Showing 2 results

Archivistische beschrijving
Reeks Anatomy
Print preview View:

Pathology Museum

Prescott Hewett was appointed the first curator of the museum in the 1840s, and he also introduced the practice of keeping post mortem books. The curator of the museum was also responsible for conducting post mortem examinations together with the assistant curator, and the post mortem casebooks frequently refer to pathological specimens preserved in the museum. Specimens were regularly obtained from post mortem examinations or during surgery at the hospital, and the museum has continued to be an integral part of teaching at St George's.

The first printed museum catalogue was published in 1866, edited by John William Ogle and Timothy Holmes. This was apparently based on a scheme by Henry Gray, which however has not survived.

The museum was rearranged in 1881, and a new numbering system was adopted. In 1882, a supplementary catalogue, edited by Isambard Owen, was published.

Additionally, two manuscript catalogues exist, the first one covering the years 1884-1899, and the second one 1900-c.1917.

The so-called ‘Green books’ include ‘historical specimens’, numbered 1-101 and introduce a new classification based on diseases.

Zonder titel

Papers relating to John Hunter

The collection relates to Hunter’s dispute with St George’s Hospital and the division of pupils’ fees among the surgeons, which Hunter perceived as unfair, arguing he brought in more pupils than the other surgeons. The dispute culminated in a meeting in Oct 1793 at the hospital, during which Hunter suffered a heart attack and died.

In addition to the papers relating to the dispute, there are some additional notes, some collected by Charles Hawkins and some by George Edwards. These include copies of two letters from John Hunter’s pupil James Williams to his sister, describing working with Hunter, dissections and the work of the so-called ‘Resurrection Men’, and describing Hunter’s death. These were acquired apparently from a descendant of Williams by Edwards; the location of the original letters is unknown.