The Wohl Pathology Gallery is located in the purpose-built 19th-century museum space designed by William Henry Playfair, the celebrated Scottish architect whose neoclassical designs shaped Edinburgh's iconic cityscape.
Home to one of the world's largest collections of human pathological anatomy, the Wohl Pathology Gallery underwent a major redevelopment in 2015, supported by the Maurice Wohl Charitable Foundation . This transformation enhanced the space with improved accessibility, offering an enriched experience of this extraordinary and complex collection of human remains.
The ground floor galleries explore the origins of medical collections, beginning with the cabinets of curiosity from the 1500s. Visitors can learn about the techniques used to prepare and preserve human remains through various methods of conservation treatment. Interpretative displays share the changing histories of medical consent and the critical role of body donation in advancing medical science today, as well as the profound impact of warfare on the evolution of military surgery, from the Battle of Waterloo to the Second World War.
On the upper floor, the galleries retain the original Playfair-designed shelving, presenting the collections in a manner similar to the teaching displays of the 1800s. These displays focus on key areas of surgical practice including cardiothoracic, maxillofacial, and vascular surgery, offering a glimpse into the history and progress of medical science.
