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The colour of medicine — green!

By On 22 Sep 2009 · 4 Comments · In general

A couple of months ago I advertised David Pantalony’s forthcoming article on the colour green in medicine. Just want to add that it was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal last week (Sept 15, pp. 402-03). Read the full online text here.

 
  • http://www.museion.ku.dk/ Jonas Paludan

    The article is surprisingly interesting, short and to the point. Remarkable science communication

  • http://www.museion.ku.dk Thomas

    Agree — it’s good. But it’s more than good science communication, it’s also a fine example of a novel approach to the history of science, medicine and technology one might call ‘the aesthetics of STM’.

  • Simon Chaplin

    A great piece – and it looks to be an intriguing exhibition too. The question of green surgical scrubs is one of several that occur periodically on ‘answer’ websites (see for example http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/1351203) – themselves an interesting phenomenon, in which text is constantly recycled, usually without any sound reference to original sources. The neutralising visual effect of green on haemoglobin red is presented as self-evident truth (‘You can try out this “after effect” illusion yourself’), but as historians understanding how this kind of knowledge is propagated and established in practice is essential. David’s article offers this, and reveals a second and (as far as I can see) largely ignored impetus for the ‘coloring’ of hospital equipment and facilities. Nice one David!

  • David Pantalony

    Thanks very much for the feedback and comments.

    The inspiration for this exhibit was a “seam foam green” “Theratron Junior” Cobalt 60 radiotherapy device made by Atomic Energy of Canada (AECL), 1957. They used “sea foam green” extensively on their Theratrons in the late 1950s and early 60s. However, in tracing the particular history of our model (serial number 15) I discovered that it was actually “GE Grey” for the first part of its life at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Binghampton, NY. AECL sent it through GE X-ray division in Milwaukee before it went to NY. They were more into using grey. When it came to our museum in 1970, AECL promptly painted it “sea foam green” so as to make it conform to their traditional colouring and high aesthetic standards.

    This is part of my larger project to track down every aspect of this machine’s life, in a sense treating it as a biographical subject – how, by whom and where it was made, serviced, used, etc. I am finding that this research is taking me into neglected and fascinating dimensions the early Atomic era in Canada – nuclear physics and medicine, commerce, trade and, of course, the aesthetics and style of medical culture. There were over 160 other Juniors sold throughout the world. I now have my hands on their service and production records in Europe, South America, India, and China. I am also interviewing the guys who made and serviced them. A very rewarding project.