Key Collection Page

Penman portrait

Portrait of Robert Penman aged 24 years, showing a massive tumour of the lower jaw which was exercised by James Syme in 1928 without anaesthesia. The operation lasted 24 minutes, and blood loss was about 250 mls.

Dissected Hand

This varnished hand from the Struthers Collection, late 1800s. This dissection of the palm of the right hand and part of the forearm shows the blood and nerve supply to the palm and fingers. The specimen was varnished to preserve it and the blood vessels have been painted red and the nerves white to show them clearly.

Sole Fish

This sole fish represents a very unusual case. A fisherman drawing his net with both hands grabbed the fish in his mouth as it tried to escape. The fish then accidentally forced itself into the fisherman's throat and he suffocated before it could be removed. During the post-mortem the head of the sole was found near the stomach, with its teeth fastened to the wall of the oesophagus - or gullet. The case was described in Alexander Monro tertius Morbid Anatomy of the Human Gullet, Stomach and Intestines, published in 1813.

Aseptic Operating Table

Manufactured by Down Bros of London, this table could be elevated and adjusted to any angle. it is made mostly of steel with some gunmetal parts. The table would have been painted in enamel which could easily be cleaned down and sterilised after an operation.

Pocketbook made from Burke's skin

This pocketbook is made from the skin of William Burke after his corpse had been publicly dissected by Professor Alexander Monro tertius at the University of Edinburgh. On the back an inscription reads 'Executed 28 Jan 1829' and there is a pencil inside.