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

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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

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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.

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.

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

In this episode we’re joined by Robin Fixter, Library and Archive assistant the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, to uncover the gripping true story of Robert Auchmutie, a 17th-century Barber Surgeon who was caught in a deadly scandal.

Robin takes us through his research uncovering a compelling story where dueling, power, and politics come together at a moment when the justice system is about to change.

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 surgeon, medical myth-buster, and longevity educator Dr. Terry Simpson, who guides us through the bizarre and often shocking world of America’s early medical charlatans. From miracle cures and snake oil salesmen to the outrageous tale of goat gland transplants, we uncover the curious—and at times unbelievable—deliberate deception disguised as medical treatment.

Get ready to explore the fine line between innovation and deception, and discover just how far some so-called doctors were willing to go in the name of health and profit. Spoiler alert: goat testicles are not the answer...

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

For more from Dr Terry Simpson

Terry Simpson - From A Doctor's Point Of View

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Welcome to Beyond the Knife– where history and medicine collide. In this episode, we're joined by Thomas Elliott, Head of Surgeons' Hall Museums, as he takes us deep into the world of Edinburgh’s Barber Surgeons. From bloodletting to traphenation, uncover the early—and often astonishing—practices that laid the groundwork for modern surgery. You won’t look at your local barber the same way again...

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- In His Own Way

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.