Key Object 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.