The Science and Art of Medicine
On Display
A wooden figure in the form of Eshu, a god of the Yoruba people of Nigeria. In Yoruba tradition, Eshu is described as a figure of trickery and surprise. In common with other depictions of Eshu, he is seen here playing a flute.
Pale green glass balloon retort, long neck, projecting stopper hole, hand blown, possibly Italian, 1650-1800
A bronze acupuncture training model used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for teaching the position of acupuncture points on the body. The model was covered in a thick layer of wax and filled with water or mercury. Students pressed acupuncture needl
Cupping set, incomplete, comprises one scarificator, three cupping glasses, one bottle, one canister, one kettle(?), used by Edward Jenner, late 18th century, in mahogany case. This is ordinary equipment all surgeons would have owned. The English doc
Barber surgeon's, double sided carved and painted wooden plaque with images of Death and Time and scene of blood letting
Posset pot, tin glazed earthenware, polychrome bird motif, English. The artist was Wiglett.
This iron chastity belt is decorated with a flower design and a heart pierced with arrows. The padlock that is associated with it is not the original one.
A woven string bag containing objects used for divination. The bag contains thirty-six objects including animal bones, pebbles, nut kernels and a hoof, each of which means something specific to a diviner. The objects are thrown onto a mat and the pat
Granite Kohl pot and stick, Egyptian, 1800BC to 200BC. Make-up was in common use in Ancient Egypt and focused particularly on the eye, in order to replicate the appearance of the sun god, Re. Kohl eyeliner was frequently used to achieve this effect.
Copy of a strait jacket, c.1930. The strait jacket, or strait waistcoat, was first described in 1772 in a textbook by David Macbride (1726-1778). Employed both as a restraint as well as for treatment, it's use gradually declined in the 19th century a