Liotta-Cooley Artificial Heart, 1969. Dr. Denton A. Cooley performed the first total artificial heart implant in the world April 4, 1969, in Houston, TX. The device, developed by Dr. Domingo Liotta, was implanted in a 47-year-old patient with severe heart failure.
National Museum of American History
1300 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC
Healing practices have evolved from leech prescriptions to house calls to cutting-edge technologies that have revolutionized healthcare, expanding access to life-saving treatments. First, Do No Harm/Lo primero es no hacer daño explores the paradox at the heart of American medicine: while the science of healing has never been more powerful, many people remain excluded from its benefits. Through a bilingual, dynamic experience, this exhibition invites visitors to examine both the triumphs and the shortfalls of the medical system, exploring how groundbreaking discoveries and systemic inequalities have shaped the health of Americans.
The exhibition features captivating artifacts from centuries of medical practice, offering a window into the complex evolution of health and wellness. Objects on display include a vial from the inaugural COVID-19 vaccine doses, the first successfully implanted artificial heart; a sample of penicillin mold from Alexander Fleming's lab; a pack of Ortho-Novum birth control pills, around 1963; HIV drugs and supplements, around 2015–2019; a spring-loaded pocket cup with burnable paper liner for tuberculosis prevention, 1920–1930s; and a mosquito net from Hurricane Maria’s aftermath in Puerto Rico. These objects, paired with vibrant graphics and thought-provoking narratives, provide insight into the tensions between technological advancements and the persistent barriers to healthcare equity.
As visitors explore the exhibition, they discover innovations that have transformed medicine—from the rise of vaccines and the use of machines that detect disease and extend life to understanding the medical consequences for the environment and other species and assumptions and histories that have resulted in mistrust of the medical system.
First, Do No Harm offers a reflective look at how medicine has both healed and harmed, improved lives, and created divisions. Through this exploration, the exhibition aims to spark conversations about the future of health and wellness and the ongoing pursuit of access in American healthcare.
