In need of a leech? In 1800s Edinburgh you could stop by the handy Leech Depot in the New Town. Guaranteed Swedish leeches, imported in the turf they were bred in. Only the most active and vigorous leeches sold – and available 24 hours a day!

Caddies in 18thc Edinburgh. Thought to be the origin of the golf term 'caddie', they carried water up and down the many flights of stairs of the tenements in the city's Old Town

It's #SomethingScary in today's #Archive30
This remedy for teething pain from our 18th century herbal notebook will give your child nightmares. Rub their gums with hare or hen brains twice a day. Lovely!
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The strap on this mourning bracelet is made from woven human hair. Mourning jewellery was so popular in the late 1800s that it spawned a whole industry. Adverts for hairworkers appeared in national and local newspapers.

Find out more in our exhibition rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/after…

We’re on TikTok! Join us as we explore stories from the history of medicine – from cat pianos to hair jewellery and the evil eye to preventing plague.

Check it out 👉 tiktok.com/@physiciansgal…

Bezoar stones from Albertus Seba’s ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’. Popular in the early modern times, the stones were formed from hairs accumulated in an animal’s stomach and were believed to possess magical and medical powers

This medieval English book of medical recipes looks like it has emerged from a time-capsule. In our new #CuriousCures blogpost we explore how careful conservation work has allowed us to study its contents. Read all about it here:

specialcollections-blog.lib.cam.ac.uk/?p=27848

Today is the anniversary of the Battle of #Culloden . Stuart Threipland, President of our College, acted as the physician to Bonnie Prince Charlie and his troops during this battle. This is his medicine chest rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/colle…

Sir Robert Sibbald, Edinburgh university’s first Professor of Medicine, co-founder of Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh , personal physician to the king, Scottish Geographer Royal and founder of RCPEdin (and one impressively busy man) was born #otd 1641

Born #OTD 1707 Physician John Pringle, known as the 'father of military medicine', who established the principle of a neutral zone in battle for the treatment of the war wounded

Happy 197th Birthday to the father of antiseptic surgery, Joseph Lister 🥳
His pioneering work on antiseptic surgery began at Glasgow Royal Infirmary where he used carbolic acid for the first time. His principles and practice revolutionised surgery and has saved countless lives

Early example of a benefit gig, a comedian in the 1790s donating their show's profits to the Glasgow Royal Infirmary

This 1559 frontispiece shows the author Colombo. He dedicated the final chapter of this work to the study of diseased organs, establishing the beginnings of morbid anatomy, or the pathology of diseased bodies

Check out the original in our exhibition rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/after…

In the early 20th century, Pond's medicated tampons were soaked in opium, belladonna, and hyoscyamus in order to relieve menstrual pain.

This example comes from the Pharmacy Museum in New Orleans. Learn more about their collection here: pharmacymuseum.org

William Harvey was born #OTD in 1578. His revolutionary theory on the full circulation of blood through the human body was the basis of much experimental medicine which followed – showing the importance of data, calculation and practical experiments in medical study

This 1834 text illustrates the art of mummification. Its aim was to keep the body as intact as possible. This was rooted in the necessity of maintaining the physical remains so the spirit could live on in the afterlife

Find out more in our exhibition rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/after…

Conrad Gesner, Swiss physician and naturalist, was born #OTD 1516. In his studies he attempted to list all the animals in the natural world, from the elephant to the, um, unicorn rcpe.ac.uk/library-archiv…

Eighteenth century wax model showing head and neck anatomy. The zygomatic arch and part of mandible have been removed to show the underlying structures - including the external and internal carotid arteries. It was made in Florence by Clemente Susini

This reply to a dinner invite says ‘I cannot accept your invitation, I do not go out at present on account of my mourning’. Sometimes the width of the black border on mourning stationery showed the stage of grief

Find out more in our exhibition rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/after…