Not to everybody's taste - some medical history

Posted by: TomK on 15 August 2011

http://www.flickr.com/photos/medicalmuseum/

I came across this as I was searching for something completely unrelated. Loads of recently released photos of the sort of surgery being performed and survived as far back as the American Civil War. I had no idea stuff like this was being done back then, I guess before anaesthetics were in general use.

Posted on: 15 August 2011 by Jon Myles

Frightening....I'd agree.

But I suggest you read Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs. (Free on Kindle)

Fascinating book - and gives you some background to all this.

Jon

Posted on: 16 August 2011 by Frank E

I went down to an exhibition at the Wellcome in London, Quite impressed at the level of chirurgical skills and procedures they carried out back in the day, without the enabling biomed systems we have in the developed world today.

Posted on: 16 August 2011 by Bruce Woodhouse

Thackeray Medical Museum in Leeds is similarly interesting.

I have some old medical textbooks, c1950 and 1927. I occasionally use them when teaching our trainees to illustrate that a) a fair few things have not really changed b) a few things we do nowadays will probably seem hilarious or downright dangerous to subsequent medical generations.

Bruce

Posted on: 17 August 2011 by Dungassin

I'll second that!

Before I retired I used to castigate juniors who laughed at earlier generations for "believing that/doing that" etc. Always told them that some of the things I was taught as gospel are now known to be be untrue. Can be very humbling, but that's the price of progress.

Not sure if the general public can get into the Edinburgh Royal College of Surgeons Museum, but some great exhibits there. Still love the ivory hip replacement from a hundred years ago!

Posted on: 18 August 2011 by Sniper

The Gordon path museum in Guy's hospital is to my mind the most interesting place in the whole of London. You would not want to visit on a full stomach though.