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Archive Foreword 

        This project is for the benefit of the VGH alumni archive, and to honour their hard work in collecting and organizing all the artefacts and documents related to the long-standing history of the nurses and nursing school at the Victoria General Hospital. The school of nursing at VGH started in 1890 with small classes.  By 1920, classes were much larger and due to the growing number of nursing graduates, they decided to create an alumni organization. The alumni nurses started an archive in 1938 to honour the history of their nursing school. Their continuous work of adding and curating over the years has created a wonderful museum to their achievements.

This project’s purpose is to add information about the bandages that are in the archive today. The history section will discuss the general evolution of bandages. The other sections are dedicated to physical artefacts in the archive.

alumni painting_edited.jpg

Please click the name to navigate 

VGH nurses making and preparing bandages out of a private home after the Halifax explosion. 1917. Photo: NS Archive. Image reproduced courtesy of the City of Toronto Archives (2439)

This project was researched and written by: Anastasia S. Parkinson. A SMU undergraduate student. 

Works Cited

Bani-Hani, Kamal E., Kamal A. Gharaibeh, and Rami J. Yagha. "Retained surgical sponges (gossypiboma)." Asian journal of surgery                28.2 (2005): 109-115.

Beveridge, D. “Personal Accounts of Events and Experiences” VGH Alumni Archives (2026).

Bricknell, M. C. M. and Hodgetts, B. T. J. “Evolution of First Aid Training in the British Army.” Military Medicine, 186.1, (2021): 808–                    813, https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usaa305

Broughton, G. I. I., Janis, J. E. and Attinger, C. E. "A brief history of wound care." Plastic and reconstructive surgery 117.7S (2006):                  6S-11S.

Cho, Yoora et al. “Achieving the sustainable waste management of medical plastic packaging using a life cycle assessment                              approach.” Heliyon vol. 10,19 e38185. 19 Sep. 2024,doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e38185

Davis, James, and A. McLister. "History and evolution of bandages, dressings, and plasters." Smart Bandage Technologies: Design                  and Application (2016): 63-92.

Harmer, B. “The principles and practice of nursing.” The Macmillan Company, New York (1926): 251- 299.

Hajdu, Steven I. "Pathfinders in oncology from the end of the Middle Ages to the beginning of the 19th century." Cancer123.11                        (2017): 1888-1897.

James P. A. “The Art of Medicine in Ancient Egypt.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Yale University Press, New Haven                    and London (2003).

Junker, Klaus. Interpreting the images of Greek myths: an introduction. Cambridge University Press, 2012.

Nyström, B. "Handling Sterile Products in the Hospital." Industrial Sterilization (1973): 359.

Panchbhai, Arati S. "Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen and the discovery of X-rays: Revisited after centennial." Journal of Indian academy of                oral medicine and radiology, 27.1 (2015): 90-95.

Power, M. “Personal Accounts of Events and Experiences” VGH Alumni Archives (2026).

Stephens, G. “Personal Accounts of Events and Experiences” VGH Alumni Archives (2026).

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