The first hospital in Baldwin County is located in Foley Alabama. The hospital operated from 1936 to 1958 and is now the location of the Holmes Medical Museum. It is housed in the very building of the old hospital allowing visitors to step back in time and see what it was like to get treated and hospitalized almost a century ago. It features a wide array of historical displays most of which are exactly the way they were during its operation ( no pun intended). Displays include patient rooms, x ray equipment, an actual operating room, pharmacy and a medical quackery devices display. The hospital is located on the second floor of the building and never has had an elevator. The story is if a patient couldn't navigate the steps, Dr. Holmes would go across the street to the local tavern,and recruit a couple of burly guys to carry the patient up the steps. Other times he would bring his equipment downstairs and treat the patient outside of the hospital in whatever was their mode of transportation at the time. We find these small, unique museums fascinating. Although I for one would have rather let nature take it's course than to submit to the medical techniques of that time.
How dreary!
Operating Room
Laboratory.
Typical patient room
Prior to heating pads, this domed equipment used light bulbs to provide heat treatments.
Various instruments.
A show globe. Symbol for a pharmacy much like the barber pole was for the barber. From the early 1880's until the 1950's most pharmacies would display a show globe to identify their drugstore.
This one was used to alert the town's people to stay away from town if the show globe had red liquid in it. Red if there was an epidemic and green if there was not.
They have a scrapbook featuring many of the birth certificates of babies born at this hospital.
This is a picture of the first and last babies born there.
After visiting the museum we spent some time walking the Antique Rose Trail. The trail is a public walking trail that winds 6 blocks through the heart of Foley following the path of the old railroad line. Although this wasn't the best time of year there were still a few blooms, still very fragrant and a nice place to take a walk.
The trail features over 5,000 antique heritage roses.
Even found a geocache hidden in a palm tree among the rose buses.
A thorn among the flowers????? Did I really say that.....he knows I love him!
Hope all is well
