Physicians' Gallery

Think you’ve heard all there is to know about Burke and Hare, Edinburgh’s infamous body-snatchers? Janet Philp knows more. Join her as she explores the history around the tale of Burke and Hare, and Dr. Knox, the recipient of their shady undertakings. Janet reveals facts about Burke that have never been published before, raising more questions about the Irish man and his activities.

Speaker: Janet Philp (University of Edinburgh)

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Edinburgh has a strong history in prosthetics research and development. Over the past 40 years, National Museums Scotland has established a world class collection of prosthetics with examples from the 1960s, for children affected by thalidomide, to contemporary pieces that reflect a move towards personalisation and the flexibility of modern materials.

This talk reviews the history of prosthetics in Edinburgh and emerging technologies that are shaping the field. How is the museum representing user stories in its displays and what is the importance of using patient voice in exhibitions?

Speaker: Sophie Goggins (Curator of Biomedical Science, National Museum of Scotland)

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Italy, though best known for the birth of the Renaissance, is also renowned for the precocious development of its public health policies in the 16th century. In this talk, Professor John Henderson argues that it is time to re-examine and reassess early modern Italian policies dealing with plague. Henderson’s approach is to examine the often moving and tragic stories of the individuals touched by plague from either side of the doctor-patient boundary. The way in which governments and individuals dealt with plague are as relevant today as they were 500 years ago.

Speaker: Professor John Henderson, Professor of Italian Renaissance History, University of London

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This talk considers the changing public perception of drugs such as cannabis and the factors which have influenced its longevity, including immigration, diplomacy, medical science, and politics.

Speaker: Professor Jim Mills, University of Strathclyde

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Louis Wain was a relatively well known British illustrator working in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly known for his depictions of cats. It is claimed that ‘cats drove him mad’. This talk will explore the ‘madness’ of both human and animals, the curious cross-codings arising between ‘mad’ people and troublesome beasts, and parallels in the spaces/environments that they have occupied or to which they have been consigned.

Speaker: Professor Chris Philo, Professor of Geography, University of Glasgow

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Can old specimens contain new information? Mütter Museum Curator, Anna Dhody will talk about the ways scientists are looking to the past to improve our future. New technology has emerged that allow researchers access into the past, to see what infectious microbes were responsible for previous pandemics, and hopefully provide insight on how to prevent or combat future ones. Ms. Dhody is also the Director of the Mütter Research Institute which endeavors to collaborate with scientific and medical professionals to utilize our historical collection to increase and advance the cause of modern health.

Speaker: Anna Dhody, Acting Co-Director of the Mütter Museum, Curator of the Mütter Museum, the Director of the Mütter Research Institute, and the Gretchen Worden Chair, The College of Physicians of Philadelphia

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Born into a middle-class family in 1578, William Harvey rose to fame as one of Britain’s foremost anatomists, Harvey’s discovery of the circulation of blood rocked the medical world of the time, published in his treatise On the Motion of the Heart and Blood. Physician to King Charles I and a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London, William Harvey is one of history’s prominent figures.

Speaker: Dr Kristin Hussey (Curator, Royal College of Physicians of London)

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Plants have always played a prominent role in the field of medicine since the first recorded examples. From Dioscorides, a Greek physician and botanist who wrote extensively on the subject, to Hippocrates, "the father of modern medicine", medical practitioners of the ancient world recognised the importance of herbal remedies and embraced them.

This talk investigates the history of plants in medicine during the time of the Ancient Greeks and Romans, giving numerous examples of the plants used, adverse effects and the folk-lore invented to discourage the layperson from discovering this knowledge and collecting the herbs themselves.

Speaker: Dr Gavin Hardy (University of Edinburgh)

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This talk focuses on an under-represented area of medical history: the depiction of places of medicine in 19th-century travel guides. Across a huge range of travel guides, written for strangers of all stripes, Edinburgh was illuminated as a city of medicine past, present and future. Investigating these travel guides reveals how Edinburgh's medical spaces and places were constructed and reimagined for new global audiences, and how they contributed to an idea of Edinburgh as a city, and to Britain as a nation.

Speaker: Professor Martin Willis (Cardiff University)

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John Dee (1527–1609) was one of the most intriguing figures in Tudor Britain. The model of a Renaissance man, he harboured interests in astrology, alchemy, history, religion, medicine, magic and much more besides. In this talk, Katie Birkwood explores Dee’s life story, thoughts and personality, which survive in the personally annotated collection of his books, now residing at the library of the Royal College of Physicians, London. Find out how the modern division between ‘science’ and ‘magic’ has to be set to one side when considering Dee and 16th century knowledge.

Speaker: Katie Birkwood (Rare Books and Special Collections Librarian, Royal College of Physicians, London)

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