Fort Missoula Hospital Photos
These photos appeared in the Missoulian Centennial issue. Below are the captions for photos on page 17 of Section A.
The upper right picture is of the Fort Missoula Hospital No. 2. This was one of the earliest hospitals in Western Montana. These pictures were loaned by the editors of the forthcoming book, “Medicine in the Making of Montana,” to be published this year.
The middle picture is of a Flathead Indian Sweat Lodge taken on the Flathead Reservation in 1935. This picture was sent to Mrs. Paul C. Phillips through the courtesy of Dr. Claude E. Schaeffer, Curator of Oregon State Historical Society. In 1854 most “medicine” in Western Montana was practiced by such men as “Beartrack,” the Flathead Indian “Medicine Man’ pictured above.
The device pictured in the upper right is designed to supplant temporarily the eliminative function of the kidney. It is used in the treatment of acute catastrophic kidney damage such as may occur in crush injuries, chemical and blood reactions. There is none other between Minneapolis and Seattle.
The middle picture is an X-ray Casette Changer which enables three X-rays to be taken in three seconds after injection of opaque medication into the blood stream and thus outline arteries of the brain. It is used for the diagnosis and localization of brain tumors, abscesses, blood clots, and arterial abnormalities. This is a very unusual and advanced piece of equipment.
The bottom picture is a Drinker type respirator commonly called an “Iron Lung.” It is used in the treatment of respiratory paralysis most frequently due to Poliomyelitis.