Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

MEDICAL BAG

Date Range From

1965

Date Range To

1975

Materials

LEATHER, VINYL, METAL

No. Pieces

1

Height

27.0

Length

38.3

Width

18.0

Description

BLACK LEATHER DOCTOR'S BAG WITH WHITE STITCHING, 2 HANDLES, METAL DIAMOND-SHAPED CLASP, 5 METAL RIVETS ON BOTTOM OF BAG. METAL EMBLEM ON TOP OF BAG MARKED, "EMDEE BY SCHELL", "PATENT NO. 2293363", STICKER ON BOTTOM MARKED, "SCHELL...MATERIALS." INSIDE BAG LINED WITH GREY VINYL, INCLUDES 3 COMPARTMENTS ON UPPER LEVEL WITH FLAP-LIKE LIDS. ONE PARTITION FOAM-LINED, TRANSPARENT PLASTIC BAND ALONG INSIDE LENGTH OF BAG, ALLOWING FOR SECURING OF 6 ITEMS. PINK STAIN INTERMITTENT INSIDE OF BAG.

Subjects

MEDICAL & DENTAL T&E

Historical Association

HEALTH SERVICES

History

DOCTOR'S BAG BELONGED TO DR. EDMUND CAIRNS. ACCORDING TO DR. GORE-HICKMAN, LOCAL PEDIATRICIAN AND FORMER PEER OF DR. CAIRNS', BAG FROM THE LATE 1960S OR EARLY 1970S. CAIRNS WAS BORN OCTOBER 9, 1910 JUST OUTSIDE NELSON, BC. HE ATTENDED UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA FROM 1927-28 AS A TEENAGER, AND RECEIVED HIS MEDICAL DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA IN 1934. CAIRNS SUBSEQUENTLY WORKED AT THE EDMONTON GENERAL HOSPITAL, THEN THE TORONTO'S HOSPITAL FOR SICK CHILDREN FOR THREE YEARS WHERE HE WAS CHIEF RESIDENT PHYSICIAN FROM 1937-38. CAIRNS BEGAN PRACTICING IN CALGARY IN 1938, AND SHORTLY AFTER MET DR. ARTHUR HAIG AT A MEDICAL CONVENTION. CAIRNS WAS INVITED BY DR. ARTHUR HAIG, DR. WILLARD HAIG AND DR. JAMES ERNEST AYRE TO HELP ESTABLISH THE HAIG CLINIC IN LETHBRIDGE. THUS THE HAIG CLINIC WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1939, AND IT WAS THE FIRST DOCTOR'S GROUP IN LETHBRIDGE TO USE THE TERM "CLINIC". CAIRNS WAS THE FIRST PEDIATRICIAN IN LETHBRIDGE, WORKING AT THE HAIG CLINIC FROM 1939 TO 1975. CAIRNS WAS CHIEF PEDIATRICIAN AT ST. MICHAEL'S HOSPITAL AND LETHBRIDGE MUNICIPAL HOSPITAL. CAIRNS WAS KNOWN FOR HIS PERSONAL HOUSE CALLS, AND WAS VERY ACTIVE IN VARIOUS LETHBRIDGE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. FORMER COLLEAGUES RECALL CAIRNS AS WELL RESPECTED BY PEERS AND ADORED BY HIS YOUNG PATIENTS. HE WAS DESCRIBED AS AN "OLD-FASHIONED DOCTOR PEOPLE NEVER SEE ANYMORE". ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHANGES IN CAIRNS' 41 YEARS OF PRACTICE WAS THE DISAPPEARANCE OF POLIO AND ADAVNCEMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF LEUKEMIA. OF HIS PATIENTS, CAIRNS SAID "THEY ALL SEEMED LOVEABLE TO ME". CAIRNS ENJOYED THE WARMER, MORE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS HE HAD WITH HIS PATIENTS, THOUGH HE RECALLS THE “HOLY-TERRORS”, SUCH AS A SEVEN-YEAR OLD WHO DELIVERED A WELL-AIMED KICK AS HE WAS RECEIVING A VACCINATION SHOT. UPON HIS RETIREMENT, IN DECEMBER 1975, CAIRNS SAID "THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, I'M GOING TO MISS THE KIDS". CAIRNS REMAINED ACTIVE IN THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY AFTER RETIREMENT, ACTING AS CONSLUTING PHYSICIAN FOR THE ASSURED INCOME FOR THE SEVERELY HANDICAPPED FROM 1982 TO 1994. OF THIS ROLE, CAIRNS SAID, “I ENJOYED THAT ROLE, IT KEPT MY BRAIN FAIRLY ACTIVE." CAIRNS PASSED AWAY AT AGE 95 IN JANUARY 2006. FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20060034001

Acquisition Date

2006-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail