Museu de História da Medicina do Rio Grande do Sul, Museu em Porto Alegre, Brasil
The Museu de História da Medicina do Rio Grande do Sul is a museum in Porto Alegre that documents the medical development of the state. The collection includes old books, medical instruments, photographs of doctors, and written documents that show how healing practices changed over time.
The museum was founded with the support of the Medical Association of Rio Grande do Sul and documents medical development from indigenous remedies to the founding of early hospitals. The Santa Casa of Porto Alegre, established in 1803, is the oldest institution of its kind in the state and marks the shift toward organized health systems.
The museum occupies a historic building that once served the Beneficência Portuguesa and reflects how medicine shaped daily life in the region. Visitors observe how indigenous healing traditions merged with European practices and how doctors influenced community health across generations.
Entry to the museum is free and there is no parking on site, but you can find spaces nearby to leave your car. School groups and researchers wishing to view special collections must arrange a visit in advance by email.
The museum maintains a digital collection where works and documents can be viewed online, allowing researchers to access the history of medicine from anywhere. Additionally, the collection includes recorded experiences of doctors and patients that reveal what medical practice looked like in daily life over the decades.
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