Preili Museum of History and Applied Arts (Latvia), Grodno State Museum of the History of Religion (Belarus) and Panevezys Local Lore Museum (Lithuania) joint virtual exhibition – Medicine. Preili Museum of History and Applied Arts We wish a good health to others on every anniversary, because we are aware of how important it is to feel good. But not only cars and toys may break, but also health, and then it is the last moment to look for medicines and doctors who will “repair” us soon. We can say for sure that the treatment is as old and different as the whole of humanity – this time about some of its aspects in the materials of the collection of the Preili Museum of History and Applied Arts. The Saint Book, the beginning of the 20th century Also known as the Book of Heaven, it is a genre of pseudo-religious literature and its origins dates back to the 6th century in the Western Europe, but in the territory of Latvia such “books” became popular with the increase of literacy in the society from the end of the 18th century till the beginning of the 20th century. The Holy Book contains various beliefs and assumptions about “successful days”, holy words, sins, and healing practices (toothache, nosebleeds etc.). For example, women in labour are offered to hold this book in hands to ease the process of childbirth. The spread of such a book was based on its repeated rewriting, with small additions, while cursing anyone who would hinder its spread. In general, this “book” is a relatively short, but in essence bright written source about the various views and perceptions of society in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Medicine bottles from the Preili pharmacy. Middle of the 20th century The origins of pharmacies can be traced to the market squares of cities and villages, where the first pharmacists – men of medicine – had the opportunity to sell harvested medicinal plants and their parts – roots, leaves, flowers, etc. for making various teas and decoctions at home. Around the 15th century more and more effective drug mixtures are starting to appear in the offer of pharmacies, which increases the need for specific knowledge of chemistry, as well as new types of metal and glass containers, which would allow long-term storage of manufactured drugs, preventing them from spoiling too quickly. Different sizes of dishes, mortals and pestles and hand scales – all in the arsenal of every pharmacist. Initially, the necessary utensils were made of wood, but gradually they were also made of stone and iron, while the ceramic (porcelain) and glassware in pharmacies was the latest, gaining wider use only in end of the 18th century – beginning of the 19th century. The number of pharmacies in Preili has changed at different times. The first known pharmacy belonged to the pharmacist Hugo Stein in 1880, in 1927 year the second pharmacy was opened. In the oldest pharmacy building of Preili the pharmacy is working also today. Preili hospital area. 1. Preili Hospital building. 1924. 2. Staff and patients of Preili Hospital. 1930ties. 3. A view on the territory of Preili Hospital. 1960ties. 4. The new Preili Hospital building. 1998. The earliest information about a doctor in Preili dates back to 1836, when it is known that Volfgan Savelij worked as a doctor in Preili manor. In the second half of the 19th century, when the Russian Empire began to build a comprehensive network of rural hospitals and paramedics at the state level, the first medical institution – hospital in Preili was founded in 1859. But access to health care in Preili remained very limited – doctors working here did not stay long, not to mention the availability of professional equipment. The situation remained unchanged until the beginning of the 20th century. In the interwar period in Preiļi you could get medical help in the former manor property – in a luxurious building on Raina Boulevard. This house is also the starting point of the modern Preiļi hospital, gradually starting to attract doctors of various specialties. The development of the hospital was stopped by the events of World War II, when the most valuable and necessary hospital equipment (beds, X-rays etc.) was taken away by the retreating occupation authorities. After December 31, 1949, when the Preili district was established, the development of the Preili Hospital became a priority for the entire region. The number of doctors and beds increased, new hospital departments were established. With the demolition of the Old Believers’ Church in 1961, the territory of the hospital was expanded by building a policlinic, but in 1992 the new building of the intensive care hospital was completed. Over time, Preiļi Hospital has become an important regional hospital and urban dominant with several nearby buildings, pharmacies, private clinic, morgue and nursing home. Hrodna State Museum of the History of Religion Grodno is the most important center of medicine development in Belarus. So, on December 15, 1586, there was performed the first anatomical autopsy in Eastern Europe. The purpose of the study was to confirm or refute the version about the poisoning of Stefan Batory, the Polish king and the Grand Duke of Lithuania, who died suddenly three days before. In 1775, a medical academy was opened in Grodno. It was the first institution on the territory of Belarus where certified doctors were trained. Today, there is one of the largest educational and scientific centers in Belarus, which trains highly qualified doctors. It is Grodno State Medical University. The collections of the Grodno State Museum of the History of Religion contain artifacts of the 17th-20th centuries related to medicine. Some of them are presented within the framework of this virtual exhibition. Photo of the building of Grodno Medical Academy. Grodno, 1931 Grodno Medical Academy is considered to be the first higher medical educational institution in Belarus. It was opened in 1775 on the initiative of Antoni Tyzenhauz, the Grodno headman, with the … Continue reading Virtual exhibition “Medicine”