Pathological Bodies. Specimen Preservation, Death and Display in Britain, 18-19th Centuries.

Across Britain, many institutions are custodians of historical anatomical and pathological potted specimen collections dating back to the 18-19th centuries. Amongst these collections are those which have been preserved in fluid, often referred to as potted specimens. These collections were created at a time when anatomical study was on the rise in Britain, with potted specimens often considered the most valuable to the anatomist. The human remains obtained for these collections was often dictated by socioeconomic status, meaning body snatching and using unclaimed bodies from institutions such as workhouses was done to meet the demand of bodies for study. Fluid preserved specimens require a unique skill set to conserve, differ hugely in appearance to other historical and archaeological bodies, and are still on display in museums today. Using a mixed methods interdisciplinary approach, this thesis aims to further understand the acquisition and conservation of these specimens as well as understand the development in public/professional attitudes towards these remains that were collected in a time of ‘pre consent’ culture. Relatively recently, it has been alluded to that these collections are no longer relevant in the field of medicine due to the availability of modern donors. However, this thesis has demonstrated the importance of these collections in contemporary teaching and research of pathology, epidemiology and medical ethics. This research also suggests that they are significant in opening up conversations on death and dying, contemporary disease, familial health, and the display of the human body.

URI

https://bradscholars.brad.ac.uk/handle/10454/20793

Type

Thesis

Qualification name

PhD

Notes

Content Warning: This thesis contains images of human remains and discussion of death and dying related topics which may be triggering or upsetting to some.