Key Collection Page

The Skull of John Brogan

Our Object of the Week is the skull and a plaster cast of the head and neck of John Brogan, a companion of Burke and Hare who assisted in conveying bodies to Dr Knox’s School of anatomy. John Brogan was seriously burnt as a child. The scars that remained resulted in scarring which deformed his face and displaced his lower jaw. He died of cholera in 1834 and the skull was given to The Royal College of Surgeons. In the early part of the 19th century, it was customary for the public to be allowed access to the collections on the Queen’s birthday. On one such occasion, the skull was identified by Brogan’s brother, who demand the skull be returned to the family. Instead of arranging for the skull to be buried, as promised, Brogan’s brother sold the skull to a Dentist, whose collection was given to the College in 1869. The skull and death cast are on display in the Museum.

Class Certificates

During the 19th century, qualifications in medicine were obtained by taking a combination of classes and practical sessions. Class certificates were used by medical students taking lectures and practical classes as a record of courses they had attended. Each card details the class title and date, and who it was taught by. The museum has a range of class certificates in the collection. This example is a set from one individual, Hugh Morris. We have twenty three cards, ranging from 1770 to 1801. It is interesting to note that he continued his education over a period of thirty years, perhaps akin to today’s Continuing Professional Development. Classes he took included: Anatomy and Surgery by Alexander Monro (secundus) (1733-1817), at the University of Edinburgh in 1788; Midwifery by Mr. Bell in 1788; Lectures on materia medica by William Irvine (1743-1787) at the University of Glasgow; and anatomy dissections at the University of Edinburgh, with Andrew Fyfe (1754-1824) in 1798.

Letter Opener

This letter opener is made from wood taken from William Hare’s house. On the item the inscription “made from wood from Hare’s house who murdered “Daft Jamie” in West Port of Edinburgh 1828. Burke hanged in January 1829. This letter opener would have been sold during the trial of Burke and Hare, playing on the sensationalised media. ‘Daft Jamie’ was a crucial victim and is often seen as one of the key factors in the capture of Burke and Hare. He was an 18 year old disabled man, who frequented the Grassmarket area. Jamie disappeared and shortly afterwards his body reappeared in Robert Knox’s dissection class. Many students instantly recognised him, both by his face and a foot deformity. Knox denied that the body was Jamie and began to dissect the body quickly, focusing on the most recognisable features first.

Knuckle Duster

A slightly unusual object from the museum collection this week; a knuckle-duster owned by Frederick Smith, a dentist from Chesterfield. This would have been carried by Smith as he travelled from his home in Chesterfield to his practice in Alfreton, a distance of around 25 miles, where he would travel by a horse drawn carriage. Smith, who practiced from the mid 1800’s to the early 1900’s, would have been at risk from robbery by highwaymen, so he would have kept this knuckle-duster with him for protection.

Notice of Execution

Our final Burke and Hare themed object is this broadside of the Execution of William Burke. A broadside such as this was a way of relaying news to people quickly and effectively. A broadside like Burke’s execution was sold for one penny, as were many other broadsides at this time. Their cheapness allowed them to be sold on street corners and in vast quantities and they usually contained news and information about a single event.

Tattooed Skin - D

Our first specimen is a portion of skin with ‘D’ tattooed on it, taken from underneath the left armpit of a soldier. The letter ‘D’ stood for ‘Deserter’ and was a permanent mark to show the individual had tried to leave the Army or Navy illegally. Soldiers could also be tattooed with the letters 'BC' which stood for 'Bad Character'. Civilians could be tattooed with a number of different letters including: 'D' for ‘Drunkard'; 'V' for ‘Vagabond’, someone who slept rough and had no job; and 'F' for 'Fray Maker', someone who was constantly causing fights. Branding using hot irons was used until 1717, after which tattooing was introduced. Body marking as a punishment was banned in Britain in 1871, both in the military and civilian courts.

Adam & Eve Tattoos

This week we look at three tattoos of unknown date that are thought to have come from the same person. Two of the tattoos depict the well-known religious story of Adam and Eve. Between the naked figures is the serpent of temptation winding itself around the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. In the top tattoo, Adam and Eve are covering their genitals with their hands, perhaps relating to when they became ashamed of their nakedness having eaten fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. In the bottom tattoo, they have their hands up and are uncovered, representing the time before this event. Underneath are the letters “PM..MB” which might be the initials of the individual and a loved one. The styles of the tattoos are very different, implying they were probably done at different times and by different individuals. The middle portion of skin has the sun, moon and stars tattooed on it. Astronomical motifs were commonplace with seafarers, so these specimens might have come from a sailor although without written records we can’t be sure

Tattoo of a Japanese Lady

This object is a portion of skin on which the image of a Japanese woman has been tattooed. She carries a parasol and wears a kimono layered over a nagajuban, a traditional long undergarment, the purple collar of which can be seen. A kimono’s design is extremely important and relates strongly to the wearer’s status, age and wealth, with colours and patterns representing a range of meanings. While the design has faded through age and preservation, this kimono is decorated with flowers, possibly lavender asters or chrysanthemums, repeated in the motif at the base of the tattoo. Both are seasonal flowers, asters relating to Autumn and chrysanthemums to Winter.

Chest Tattoo

Our final tattoo-related specimen for Object of the Week is this rather large portion of skin from the chest. Despite having little information on it, the magnificent artworks give us some clues as to its origins and owner’s life. It is likely that this specimen came from a seafarer, because all of the tattoos are commonly associated with, and have significance for, sailors. A swallow could be tattooed for every 5000 nautical miles a sailor had travelled and also because they are known to migrate huge distances safely home. Snakes have a variety of meanings, but could signify power. Finally, a fully rigged ship showed that he had navigated around Cape Horn, the southernmost tip of South America. He was most likely American, as the flag on the ship is probably that of the United States. The ship is a clipper, and he probably sailed in one just like it. A picture now emerges of an American sailor who had travelled for thousands of miles around the globe!

Sawfish Rostrum

This month we are looking at comparative anatomy specimens in the Museum collection. This week’s specimen is a Sawfish Rostrum. The rostrum, or beak, of this particular specimen is 1 ¼ metres long with a width of 40cm. The teeth on the edge of the beak are covered with electro-sensitive pores, which allow the sawfish to detect the movement of prey on the ocean floor. This particular specimen was acquired by the college in 1821 as part of the Barclay Collection, a collection of comparative anatomy, which John Barclay gifted to the College on the condition that a building was built to house the collection. Regular visitors to Surgeons’ Hall Museums will know that the museum is home to a vast collection of human specimens and a small selection of animal specimens. Animal specimens were collected in order to compare the anatomy of animals to humans in order to gain a better understanding. One of Barclay’s pupils went on to establish the Royal (Dick) Veterinary School in Edinburgh in 1823.