On August 4, 1997, newspapers around the world announced the death of Jeanne Louise Calment, who died her home in Arles, France. She was not a political leader, a scientist, or a famous actress. Jean had the world’s longest (recorded)… Read More ›
Histmed
Which Beauchêne invented the “exploded” skull technique?
The Beauchêne skull, or exploded skull, is a type of anatomical preparation for which the bones are separated and mounted in anatomical position, but spaced out, so that it looks like the bones are suspended in mid-air. The Beauchêne skull is… Read More ›
Re-animating a Murderer: The Corpse Experiment that Inspired Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
George Forster was hanged at Newgate Prison on January 18, 1803 for murdering his wife and daughter. After the execution, Forster’s (also spelled Foster in The Newgate Calendar) body was carried to a nearby house so that Giovanni Aldini (April… Read More ›
George Washington, zombie-in-chief
George Washington (1732-1799) was many things: Founding Father, Commander-In-Chief, and the First President of the United States. He was also almost America’s first zombie. Washington became seriously sick after he got caught in a rainstorm in 1799. His doctors tried… Read More ›
Civil War Forensics: The death Stonewall Jackson and the fate of his left arm
General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia fought the Union’s Army of the Potomac, which was commanded by Major General Joseph Hooker, at the Battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia between April 30 and May 6, 1863. The Battle of… Read More ›
The mystery of a medieval anatomical specimen
In 2003, a medical antiquities dealer sold an unusual item, a partial mummified body, to a private Canadian collector. This specimen only consisted of a partial skull, neck, and top of the torso, and measured 17.3 inches by 18.9 inches… Read More ›
Did long-term corseting really cause women to meet an early demise?
H/T: Dr. Kristina Killgrove’s article “Here’s How Corsets Deformed The Skeletons Of Victorian Women” on Forbes. For centuries people have deformed their skeletons to mold different parts of their bodies to what is considered an ideal shape in their culture. Long-term corseting,… Read More ›
Relics of junk science: Bally’s 19th century miniature plaster heads
The Science Museum of London has a set of 60 eerie little plaster heads that look like miniature death masks. Johann Gaspar Spurzheim (1776-1832), a well-known 19th century phrenologist, commissioned these bizarre relics to help his students study phrenology. As phrenology… Read More ›
The morbid history of Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School was founded by Dr. John Warren on September 19, 1782 making it the third oldest medical school in the U.S. The alumni and faculty at this respected institution have made advances in the field of forensic science… Read More ›
The ‘Rembrandts of anatomical preparation’ who turned skeletons into art
In the 17th and 18th centuries, makers of osteological specimens built fanciful displays with skeletons standing in landscapes made with embalmed human organs, skeletons dangling hearts on a string like a yo-yo, or specimens playing instruments while sitting on a… Read More ›
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