

Figure 20. — Exhibit on spectacles, lorgnettes, optometers, and refraction, completed in 

 i960. It features a cross section of the Division's large collection of eyeglasses. (Smith- 

 sonian photo 47943-D.) 



medical, dental, and pharmaceutical acquisitions. 

 Specimens of antiques acquired from 1961 through 

 1963 numbered up to 1,539 and included gifts from 

 leading institutions and individual philanthropists. 

 The scope of these gifts and acquisitions ranges 

 from electronic resuscitators, microscopes, x-ray 

 equipment, and spectacles, to patent medicines, 

 amulets, apothecary tools, dental instruments, and 

 office material of practitioners. 



In the last decade, the interest in the national 

 endeavor for promoting research and scholarship 

 in the history of medicine has increased greatly. 

 It was most appropriate, therefore, for the Smith- 

 sonian Institution to play host on May 2 for two 

 sessions of the 37th annual meeting of the American 

 Association for the History of Medicine held in 

 the Washington, D.< . area from April 30 through 

 May 2, 1964. In welcoming the members to the 

 morning session in the auditorium of the new Museum 

 of I Kstory and I echnology, Frank A. Taylor, director 

 of the United States National Museum, expressed 



the feeling that the meeting of the Association was, 

 in a sense, a dedication of the new auditorium and 

 an opportunity for the Smithsonian to reaffirm its 

 deep interest and commitment in fostering research 

 and furthering the appreciation of scholarly endeavor 

 in the history of the healing arts. 



A New Dimension 

 For the Healing Arts 



'•One day the United States will have a National 

 Museum of science, engineering, and industry, as 

 most large nations have." This was the prediction 

 made in 1946 by the director of the U.S. National Mu- 

 seum, Mr. Frank A. Taylor, then curator of the 

 Division of Engineering. 19 It was in 1963, that the 

 new $36,000,000 building of the Museum of History 



"Taylor, "A National Museum of Science, Engineering 

 mil Industry," p. 359. 



292 



BULLETIN 240: CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY 



