Museum of Kaohsiung Medical University Southern Taiwan Medical History

Ta-Kao (Kaohsiung), is the historical starting point at which modern medicine of the world accessed to Taiwan, as well as the birthplace of world tropical medicine. With the port opening and start of trade relations in Taiwan in the late Qing Dynasty, medical missionary of Presbyterian Church and medical personnel of Customs introduced modern medicine to Taiwan. Ta-Kao became the place where modern medicine was firstly implemented.

First floor

There are two sections on the floor:
1. The exhibition section of “The Beginning of Modern Medicine-Church Health Services” rebuilt a part of David Manson Memorial Hospital to reflect the modern medical services provided after the mid-19th century and depict the church health services period.
2. The exhibition section of “A Platform for Taiwan with the World –Tropical Medicine” reflects the process how customs medicine was introduced into tropical medicine and further became an important medical research field in Taiwan.

Second floor

There are five sections on the floor:
1. In "Role Models in Medicine in Taiwan" section, the stories of 30 model figures in the medical circle is depicted in order to describe the precedents' contributions to Taiwan’s medicine, particularly emphasizing on the humanistic aspects of their paradigms and moral behaviors.
2. In "Nursing in Taiwan" section, the development of nursing education and those who devoted themselves are the focus.
3. In "Dentistry in Taiwan" section, it mainly constructs the developing history of Taiwanese dentists and dental education, along with connection to the local organizations by means of the dentists in Kaohsiung.
4. In "Pharmacy in Taiwan" section, the development of pharmacy and pharmacy education is the main point.
5. In "Public Health in Taiwan" section, the health policy and prevention of infectious diseases in the Japanese period and post-war time are articulated in order to highlight the key development of public health in Taiwan.