Johannesburg

The Adler Museum of Medicine, founded in 1962 by Dr. Cyril and Mrs. Esther Adler and transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand in 1974, houses over 40,000 medical and pharmaceutical artifacts spanning centuries of healing traditions. The museum's centerpiece pharmacy exhibit features a meticulously reconstructed early 20th century Johannesburg pharmacy, complete with period fixtures and pharmaceutical preparations that provide an immersive glimpse into South African pharmaceutical practice during the colonial and early independence eras. Uniquely, the museum bridges Western and traditional African pharmaceutical knowledge through reconstructions of an African herb shop and displays of patients consulting with traditional healers (sangomas), creating a comprehensive dialogue between indigenous and colonial healing systems. Located in the foyer of the University of the Witwatersrand Medical School in Parktown, Johannesburg, the museum serves both academic and public education with its extensive archives and library containing over 5,000 rare medical history volumes. The institution offers comprehensive educational programming including guided tours, public lectures, and specialized workshops particularly valuable for pharmacy students and healthcare professionals seeking to understand their practice's historical foundations. Beyond pharmacy, the museum showcases diverse healing modalities from Chinese medicine and Ayurveda to historical reconstructions of treatments by the Persian physician Avicenna and exhibitions of early electro-medical equipment. The museum publishes the biannual Adler Museum Bulletin featuring scholarly research in pharmaceutical history and regularly hosts temporary exhibitions on topics ranging from infectious diseases to advances in cardiology. For visitors, this essential destination offers a compelling journey through pharmaceutical evolution that emphasizes both remarkable medical advances and the enduring value of traditional healing practices within South Africa's unique cultural and historical context.