Key Collection Page

Brain Haemorrhage

Our final object of the month is a brain that was presented to the museum by Joseph Bell. This particular specimen illustrates a brain haemorrhage as a result of a skull fracture. The dark areas of the brain show extensive bleeding, that continues along the right hemisphere to the occipital lobe at the back of the brain. Within the skull, the brain is protected and enveloped within three different layers known as the ‘meninges’. The outer later is the ‘dura mater’, and it is stuck firmly to the inside of the skull. Arteries lie between the dura mater and the skull. A blow to the head can cause a skull fracture that can tear one of these arteries, causing it to bleed. As the blood collects it will peel the dura mater away from the inside of the skull. This pushes into the brain and, as the pressure grows, the person becomes unconscious. If left untreated, the brain will eventually be compressed until the vital functions of breathe and heart control fail.

Femur & Musket Ball

This month we are looking at objects associated with the Battle of Waterloo. This specimen is the upper end of a right femur (thigh bone), from a soldier wounded by a musket ball on June 18th 1815. It was probably taken after the soldier’s death and he may have died as a result of it. The impact of the musket ball has created a deep cavity in the bone in which the ball is almost completely embedded. Some soldiers were operated on at the site of the battle, with survival rates varying from 95% for a forearm down to 65% for a thigh. However one of the major killers of wounded soldiers was not the injury itself but rather the infection that often followed in the days and weeks later. Battlefields were dirty places and this musket ball would have carried bits of cloth from the soldier’s uniform into the joint, along with any dirt and bacteria on it. Without proper cleaning (or knowledge of bacteria at this time), the wound would have become infected. In this case, it appears septic arthritis has occurred. The bone around the musket ball has begun to break down as part of the body’s inflammatory reaction to infection, hence why the cavity is larger than the projectile. This object has appeared online as part of the 200 Objects of Waterloo series

Upper Skull

This is the upper skull of one of Napoleon’s heavy cavalry, killed at the Battle of Waterloo, showing multiple sabre cuts. Due to the lack of knowledge about the brain and high death rate of any surgical procedures performed on the skull, many head injuries were not operated on at all. It was really down to luck whether or not a soldier survived first the injury, then any infection that occurred afterwards. A cut down the centre of the skull has almost penetrated the brain but the other cuts are fairly superficial. They may not have all occurred at the same time, and sepsis (infection) might have resulted in erosion of the outer layer of bone surrounding the less serious cuts from previous injuries. A trephine, a T-shaped instrument with a circular saw at the end, was sometimes used on fractures of the skull in order to remove any fragments and reduce pressure on the brain from internal bleeding.

Waterloo Teeth

This set of upper and lower dentures includes what are possibly ‘Waterloo teeth’, that is, teeth taken from the mouths of soldiers who died on the field at Waterloo. Home dental care left a lot to be desired in the 19th century and there was always a demand for false teeth by those able to afford them. As you can see by the lower dentures, sets made of bone or antler were very basic and wore out quickly due to a lack of enamel, the tooth’s hard-wearing natural coating. Other materials were starting to be used such as porcelain but they were not particularly good. Human teeth were extremely expensive and in short supply, usually coming from either mortuaries, the gallows or even grave robbers. Battlefields had always been sources of teeth but with over 50,000 dead at Waterloo, the international market was flooded almost overnight – hence the term Waterloo teeth.

Cannon shot and musket balls from the Battle of Waterloo

For almost four hundred years weapons fired round projectiles made from lead or stone. There are three types of shot shown here – the larger ones are grapeshot and canister shot, while the smaller are musket balls. The grapeshot and canister shot were collected by Sir Charles Bell, who volunteered to treat the wounded returning from the battle. Both kinds of ammunition would have been fired from a cannon and were found on the battlefield at Waterloo. Grapeshot was made up of lead balls like these joined together by rope or cloth. Canister shot consisted of many balls in a tin that exploded on firing, like a large shotgun cartridge. The musket balls were collected by Professor John Thomson who was present in Brussels after the Battle of Waterloo and was the first Professor of Surgery at the College in 1804. You can see how some of the balls have become misshapen after hitting their target. Muskets were inaccurate at anything but fairly short distances.

Prosthesis Stem

For our object focus this month we are looking at prosthetics. This stem of a prosthesis was designed by Sir John Charnley, a man who pioneered the hip replacement operation, and was cemented in place into the thigh bone. Variations on the design constantly evolved, and it was hoped that the flanged design and unpolished surface in this example would help in the bonding process. Long term studies still debate the pros and cons of each design variation.

Glass Eye Implant

Continuing our weekly focus on prosthetics this month, we take a look at this week’s object, a glass eye implant. This implant is placed into the gap after the eye has been removed and is held in place by a small magnet. It acts a ‘place holder’ to retain the volume and shape of the socket. An additional prosthetic piece, coloured to match the iris, can then be fitted over the implant.

Prosthetic Legs

Continuing our focus on prosthetics this month we concentrate on two prosthetic limbs. The image on the left is a wooden prosthetic leg, from the mid 1920’s. This full length leg has a basic hinge at both the knee and the ankle. This would give the wearer some degree of movement but it would be uncomfortable to wear for an extended period of time. The image on the right is a modular prosthetic leg with a reinforced carbon fibre shaft and mechanical knee joint from the mid 1990’s. Modern lightweight materials have allowed prostheses to be made in such a way that they are more comfortable for patients to wear. They are designed to return amputees to their previous lifestyle. You can find more information about different prosthetic charities in the UK from the Proactive Prosthetic website

Prosthetic Eye and Frames

This week’s object is a pair of plastic rimmed glasses with an artificial eye placed on the left side. These particular spectacles would have been made for a patient who had their eye surgically removed due to injury or disease. Although the artificial eye is purely cosmetic, the prosthesis is fairly realistic and intends to help the self-confidence of the wearer.