The Museum of Questionable Medical Devices

Always fun. Just wish it was bigger.

Personally, I wish this was a whole museum of questionable medical devices and not just a corner in the science museum. Who knew there were so many scheming quacks? And too bad you can’t test them out — except for the prostate warmer!

Located inside the Science Museum of Minnesota, The Museum of Questionable Medical Devices displays inventions that claimed to cure any number of chronic diseases or treat psychological disorders.
The boom in phony medical machines peaked in the 1920s and 1930s, when mysterious forces such as radio waves, radioactivity, and neon were first introduced. Some of the most notable devices are:
— The Psychograph: a Phrenology reading that measures the size of bumps on the head to determine one’s personality.
— The Vibratory Chair: strapping a patient a seat, then shaking them around violently to cure intestinal problems.
— Vacuum Breast Enlargers: cones placed over the breasts and powered by a foot pump to enhance the bust size. Busts never grew, but the device was known to leave bruising.
— Prostate Warmer: inserted into the rear, this device delivered an electric shock that was supposed to «warm things up» in the bedroom.
— The Fluoroscope: a large machine that used an x-​ray to determine shoe size. This was banned 10 years later after discovering the machines exposed users to toxic amounts of radiation.
Curator Bob McCoy started collecting medical quackery in the 1970s, then opened his doors to the public in 1984. In 2002, the exhibit was donated to the Science Museum. The original collection had over 600 medical devices, 325 of which are now in the vaults at the Science Museum. The inventions are all in pristine condition, accompanied by plenty of descriptive placards. Some are even reported to be in working condition.
The exhibit is not only interesting to view, but delivers an important message: «Don’t believe everything you hear.» Many of the items of medical quackery are a lot like the gimmicks we see today.
The Museum of Questionable Medical Devices is a MUST see for any skeptic, science or history lover. I would be thrilled to see the Science Museum expand upon this exhibit, allowing all of McCoy’s collection to be permanently displayed.
Viewing Time: 45 minutes