Historical Portrayals by Lady J- Janet Parnes will be held at the Ashland Historical Society, 2 Myrtle Street, Ashland on March 15 at 2 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

If a surgeon dropped his scalpel on the floor, he picked up the instrument and continued to use it; on the other hand, that same surgeon had access to X-ray equipment. Such is the paradoxical nature of late-Victorian medicine.

Prepare to gasp, cringe, and chuckle, as you discover the horrifying practices and milestone discoveries that characterize turn–of-the-century medicine! Proper Victorian lady, Miss Myrtle Mills will reveal both its primitive nature and its life-saving advancements.

Learn about topics that include disease prevention, homemade medicines, and patented “remedies”; pregnancy protocols; and scientific discoveries such as aspirin and the X-ray. As March is Women’s History Month; it is significant that the portrayal will also include information on Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell. Dr. Blackwell was the first woman to graduate from an American medical college.

Join us for this exploration of practices that defy today’s medical sense and discoveries that helped shape the roots of 21st-century medicine.