medical research area for the Central State Asylum of Indiana. Sadly the vast institution has been completely torn down with only much later structures left on the grounds. There are supposedly some old tunnels that run underground from the areas where the past facilities once stood. Access to them seemed to require the cover of darkness/what No Trespassing signs? and more research. The old photos on the walls show an institution that was so enormous it held close to 3000 patients at one time. By all accounts, the sanitarium was beautiful and architecturally remarkable place; what a loss -- see attached first photo from some archive found via Google. Note: this shows but one of the many buildings.
This museum currently is quite unique not only for it's history but for the items that remained even after it's demise. It's almost as if the doors closed one day and all the contents remain as they were over a century ago. The hospital took it's first patient in 1848 with the doors closing for good in 1994 (Date sound familiar? Same year that the Trans Allegheny and many other similar state institutions were forced to close across the US). This particular part of the hospital was not used for close to 60 years. With advances in technology and treatment, the Pathological Building was replaced by more sophisticated and sterile environments. That fact makes it all the more remarkable to have so much intact.
There are original pieces of furniture (much built in) and equipment. In the attachments below, you will see an autopsy table, the autopsy and educational theater, a child's iron lung, large format cameras, cabinets filled with the actual drugs from the hospital and numerous tools of the trade. There are books, artwork and ephemera from the time. On one wall I saw three stereoptic viewers and shelves filled with 30-40 boxes containing stereo-cards of 3-d imagery of medical conditions and information (easy Carol and Elaine; breathe deeply, no you cannot have them). There's a library, research rooms, three labs and the "Anatomical Museum" room which contains many brain samples and other specimens. The place is interesting and gorgeous. The lighting was photo heaven as the place had been constructed with three skylights along with lots of natural light to compensate for the shortcomings of gas lighting and marginal electricity at the time of construction.
Photo Notes:
1. Archive photo of the main sanitarium
7. Autopsy tools
9. Autopsy table and "pillow"
11. Child's iron lung
12. One of the many paintings -- this one is about "Moral Treatment" that was just being instituted with the un-shackling of patients.
18. Photos of the men arrested for being grave-robbers -- all hired by doctors and
scientists for study. See the upper left gentleman, Rufus Cantrell - "The King of the
Ghouls"
25. Our guide Randy -- this guy was great. Intelligent, informed, interested and compensated
for our experiences with earlier Sing-song Marie and Eternal Jim.
26. Susan and her father Walt -- apparently that pose is genetic as the Palmers read the
display info.
27. Walt and Susan - note arms still folded.....hmmmm?
30. (labeled medical arty 04) other museum attendees. Reminds me of a Thomas Eakins
painting and remember, that was all natural lighting.... photo ops galore.
Well that sums up in brief one of our best museum experiences so far. What we saw was extraordinary in every way. The fact that all the artifacts were authentic and mostly specific to the actual hospital made it all the more compelling and interesting. A real privilege and as inspirational as informative. We loved it.
Love , pathogens and scary tools,
Dr. Rodney and Nurse Susan --- okay you PC whiners, Nurse Rod and Dr. Palmer
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