Disassembled Mackenzie Polygraph machine. The case containing the object is open to show the parts.

The Origins of the Polygraph

Most of us are familiar with the polygraph machine, or, as it is commonly called, the “lie detector”...

Babcock tester with a hand-crank and two centrifuge tubes.

The Mystery of the Babcock Tester

None of the labels on the box seemed quite right for this instrument. It didn’t look exactly like anything I had come across before...

Illustration of the carotid arteries in the neck from an 1897 anatomy text

It's #ColorOurCollections Week 2020!

From February 3rd through 7th, cultural institutions from around the world are sharing coloring pages on social media with the hashtag #ColorOurCollections.

Headshot of Irene E. Kochevar

Irene E. Kochevar Papers Open to Research

The Center for the History of Medicine is pleased to announce that the papers of Harvard Medical School professor of Dermatology Irene E. Kochevar are now open to research.

Headshot of Stephanie Krauss

Meet the Staff: Stephanie Krauss

My name is Stephanie Krauss and I have learned so much since starting my job as a Reference Archivist in January 2019...

Cover of the book A Stitch in Time: Arterial Repair and the Process of Change in Surgery, 1880-1960 by Justin Barr, which features pictures of surgical instruments.

Join us for A Stitch in Time on November 21

Join us for A Stitch in Time: Arterial Repair and the Process of Change in Surgery, 1880-1960 with Justin Barr, MD, PhD, Resident, Department of Surgery, Duke University.