The Science and Art of Medicine
On Display
Skin testing set for allergies, in case, made by Duncan Flockhart and Co., British.
A set of palm nuts usually kept in the blue cloth bag. Diviners of the Yoruba people of Nigeria pass sixteen palm nuts from hand to hand eight times. Each time, one or two nuts are kept in the hand and this is marked on a board. The diviner reads t
Two iron artificial arms and an amputation saw. Previously, it was thought that the arms may have been owned by Gotz von Berlichingen (1480-1562), the German knight and adventurer. Artificial limbs such as these were expensive items made by armoure
Case of trephination instruments, c. 1731-1770. Trepanning is the removal of a piece of bone from the skull. The instruments are of a type introduced by Samuel Sharp (1700-1778) of Guy's Hospital, who wrote 'Treatise on the operation of surgery' (17
Hypodermic syringe, with spare needle, in case
A pot of ‘Fragrance of the Cape’ aromatherapy dough from South Africa. The dough contains a blend of essential oils from buchu and wilde-als - plants used in African medicine for their healing properties.
A packet of the mass-produced herbal medicine, 'Ngetwa 3'. The medicine is foil-packed for a longer shelf life and a modern look. The Tanzanian mganga (healer) who prepared the medicine is shown on the front.
An adjella ifa, a bowl to store the palm nuts used by diviners of the Yoruba people of Nigeria. This particular object is shaped in the form of a woman carrying a child, kneeling in respect to Ifa, the god of divination. The diviner seeks information
An amulet in the form of Eshu, a god of the Yoruba people of Nigeria. The wooden figure is covered with carved divination boards and cowrie shells threaded onto leather.
This instrument has a spring mechanism for the blades and is gold-plated with an ivory handle. It was manufactured by Collin of Paris, France and is from the Charrierre, Colin and Gentile collection. Brissez invented this type of intra-uterine specul