The Age of Museum Medicine: The Rise and Fall of the Medical Museum at Birmingham's School of Medicine

Reinarz, Jonathan

doi:10.1093/shm/hki050

Cited by 29 publications

(17 citation statements)

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“…37 Anatomical museums were not only required for teaching; they also elevated the status of the institution. 38 This made having an extensive museum containing interesting and famous material highly desirable to medical institutions. Although not always as informative or useful for teaching anatomy, the practice of acquiring famous or infamous individuals (or pieces of individuals) such as Sterne for display purposes is well documented.…”

Section: At Home In the Anatomical Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The afterlife of Laurence Sterne (1713–1768): Body snatching, dissection and the role of Cambridge anatomist Charles Collignon

Dittmar

Mitchell

2016

J Med Biogr

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This paper aims to highlight the practice of body snatching from graves in the 1700s for the purpose of providing corpses for anatomical dissection, and for stocking anatomy museums. To do this, we examine the exhumation and dissection of the famous eighteenth-century novelist Laurence Sterne and explore the involvement of Charles Collignon, Professor of Anatomy at the University of Cambridge. We also show that osteological and cut-mark analysis of a skull purported to be that of Sterne, currently housed in the Duckworth Collection at Cambridge, provides the key to solving the mystery surrounding why Sterne was resurrected.

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Section: At Home In the Anatomical Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The afterlife of Laurence Sterne (1713–1768): Body snatching, dissection and the role of Cambridge anatomist Charles Collignon

Dittmar

Mitchell

2016

J Med Biogr

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“…Alberti et al [1] reported that the first collections principally contained anatomical singularities, and that these collections gained credibility, which conferred on them a certain expertise. Therefore, normal as well as pathological anatomical specimens were preserved in collections [16]. The collections preserved in medical colleges, which may include recent plastinated models [3] or old wax models [23], are still used to teach anatomy to medical students.…”

Section: Technical Comparisonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of injection/dissection and injection/corrosion methods: example of vertebral veins in the transverse canal

et al. 2014

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“…In early collections, curiosities made up the majority of specimens (Alberti, 2011). However, when doctors realised the importance of correlating symptoms with anatomical lesions during autopsy, normal anatomy and more common pathological specimens were added to these collections (Reinarz, 2005).…”

Section: Anatomical Collections In Museumsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…After 1832 the museum was opened to the public to allay their fears as to how an anatomical museum could be of benefit to society. The museum also assisted in the transformation of the medical school into a university, as such museums were perceived to indicate academic excellence, teaching expertise, and authority (Reinarz, 2005). The museum was not just a place for teaching anatomy and pathology, but also a badge that stated the importance of an institution.…”

Section: Anatomical Collections In Museumsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The study of anatomy in England from 1700 to the early 20th century

et al. 2011

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The study of anatomy in England during the 18th and 19th century has become infamous for bodysnatching from graveyards to provide a sufficient supply of cadavers. However, recent discoveries have improved our understanding of how and why anatomy was studied during the enlightenment, and allow us to see the context in which dissection of the human body took place. Excavations of infirmary burial grounds and medical school cemeteries, study of hospital archives, and analysis of the content of surviving anatomical collections in medical museums enables us to re-evaluate the field from a fresh perspective. The pathway from a death in poverty, sale of the corpse to body dealer, dissection by anatomist or medical student, and either the disposal and burial of the remains or preservation of teaching specimens that survive today in medical museums is a complex and fascinating one.

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The Age of Museum Medicine: The Rise and Fall of the Medical Museum at Birmingham's School of Medicine

Cited by 29 publications

References 0 publications

The afterlife of Laurence Sterne (1713–1768): Body snatching, dissection and the role of Cambridge anatomist Charles Collignon

The afterlife of Laurence Sterne (1713–1768): Body snatching, dissection and the role of Cambridge anatomist Charles Collignon

Comparison of injection/dissection and injection/corrosion methods: example of vertebral veins in the transverse canal

The study of anatomy in England from 1700 to the early 20th century

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