Established during the Civil War as the Army Medical Museum, this Museum's collections focus particularly on specimens for research in military medicine and surgery, including the history and practice of American medicine. The museum's collections are made available for the education of medical professionals, Department of Defense personnel, historians, and the public through exhibits in the museum, loans to other institutions, and individualized study. The museum's more than 25 million specimens and artifacts were the first in the country to be registered by the U.S. Department of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark.