CMA’s Past and Future Highlighted at 150th Anniversary State Fair Exhibit
[Posted 08/31/06]

Future Doctors: CMA staff handed out thousands of “future doctor” hats.

The state fair exhibit includes a display on the history of pharmaceuticals.

Fair visitors watch the iron lung in action.

The early 20th century doctor’s office is one of the most popular items on display.

Fairgoers check out one of the 12 cases at the CMA exhibit.

Fairgoers check out one of the 12 cases at the CMA exhibit.

Fairgoers check out one of the 12 cases at the CMA exhibit.

California State Fair patrons are not only being treated to a fascinating exhibit of CMA’s role in the past 150 years of medicine, but their children are offering everyone a glimpse into CMA’s future. Thousands of children wearing “future doctor” caps handed out at CMA’s 150th anniversary exhibit are visible all over the Sacramento fair grounds.

An 8-year-old girl wearing her CMA future doctor hat already had a specialty picked out—obstetrics. That caused a minor problem for her father, who rushed her past the 1920s physician’s office on display, complete with a vintage ob-gyn table. “Too graphic,” he said. She settled instead on watching a calf be born at the barnyard.

In the first two weeks of the fair, tens of thousands of visitors have come by the display, which is staffed daily by CMA staff and former staff and a number of physicians, including CMA President Michael Sexton, M.D., and CMA CEO Jack Lewin, M.D., and local physicians and volunteers from the Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society Museum.

Most popular among the hundreds of items on display at CMA’s exhibit are amputation kits used by pioneers on the trail west, an early 20th century doctor’s office, and a rare iron lung used to treat polio patients in the 1950s. Visitors even get to watch the iron lung in action. “I was in one of these for two weeks,” said one woman in her 50s. “All I remember is my grandparents standing outside the windows holding teddy bears up and thinking how sad that was—I couldn’t even touch them.”

Fair goers often express their appreciation for medical achievements that have benefited them. “I am a product of this progress,” said one young man in his 40s. “I had a kidney transplant last year, and I’ve never felt better.” He lifted his sleeve to show his arms misshapen by years of dialysis. Said another man to staff at the fair. “I had cancer. It’s all gone. There’s some great medication out there. I wouldn’t have wanted to live in these times,” he said, pointing to crude medications on display.

The exhibit highlights about a dozen areas of medicine through the ages, including pharmaceuticals, treatments of diseases and viruses, and even an ancient prescience medical theory known as “balancing the humors,” which employed blistering, bleeding and puking as “cures.”

The bulk of material comes from the Sierra Sacramento Valley Museum of Medical History. Other material support comes from CMA, the CMA Foundation and UC Davis Medical Center, as well as county medical societies, the archives of early medical schools and the Sacramento city archives.

State Fair visitors were also very interested in the public health information provided by the CMA Foundation. Many handouts—including hundreds of diabetes cookbooks and flyers on hand-washing techniques—were snapped up the first week, and more had to be ordered. Visitors also picked up end-of-life care leaflets that discussed how to complete an advance care directive and brochures on effective communication for patients and physicians. Most handouts were available in multiple languages.

The state fair fair runs through Labor Day.

Contact: Karen Nikos, 916/551-2069 or knikos@cmanet.org.