This lecture explores botany and medicine in Edinburgh since 16th century, uncovering stories of doctors growing medicinal plants in dangerous times, pioneering women botanists, and what not to eat.

Using the College’s beautiful books, the lecture tells the turbulent life story of the College’s botanist founder, recounts Edinburgh’s part in a Georgian rhubarb craze, and warns of the more recent dangers of drinking belladonna laced gin and tonic.


Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery

Ep.82 - Physicians, Plants And Poisons

Casenotes Past & Present is a Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh podcast.

In this episode we uncover the history of diabetes and its treatment, starting with Ancient Egypt and Greece and some very dubious therapeutics, including opium, alcohol and animal dung! 

Then we talk to Professor Mark Strachan, a consultant physician in endocrinology and diabetes, about his clinical and research work.

A full transcript of this podcast episode can be downloaded here: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/talks/past-present-diabetes


Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 


Credits

Editor and producer: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Ep.1 - Past & Present - Diabetes

Casenotes Past & Present is a Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh podcast.

In this episode we explore the history of respiratory medicine. We start with tuberculosis – discussing its many names, and its famous sufferers – from Kafka to Jane Austen and George Orwell. We also uncover the work of Sir John Crofton in tackling this deadly disease. 

Then we talk to Dr Wendy Anderson – a specialist currently working in the field of respiratory medicine.

And we end with a case study exploring the history of asthma, and particularly one of its most famous sufferers, Charles Dickens.


Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 


Credits

Editor and producer: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Ep.12 - Past & Present - Respiratory

Casenotes Past & Present is a Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh podcast.

In this fortnight’s episode we look into the past and present of haematology. Discover what it meant to be sanguinous, why early blood transfusions were prohibited by Parliament and how WW2 transformed the infrastructure of blood donation in the UK. 

We talk to Professor Marie Copeland about her experience working as a specialist in leukaemia at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre. We discuss the differences between a haematologist and haematopathologist, why iron is important for blood and how the management of some blood related conditions has changed.

Lastly, we explore the complicated history of haemophilia in the Royal family and why it became known as the ‘Royal disease’. 


Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 


Credits

Editor and producer: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Ep.16 - Past & Present - Haematology

Casenotes Past & Present is a Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh podcast.

In this fortnight’s episode we uncover the history of Cardiology. ‘What was a bruit de soufflet’? Why was the heart left inside the body during mummification? And how did tapping on wine barrels lead to a new examination method? 

We also talk to Dr Omar Fersia about his experiences working as a Consultant Cardiologist, including fitting a pacemaker in a colleague.  

And, to finish off, our case study looks at how a Scottish physician, Sir James Mackenzie, became known as the ‘Father of British Cardiology’. 

Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 


Credits

Editor and producer: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Ep.20 - Past & Present - Cardiology

When you’re talking about the history of skin, what is the line between beauty and health? In this episode we examine how doctors treatments of the skin in the past were often as concerned with aesthetics as they were with curing disease. We also uncover the medicalisation of class, race and gender that was explored through the medium of the skin. 

And we finish up with some particularly disgusting recipes – including crocodile dung and toads!

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with our latest podcasts, videos and events. Subscribe here: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/sign-our-heritage-newsletter


Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 


Credits

Researcher and presenter: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte. 

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Guest historian clip: Dr Mary Fissell is professor in the Department of the History of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University.

Ep.1 - Head To Toe - Skin

Hair could indicate you were virile, dangerous, untrustworthy, jealous, or just plain old unsanitary. We trace the ups and downs of hairdos, wig use and hair colouring in this podcast episode. Including some unsettling treatments for hair removal, baldness and dandruff. As the styling of women’s hair moved from the home to the salon, so hair treatments moved from pigeon droppings and urine to electricity and x-rays.

We also explore the Victorian market in hair sewing, hair jewellery and gifting your own hair.

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with our latest podcasts, videos and events. Subscribe here: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/sign-our-heritage-newsletter 


Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 


Credits

Researcher and presenter: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Historical clip: Frank Rowntree compilation recordings. Part 1, Track 14. Wellcome Collection. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Ep.7 - Head To Toe - Hair

In this episode we explore the history of the breast. We’ll unpick some myths about Amazonian warriors and supposed witches, before uncovering the complex power dynamics of wet nursing and breast-feeding culture. Gender and class collide with disablism when you dig into who breast fed their own child.

And if that doesn’t sound like enough we explore the strange things that were believed to come out of the nipples and what they were thought to indicate!

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with our latest podcasts, videos and events. Subscribe here: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/sign-our-heritage-newsletter 


Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 


Credits

Researcher and presenter: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Historical clip: Frank Rowntree compilation recordings. Part 1, Track 14. Wellcome Collection. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Ep.9 - Head To Toe - Breasts

In this episode we explore the changing perceptions of fatness – from the fashionable fatness of the 1300s, 1400s and 1500s to the weight loss schemes of the 1700s and 1800s. The loaded history of language – from plumpness, to corpulence, to obesity – says a lot about the cultural perception of weight gain. 

We also uncover some of the strange stories of the risks of corpulence – including spontaneous combustion!

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with our latest podcasts, videos and events. Subscribe here: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/sign-our-heritage-newsletter 


Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 


Credits

Researcher and presenter: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Historical clip: Dr James Kennaway

Ep.10 - Head To Toe - Fat

The tongue has long been viewed as a meaning-laden symbol as well as a flappy mouth muscle. In this episode we explore the history of the scold’s bridle – a tongue-based punishment usually used against women for talking out of turn. We also uncover the supposed historical causes of stuttering – from too much tickling to looking in a mirror.

And we explore some pleasant sounding tongue-related historical treatments – from sugar candy and wine drinking to cinnamon water and honey. Finally, a change from all the dung-based recipes we’ve been looking at!

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with our latest podcasts, videos and events. Subscribe here: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/sign-our-heritage-newsletter 


Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 


Credits

Researcher and presenter: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Historical clip: Oesophageal speech after laryngectomy. Wellcome Collection. Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Ep.11 - Head To Toe - Tongue

In this episode we explore how central the lungs were to Ancient Greek and Roman ideas about medicine and the body. Renaissance illustrations of the lungs were detailed and beautiful – but understanding of exactly what the lungs did and how they worked was still to be developed. We also discuss the historical treatment of asthma with ‘medicinal’ cigarettes, along with other supposed uses of tobacco to protect from the plague and as an antidote to poisoning.

We also explore some of the most unusual lung-based medicines, including breast milk, sugar candy and liquorice!

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with our latest podcasts, videos and events. Subscribe here: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/sign-our-heritage-newsletter 


Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 


Credits

Researcher and presenter: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Historical clip credit: Defeat tuberculosis. Wellcome Collection. Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Ep.13 - Head To Toe - Lungs

In this episode we explore exercise through the ages, from Ancient Greece to Victorian strong men - and their bar bending and book ripping antics. Exercise was often prescribed by doctors from the Renaissance to the modern day – usually in the form of horse riding, walking and gymnastics. We also explore the gendered origins of what is known as calisthenics – that is, exercise that is focused on grace and litheness, rather than visibly developed muscles.

We also uncover the history of some great publications, including the aptly titled ‘British Manly Exercises’!

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with our latest podcasts, videos and events. Subscribe here: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/sign-our-heritage-newsletter 


Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 


Credits

Researcher and presenter: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Historical clip: Dr Kristin Hussey

Ep.12 - Head To Toe - Muscles

In this episode we explore the history of the veins. We’ll unpick the history of bloodletting – from leech farms to lancets, and mechanical bloodletters to ‘heroic’ bleeding. We’re looking into how modern day meme culture is influenced by Greek philosophers and how varicose veins have played on the minds, and legs, of sufferers for thousands of years.

And we finish up with some ghoulish medical recipes – including ones where you fry up your own blood!

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with our latest podcasts, videos and events. Subscribe here: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/sign-our-heritage-newsletter 


Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 


Credits

Researcher and presenter: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Historical clip: Dr Kristin Hussey

Ep.14 - Head To Toe - Veins

In this episode we explore hands through the ages – from the evil associated with left handed folk, to the soft white hands of the upper class woman. Lead, arsenic and mercury were all applied to give the hands that pearly whiteness and soft hands acted as an indicator of class, status and refinement. We also dig into the curative power of the Royal Touch and the history of hand washing.

And we finish up with some very animal-heavy treatments – including eating roasted mice and putting your finger in a cat’s ear!

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with our latest podcasts, videos and events. Subscribe here: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/sign-our-heritage-newsletter


Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 


Credits

Researcher and presenter: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Historical clip: Sophie Goggins

Ep.15 - Head To Toe - Hands

In this episode we explore the history of haemorrhoids, including a popular treatment which involved placing toads in the armpits. We also uncover the history of laxatives and enemas – with some unusual ingredients, including tobacco, and the judicious use of yoghurt and breakfast cereals. And, sticking with the theme, we take a look at some of the earliest scatological comedy – toilet paper may have changed, but some jokes have stood the test of time.

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with our latest podcasts, videos and events. Subscribe here: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/sign-our-heritage-newsletter 


Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 

Credits

Researcher and presenter: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Historical clip: Dr Ericka Johnson

Ep.17 - Head To Toe - Anus

In this episode we explore the history of the bladder. It’s a urine-heavy episode as we take a deep dive into diuresis – including locally sourced diuretics commonly used in Scotland such as leeks, watercress and barley water. We also take a look at the taste-tastic practice of uroscopy, the communal history of chamberpots and the all important question – if both doctors and quacks are tasting urine, how do you decide who to trust with your health?

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with our latest podcasts, videos and events. Subscribe here: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/sign-our-heritage-newsletter 


Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 


Credits

Researcher and presenter: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Historical clip: Dr Jennifer Evans

Ep.16 - Head To Toe - Bladder

Do wombs have horns? Will the presence of a menstruating woman force bees to forsake their hives? Will your crops wither and die in the presence of menstrual blood? We’ll answer these pressing questions and more in this episode of our podcast. We’re also exploring how pregnant convicted criminals could ‘plead the belly’ to avoid execution, the murky world of Medieval monstrous births and how a womb could wander. And we finish up with some adorable womb toads – perhaps the most endearing of votive offerings.

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with our latest podcasts, videos and events. Subscribe here: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/sign-our-heritage-newsletter

Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 


Credits

Researcher and presenter: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Historical clip: Prof Helen King

Ep.19 - Head To Toe - Womb

In this episode we explore the history of the guts. Words and their meanings are a big part of this episode – where you can have a ‘gut feeling’ that someone ‘hates your guts’ and maybe after all you were ‘gutted’ to find out. We’re also exploring the changing meaning of the word hypochondria – from a pain in your stomach, to a disorder of the body’s nerves to, finally, an anxiety disorder. And in case that isn’t enough, we’re also going to talk about some ENORMOUS intestinal worms and how pork on a string is the only solution.

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with our latest podcasts, videos and events. Subscribe here: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/sign-our-heritage-newsletter


Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 


Credits

Researcher and presenter: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Historical clip: Dr James Kennaway

Ep.18 - Head To Toe - Guts

In this episode we explore the history of the heart and heart-based symbolism – including the origins of the association of the heart with love and romance. Would you gift a romantic partner your heart symbolically? How about literally? You could always be buried with the heart of a lover, or arrange to have your husband’s heart sent to you, if he died overseas. And you could prevent lovesickness with a range of treatments, including avoiding ‘flatulent and erotic meat’.

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with our latest podcasts, videos and events. Subscribe here: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/sign-our-heritage-newsletter


Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 

Credits

Researcher and presenter: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Historical clip: Dr Kristin Hussey

Ep.20 - Head To Toe - Heart

To sweat or not to sweat? Was sweating good or bad? Was it a treatment or a symptom? Was it something to be encouraged or prevented? The answer to all these questions is a resounding ‘Yes’. In this episode we explore the strange history of sweating sickness, what arsenic can do to your armpits and the creation of a market for underarm shaving. We also explore the history of deodorant – and its cynical marketing to women to improve their attractiveness and to men in the 1920s as a way to avoid unemployment and poverty.

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with our latest podcasts, videos and events. Subscribe here: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/sign-our-heritage-newsletter 


Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 


Credits

Researcher and presenter: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Historical clip: Frank Rowntree compilation recordings. Part 4, Track 16. Wellcome Collection. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Ep.21 - Head To Toe - Armpit

In this episode we explore the history of the leg. There’s a lot of fashion in this episode, from the use of flannel shirts to cure gout to the erotically charged nature of the pale calfskin trousers of Tudor men. We even delve into how one man’s leg injury caused a black velvet slipper craze. We also explore the history of amputation – from the prejudices of Victorian society against the use of prostheses to the battlefield capture of the cork leg of a Mexican general.

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with our latest podcasts, videos and events. Subscribe here: www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/sign-our…ritage-newsletter


Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 


Credits

Researcher and presenter: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Historical clip: A leg to stand on. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) Source: Wellcome Collection.

Ep.22 - Head To Toe - Legs

In this episode we explore the history of the brain. Brains in jars, brains in slices, brains under the microscope - more brains than you can shake a wet slice of human brain at. From Einstein’s brain chopped into 240 pieces to Charles Babbage, who at least only had his sliced in two. We also explore the history of emotions – with a bit of good old stiff upper lip we keep calm and carry on. And we delve into the history of mental illness – how Victorians were convinced you could be too loud, too quiet, too happy, too sad, but it was a tightrope walk to be just right for Victorian society.

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with our latest podcasts, videos and events. Subscribe here: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/sign-our-heritage-newsletter

Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 


Credits

Researcher and presenter: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Historical clip: Professor David Purdie

Ep.23 - Head To Toe - Brain

In this episode we’ll explore perhaps the most confusing organ – the spleen. It’s a body part, a disease and a state of mind all in one. According to some it purified the blood, others thought it acted as a back-up liver. Romans thought the spleen stopped you from running fast and suggested burning it with a hot iron to speed up. Others argued that the spleen was the source of laughter and joy. The spleen might not make it onto a 21st century Greatest Hits of the Organs album, but it was key to ancient medicine.

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Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 


Credits

Researcher and presenter: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Historian clip: Dr James Kennaway

Ep.24 - Head To Toe - Spleen

In this episode we’re scooping fish liver oil out of a bucket of offal in the name of health. We’re also exploring the myth of Prometheus and some votive offerings and exploring just what they can tell us about the regeneration of the liver. And we’re going to dig into some old country offal in the form of haggis – and what it can tell us about anti-Scottish sentiment in 1700s England.

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with our latest podcasts, videos and events. Subscribe here: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/sign-our-heritage-newsletter

Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 


Credits

Researcher and presenter: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Historical clip: Frank Rowntree compilation recordings. Part 1, Track 14. Wellcome Collection. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Ep.25 - Head To Toe - Liver

In this episode we explore the history of the throat – including lump in your throat, frog in your throat and, if you’re French, a cat in the throat. We delve into the art of changing your voice and Margaret Thatcher’s baritone. We also explore the longest case of hiccups on record. And, finally, we uncover the tale of the funeral mute – a Victorian mourning ritual that’ll leave you speechless.

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with our latest podcasts, videos and events. Subscribe here: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/sign-our-heritage-newsletter

Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 


Credits

Researcher and presenter: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Historical clip: Threads & yarns. Christine Stammers. Wellcome Trust,t 2011. Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No derivatives 3.0 Unported International (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

Ep.26 - Head To Toe - Throat

This is the last episode in our Head to Toe series finishing, of course, with the feet! We set off on the right foot, put our best feet forward and jump in with both feet. We explore why ancient Egyptians had two left feet, why witches had flat feet, why ancient Greeks had one foot longer than the other and what you’d do with a ‘foot bag’. We also delve into the history of shoes – from pointed toes, to wide soles and ornate buckles. And we finish up with a lovely bit of historical corn cutting – not for the faint of heart!

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with our latest podcasts, videos and events. Subscribe here: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/sign-our-heritage-newsletter

Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery 

Credits

Researcher and presenter: Laura Burgess has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021 after completing her MA in History from UNC Charlotte.

Editor and producer: Sarah E Hayward completed her PhD in Museums and Heritage Studies at Kingston University London in 2023. She has been a volunteer with RCPE Heritage since 2021. She has a passion for archival research and she loves to explore creative ways to assemble and share the hidden stories she uncovers.

Researcher and presenter: Olivia Howarth is a volunteer with RCPE Heritage, a recently qualified archivist, heritage enthusiast and self-proclaimed lifetime nerd with an interest in medical history.

Historical clip: Dr I B Sneddon lecture, fungal infections. Wellcome Trust, 1962. PDM 1.0 Deed

Ep.27 - Head To Toe - Feet

We're off on a new journey into the muddy marshes of medical history!

Website: www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage
Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery

Trailer

In this talk Dr Matt Lodder presents an overview of his new book ‘Painted People’, and argues that through the history of tattooing, we can glean unique insights into forgotten areas of human history.

You can also watch this talk on our website: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/talks/painted-people-untold-history-tattooing

Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery

Ep.01 - An Untold History Of Tattooing

In this talk Dr Kate Stephenson explores the strange and fascinating history of condoms. 

You can also watch this talk on our website: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/talks/history-condoms

Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery

Ep.02 - The History Of Condoms

Forensic anthropology has a relatively long history in the USA but is a more recent addition in the UK. However, just a shallow scratch below the surface of this modern discipline shows that it is firmly rooted within human anatomy.

This talk charts the history of forensic anthropology in the UK and illustrate its constant links back to so many aspects of applied anatomy that we might be forgiven for thinking that it has been incorrectly named.

Speaker: Professor Sue Black (University of Dundee)


Twitter: twitter.com/RCPEHeritage
Instagram: instagram.com/physiciansgallery/
Facebook: facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@physiciansgallery

Casenotes: A History of Medicine Podcast

Ep.1 - The History of Forensic Anthropology

This fortnightly podcast from the Physicians' Gallery at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh presents stories from medicine, past and present

Physicians' Gallery

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