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The Western General Hospital in Edinburgh opened as Craigleith Poorhouse and Hospital in 1868. During #WW1 it was requisitioned as a military hospital with 1000 beds and you can view a digitised collection of photographs here: archiveandlibrary.rcsed.ac.uk/special-coll...?

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One of the plates from Jacques Fabien Gautier d’Agoty’s “Suite de l’Essai d’anatomie en tableaux imprimés” from 1745. This illustration is often known as The Flayed Angel. I’ve seen a number of original editions of Gautier d’Agoty’s books in various places and they’re always stunning.

submitted 4 days ago • 3 comments

A small but favourite #ArchiveCollection for #Archive30, the family archive of surgeon brothers John & Charles Bell. It includes a locket with entwined hair of Charles & his wife Marion, with dates of their marriage & Charles' death. Sent to a nephew as "a memorial of your uncle Charles and me".

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For today's #Archive30 we're looking at our William Macewen #ArchiveCollection. Macewen is the father of neurosurgery, a pioneer of asepsis, bone, & lung surgery plus so much more! Amongst the collection are his casebooks, correspondence, clinical photos, lectures & instruments tinyurl.com/48aycmra

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COFFIN COLLARS like this one were used to thwart bodysnatchers in the early 19th century. The collar was fixed around the neck of a corpse and bolted to the bottom of a coffin, making it nearly impossible to remove the body from its grave. Bodysnatchers sold corpses to medical schools.

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It's #ArchiveBuildings today for #Archive30 and this is our Playfair building in Edinburgh's Old Town. With a bonus pic of the reading room loo because it's rather fancy!

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This beautiful miniature cabinet of microscopic slide preparations belonged to Professor of Materia Medica, Ralph Stockman. With the obligatory pencil for scale! #Archive30 #ArchiveObject

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The knife used by James Syme (1799-1870), for amputations.. It is a large instrument used to part the flesh around the bone prior to cutting the bone.

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If you can't make it to Edinburgh, we're currently working on bringing the exhibition to you digitally!

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Day 18 of #Archive30 is #ArchiveAdvice. Our physicians give out lots of advice, these two prescriptions from Sir William Wilde (1815–1876), ophthalmologist and father of poet Oscar Wilde, were issued for eye conditions and digestive issues.

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The anatomy of a rabbit, from Samuel Collins' Systeme of Anatomy published in 1685. The work contains many illustrations of comparative neurology, an emerging science in the late 17th century #OnlineArtExchange #Easter

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After trying out carbolised silk as a ligature, Lister then searched for a material that could absorbed within the body, settling on catgut. Lister spent many years refining ligature & suture material; by 1881 he was using carbolised catgut that had been hardened by chromic acid.

submitted 17 days ago • 2 comments

#OnThisDay 1868 in our Faculty Hall, Joseph Lister presented his findings on antiseptic surgery. The Glasgow Medico-Chirurgical Society minutes record that momentous occasion. #histmed #historyofmedicine #JosephLister #Lister #Glasgow

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For #WorldArtDay please enjoy this beautiful illustration of the brain from an anatomy student’s lecture notebook, dated 1881.

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It’s #ArchiveAnimals for today’s #Archive30. This adorable dog is ‘Cuckles’, with a member of the WW1 Scottish Horse Mounted Brigade Field Ambulance.

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To celebrate #NationalSiblingsDay here are two stunning illustrations by brothers John (1763–1820) and Charles Bell (1774-1842). The Bell brothers were Scottish surgeons and anatomist but they were also talented artists and illustrated their own works. #SiblingsDay

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Medical practitioners in 17th century Edinburgh were often at loggerheads. Here's 6 metres of grievances by the surgeons about the apothecaries for having the audacity to "practice the art of chirurgery". Suffice to say they were absolutely livid! #Archive30 #SomethingBig

submitted 25 days ago • 1 comment

It's #NationalUnicornDay! The mythical "horse of healing" is the symbol of our College @rcsed.bsky.social & favourite heraldic animal of James IV who granted our Royal Charter in 1506. In 1652 Nicolaes Tulp described a sea-unicorn now known to be a narwhal. Its tusk was mistaken for a unicorn horn

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We have launched a project aimed to reveal & celebrate women in surgery. The project has launched with an exhibition exploring the history of women in surgery & a new artwork representing eleven remarkable surgeons. You can find out more over on our blog: bit.ly/4ck45ZK

submitted 29 days ago • 1 comment

We forgot to take a 'before' picture but this beautiful and intricate board from the "Family Album" of James Young Simpson had completely detached. Our conservators did a grand job of remounting the original board, as well as extensive paper repairs! #Archive30 #ArchiveConservation

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It's #FoldOutFriday and we bring you this beauty by James Cooke, 'Marrow of Chirurgery with The Anatomy of Humane Bodies According to the Most Modern Anatomists' (1685). Cooke served as surgeon in the first English Civil War and his work became the most popular surgical text of the late 17th century

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In this episode, our Collections Coordinator Danielle Dray discusses a brief history of medical illustration, its changing purpose, & the women who led the way in professionalising medical art. Dray also discusses the founding of the Medical Artists Association of Great Britain.

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A single good April fool

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Look, I usually spend part of the day stewing about bad April Fools Day pranks, but credit is due to the good, wholesome and gentle tricks. (A possible thread 🧵 if I come across others)

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For one day only we are displaying one of our rarest items – “Le nouveau livre de l'empereur" OR “The Emperor’s New Book” (1832) by French anatomist Prodas Illyoaf. Only visible to those of sufficient intelligence. Please enjoy this sneak preview before it returns to storage for another year.

submitted 33 days ago • 6 comments

📢Exiting news! This week we've started a project to conserve our 2 volumes of Audubon's Birds of America! Conservator Rebecca Goldie will be working with us to repair minor tears and creases and clean pages. 🧵1/2

submitted 37 days ago • 3 comments

We missed #WorldTheatreDay yesterday so here's a theatre with a difference! Surgical staff at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, c.1913

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One of my favourite things is discovering new manuscript collections tucked away in the corners of Edinburgh: today's was the at the Royal College of Surgeons! Who knew that they had 15th C french books of hours and such a beautiful library....?

submitted 38 days ago • 1 comment

We've been busy preparing a new exhibition opening in April @surgeonshall.bsky.social and we can't wait for you to see it! #WomenInMedicine #WomenInSurgery

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One of my happiest memories is when one of my good friend's came to my hen do dressed as Paul Ehrlich 🤣

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Nobel-winning scientist Paul Ehrlich was born #OTD 1854. Pictured here with assistants outside his Frankfurt laboratory where they discovered the first effective antibiotic treatment for syphilis, the so-called ‘magic bullet’ Salvarsan (Compound 606) in 1909.

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#OTD 1742 the Incorporation of Surgeon-Apothecaries of #Edinburgh ordered notices to be placed “on Church Doors, City-Gates, Coffee-houses or other public places” to “show the World the sentiments of this Society” in opposition to body snatching, “a Monstrous Crime”.

submitted 51 days ago • 1 comment

#ICYMI Our new temporary exhibition 'A Fair Field and No Favour- the History of Women in Surgery' will open on Saturday the 5th of April! Our current temporary exhibition 'Examining the eye: medicine's oldest speciality' will close on Wednesday the 26th of March.

submitted 52 days ago • 0 comments

"No Smoking allowed" in this anatomy class at Surgeons' Hall, Edinburgh. Stamp out the cigarettes for good on #NoSmokingDay, or you may end up like that class exhibit sooner than you'd like!

submitted 53 days ago • 3 comments

19th century Medicine chest. Its contents includes Dr Gregory's Stomachic Powder, Castor Oil, Peruvian Bark and Powder of Jalap. Many of the bottles still contain original liquids and powders! heritage.rcpsg.ac.uk/items/show/109 #histpharm #histmed

submitted 53 days ago • 2 comments

Just 2 weeks to go until @rcsedlibandarchive.bsky.social host their 'Treasures of the Library' event. Attendees will have the opportunity to view some of their rarest collections not on public display. Book here: https://bit.ly/4hCv2tq

submitted 53 days ago • 0 comments