Welcome to Beyond the Knife -where history and medicine collide.

In this episode, we’re joined by acclaimed singer-songwriter Hannah Rose Platt, whose haunting, cinematic storytelling blends music, theatre, and folklore to bring forgotten histories to life. We explore the remarkable women from medical history who inspired her concept album Fragile Creatures, uncovering the real stories behind the songs-from historical myths and medical misdiagnoses to the women whose experiences have too often been overlooked. Together, we discuss how history, medicine, and music can combine to challenge perceptions, honour untold lives, and inspire new conversations about women's healthcare.

This episode is hosted by Chanté St Clair Inglis Director of Heritage and Estates at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Produced by Jordanna Kielty-O'Neill and Keshena Goldie for Surgeons Hall Museum, Library and Archives.

Edited by John Kielty

For more information about Hannah Rose Platt

https://orcd.co/fragilecreatures

https://www.hannahroseplatt.com/

https://www.instagram.com/hannahroseplattofficial

https://www.facebook.com/hannahroseplattofficial

For more information about Surgeons Hall Museums and The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Library and Archives please see our websites

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Welcome to Beyond the Knife -where history and medicine collide.

In this episode, we’re joined by Malcolm MacCallum, Curator of the Anatomical Museum at the University of Edinburgh, and Thomas Elliott, Head of Surgeons Hall Museum, as they explore the origins of the world's oldest medical school in the English-speaking world. Inspired by our latest exhibition, this episode uncovers the innovations behind Edinburgh’s medical success, the growth of its anatomical collections, and how the human cost of that progress is being reassessed today.

This episode is hosted by Chanté St Clair Inglis Director of Heritage and Estates at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Produced by Jordanna Kielty-O'Neill and Keshena Goldie for Surgeons Hall Museum, Library and Archives.

Edited by John Kielty

Music Credit: Zap Splat

For more information about Surgeons Hall Museums and The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Library and Archives please see our websites

Home - Surgeons' Hall Museums, Edinburgh

Home | Library & Archive The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

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Welcome to Beyond the Knife -where history and medicine collide.

In this episode, we’re joined by anatomist and human remains conservator Cat Irving as she explores the long and often bizarre history of gonorrhoea, from early diagnoses and eye-watering treatments to the strange phenomenon of “smurf syndrome.” Discover the medical misconceptions, curious cures, and social attitudes surrounding one of history’s most infamous diseases.

This episode is hosted by Chanté St Clair Inglis Director of Heritage and Estates at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Produced by Jordanna Kielty-O'Neill and Keshena Goldie for Surgeons Hall Museums, Library and Archives.

Edited by John Kielty

Music Credit: Zap Splat

For more information about Surgeons Hall Museums and The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Library and Archives please see our websites

Home - Surgeons' Hall Museums, Edinburgh

Home | Library & Archive The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Beyond the Knife - where history and medicine collide. In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Aaron Allen as he explores the early incorporation of Incorporation of Barber Surgeons in Edinburgh. From royal charters to the rise of organised craft, discover how barber surgeons carved out their place in the city’s powerful guild system. It’s a story of skill, status, and the foundations of a profession that would shape the future of surgery.

This episode is hosted by Chanté St Clair Inglis Director of Heritage and Estates at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Produced by Jordanna Kielty-O'Neill and Keshena Goldie for Surgeons Hall Museums, Library and Archives.

Edited by John Kielty

Music Credit: Zap Splat

For more information about Surgeons Hall Museums and The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Library and Archives please see our websites

Home - Surgeons' Hall Museums, Edinburgh

Home | Library & Archive The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Beyond the Knife– where history and medicine collide.

In this episode, we’re joined by author and Neuropsychologist Andy Ellis.

Andy explores General Paralysis of the Insane, a devastating neurological condition that once baffled the medical world. Through the case of Sir Randolph Churchill, he examines not only its impact on the brain and behavior, but also the social conditions and attitudes that shaped how the disease was understood and treated.

This episode is hosted by Chanté St Clair Inglis Director of Heritage and Estates at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Produced by Jordanna Kielty-O'Neill and Keshena Goldie for Surgeons Hall Museums, Library and Archives.

Edited by John Kielty

Music Credit: Zap Splat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Beyond the Knife– where history and medicine collide.

In this episode, we’re joined by Surgeons Hall Museum Curator Louise Wilkie.

Louise explores the history of the Edinburgh Seven, examining how both supporters and opponents shaped the campaign that sought to secure women’s access to medical education at the University of Edinburgh. She discusses how this struggle not only challenged institutional resistance but also brought the wider issue of women’s right to university education firmly into the public spotlight.

This episode is hosted by Chanté St Clair Inglis Director of Heritage and Estates at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Produced by Jordanna Kielty-O'Neill and Keshena Goldie for Surgeons Hall Museums, Library and Archives.

Music Credit: Zap Splat

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Beyond the Knife– where history and medicine collide.

In this episode, we’re joined by Anatomist and Human Remains Conservator Cat Irving.

Cat explores the history of syphilis in Europe, examining the disease itself and the cultural reactions it provoked. From misguided cures to social shaming, this podcast reveals how fear and morality shaped the response to one of history’s most notorious illnesses.

This episode is hosted by Chanté St Clair Inglis Director of Heritage and Estates at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Produced by Jordanna Kielty-O'Neill and Keshena Goldie for Surgeons Hall Museums, Library and Archives.

Music Credit: Zap Splat

For more information about Surgeons Hall Museums and The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Library and Archives please see our websites

Home - Surgeons' Hall Museums, Edinburgh

Home | Library & Archive The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Beyond the Knife– where history and medicine collide.

In this episode, we’re joined by Anatomist and Human Remains Conservator Cat Irving.

Cat examines the notorious Burke and Hare case and the West Port murders, where poverty and the opportunity to profit from Edinburgh’s cadaver shortage led to a gruesome trade in bodies. Using this grim chapter of history, Cat explores how the scandal reshaped the teaching of anatomy and led to lasting changes in medical ethics and legislation.

This episode is hosted by Chanté St Clair Inglis Director of Heritage and Estates at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Produced by Jordanna Kielty-O'Neill and Keshena Goldie for Surgeons Hall Museums, Library and Archives.

Music Credit: Zap Splat

For more information about Surgeons Hall Museums and The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Library and Archives please see our websites

Home - Surgeons' Hall Museums, Edinburgh

Home | Library & Archive The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Beyond the Knife– where history and medicine collide.

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Robert Mann, a forensic anthropologist at the University of Hawai‘i’s John A. Burns School of Medicine. Dr. Mann specialises in the analysis of human skeletal remains, using anatomical and biological evidence to reconstruct aspects of an individual’s identity, life history, and, in some cases, the circumstances surrounding their death.

He discusses a compelling case that originated at a homeless encampment in Hawai‘i-an example that illustrates the depth of information preserved within the human skeleton.

This episode is hosted by Chanté St Clair Inglis Director of Heritage and Estates at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Produced by Jordanna Kielty-O'Neill and Keshena Goldie for Surgeons Hall Museums, Library and Archives.

Music Credit: Zap Splat

For more information about Surgeons Hall Museums and The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Library and Archives please see our websites

Home - Surgeons' Hall Museums, Edinburgh

Home | Library & Archive The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Beyond the Knife– where history and medicine collide.

In this episode, we’re joined by Louise Wilkie, Curator at Surgeons’ Hall Museum, for a fascinating journey into the world of Scotland’s early medical detectives. Hear how Scotland’s first forensic pioneers changed the face of crime investigation, bringing medical science into the courtroom and shaping the role of the expert witness as we know it today.

Louise shares insights from her research into the remarkable origins of medical jurisprudence in Scotland, revealing how physicians and Surgeons helped shape both medicine and justice in ways that still resonate today.

This episode is hosted by Chanté St Clair Inglis Director of Heritage and Estates at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Produced by Jordanna Kielty-O'Neill and Keshena Goldie for Surgeons Hall Museums, Library and Archives.

Music Credit: Zap Splat

For more information about Surgeons Hall Museums and The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Library and Archives please see our websites

Home - Surgeons' Hall Museums, Edinburgh

Home | Library & Archive The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.