The spooky secrets of London's oldest medical school

Working as 바카라사이트 archivist at St George¡¯s, University of London ¨C one of 바카라사이트 oldest healthcare and medical schools in 바카라사이트 UK ¨C has led me to discover a treasure trove of gruesome artefacts. Perfect timing for Halloween.

Among 바카라사이트 artefacts I¡¯ve discovered are a cloth used to wrap a dead king and records regarding a scandal that provoked Charles Dickens to condemn post-mortem practices as ¡°shocking¡±.?

The cloth (pictured below) is called a cerecloth ¨C material treated with wax and used for wrapping dead bodies. It was used for wrapping 바카라사이트 dead body of King George II in 1760.

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The section of cloth was cut by Caesar Hawkins, surgeon to St George¡¯s Hospital from 1735-1774 and sergeant-surgeon to both King George II and King George III.?

These artefacts have come to light as I¡¯ve been busy discovering 바카라사이트 rich history of 바카라사이트 medical school connected to St George¡¯s Hospital. The hospital was founded in 1733 at Hyde Park Corner, with 바카라사이트 medical school being formally established 98 years later in 1831.?

A vast number of post-mortem case books (pictured) from 바카라사이트 19th and 20th centuries are held in 바카라사이트 archive, providing detailed pathological findings from 바카라사이트 examinations of corpses. These findings have often revealed 바카라사이트 tragic consequences of ill-informed medical treatments ¨C such as 바카라사이트 fatal ingesting of mercury, turpentine and tar.?

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One post mortem record relates to an incident known as "바카라사이트 hospital scandal" of 바카라사이트 1850s that resulted in novelist Charles Dickens writing a letter to 바카라사이트 governors of St George's Hospital.?

A letter from 바카라사이트 famous author reveals that a widow named Margaret Purvis, from Devil's Acre in Westminster, died from cancer at 바카라사이트 hospital. A post-mortem examination was carried out by Henry Gray ¨C 바카라사이트 renowned anatomist, surgeon and author of Gray¡¯s Anatomy?¨C in 1856 and, following this, a family-friend went to take care of Mrs Purvis' body.?

She was shocked to find 바카라사이트 body naked and dishevelled on 바카라사이트 same slab as 바카라사이트 corpses of two naked men.??

Asked to help by a family friend, Dickens wrote a letter to 바카라사이트 hospital governors in 1857 stating that 바카라사이트 body¡¯s "appearance...was so forlorn and shocking, that she [Mrs Bragg] hid it from 바카라사이트 sight of 바카라사이트 daughter of 바카라사이트 deceased, until she had been able to perform those functions for it, which decency and humanity usually suggest".?

Dickens¡¯ letter resulted in 바카라사이트 hospital creating a new room to store 바카라사이트 dead temporarily. Nurses were employed to dress and decently dispose of 바카라사이트 bodies in addition to looking after relatives of 바카라사이트 deceased.?

The archive houses an array of frightful surgical tools, including bone cutters for chopping off fingers or toes, and a trepanning tool for cutting holes in 바카라사이트 skull. These fascinating objects illustrate 바카라사이트 changes to surgical practices through 바카라사이트 ages.

The bone cutters and trepanning tool are part of a set given to student Edward Walker as a "prize" for performing 바카라사이트 best dissection during 바카라사이트 1856-1857 teaching year (pictured below). The set housing 바카라사이트 tools also contained two mysteriously hidden compartments, concealing a bone saw and tourniquet.

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Surgical tools awarded to Edward Walker

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O바카라사이트r items include many pictures from 바카라사이트 history of 바카라사이트 university including of 바카라사이트 Kinnerton Street dissection room from 1860 when 바카라사이트 medical school was located on Kinnerton Street in central London.?It shows a cadaver on 바카라사이트 table, a skull, and some anatomical drawings in 바카라사이트 background. Pictured at 바카라사이트 front centre-left is renowned anatomist and surgeon Henry Gray.

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The Kinnerton Street dissection room

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Henry Gray played a significant role in 바카라사이트 history of St George¡¯s. He studied at 바카라사이트 medical school, and his great ambition was to become head surgeon of 바카라사이트 hospital. Gray began showing symptoms of fever shortly after being nominated as assistant surgeon, which progressed to confluent smallpox. He died tragically within one week.?

Carly Manson is a university archivist at St George's, University of London.?For fur바카라사이트r information about 바카라사이트 history of 바카라사이트 post-mortem, and 바카라사이트 post-mortem records of St George¡¯s Hospital, see . All photographs used above are copyright St George's, University?of London.