Syphilis has a long history and has often been accompanied by social stigma. In this post, Honorary Research Fellow Professor Ken Donaldson explores how city officials in Edinburgh attempted to banish people with syphilis to Inchkeith Island. surgeonshallmuseums.wordpress.com/2026/02/13/t...

This brass shoulder badge was part of the uniform of the Scottish Women’s Hospitals. Around 1500 women served with the SWH in France, Russia, Greece, Corsica and Serbia. They cared for soldiers, civilians and prisoners of war in the heart of war zones.

For #WordOnWednesday this week we are looking for something you would find in our History of Surgery Museum.

This is a Strabismus hook. Used in squint eye surgery for securing and isolating an extraocular muscle. #TriviaTuesday

For #TriviaTuesday this week we have this object from the late 19th century. It is 12 cm in length. Any ideas what it is?

Sir James Young Simpson (1811-1870) wore this silk top hat towards the end of his life. Once after a day of work, he said to his butler: ‘Hide my hat, it is ever such a tell-tale.’ Simpson regularly entertained guests at his house on Queen Street, Edinburgh and was popular with his patients too.

Our current temporary exhibition 'A Fair Field and No Favour: The History of Women in Surgery' will close at 5pm on Sunday the 8th of March! Not able to make it along to the exhibition before it closes? You can view it digitally on Bloomberg Connects: guides.bloombergconnects.org/en-US/guide/...

The answer this week is laudanum.

It's time for the first #WordOnWednesday of the month! This week we are looking for a word you would find in our History of Surgery gallery. Can you work out what the anagram is?

This is a saliva ejector used to remove fluids such as saliva and blood from a patient's mouth during procedures. #TriviaTuesday

It's time for the first #TriviaTuesday of February! Up this week we have this object from the 19th century. It is 11.5 cm in length, and 7 cm in width at it's widest part. Any ideas what it is?

This is a set of four dissecting hooks with ebony handles. They were used to hold flaps of skin in place that have been cut and pulled back during a dissection to reveal the underlying layers.

Podcasts like this are catnip for me

Beyond the Knife is back for 2026! In a not-so-romantic pre-Valentine’s special, our Human Remains Conservator Cat Irving unpacks the fascinating history of syphilis. You can listen wherever you get your podcasts. shows.acast.com/beyond-the-k...

The answer to #WordOnWedneday this week is William Hare!

We have a topical #WordOnWednesday today! Can you unscramble the anagram?

These are foreign body forceps used to remove foreign bodies from patients. These were made by Joseph F. B. Charriere in Paris. #TriviaTuesday

Happy #TriviaTuesday! This instrument made from ivory and metal is from the 19th century. It is 14.3 cm in length and is 1.4 cm in width at its widest point. Do you know what it is?

The earliest illustration of a chair being used during childbirth dates to 1450 BC. This birthing chair from the mid-18th century has an adjustable headrest and the base can be anchored to the floor.

For #NationalHandwritingDay here's proof that doctors don't have terrible handwriting! This beautifully handwritten letter (c.1735) diagnoses a patient with breast cancer, a “disorder rarely hitherto known to yield to any milder remedy than the knife”.

This leather retractor dates from the mid 18th century. Surgeons use retractors during amputations to pull back tissue, allowing the bone to be cut as near to the tissue as possible without damaging it. The hole in the middle of the retractor varied in size depending on the bone.

This inhaler from the 1950s was used for giving dental patients anaesthetic. Cyprane Ltd. pioneered the production of calibrated inhalers. Inhalers of this type were also used for self administering pain relief during childbirth.

The answer to #WordOnWednesday this week is cleft lip!

It's time for another #WordOnWednesday. This week we are looking for words you would find in our Wohl Pathology gallery. Can you solve the anagram?

This is an eye bath used to rinse and soothe eyes! #TriviaTuesday

It's time for #TriviaTuesday! This week we have this mystery object from the 1920s. It is 6.4cm in height and 4.5cm wide. Any guesses what it is?

An osteotome is like a chisel and used to cut bone. They were originally designed by William Macewen and made from a single piece of metal with few details that could harbour bacteria, making it easy to clean and sterilise.

The Battle of Corunna took place #OTD in 1809. Civilian surgeon Charles Bell volunteered to treat wounded soldiers returning to Britain. He later created these artworks which he used for teaching. Some of these artworks can be seen in our Wohl Pathology Museum.

Happy #PubDay to @tealcartoons.bsky.social and me! Our latest kids' book, DEAD ENDS, is now out in the UK. It's all about how failure in medicine is essential to progress. It's aimed at kids 8-12, but we think everyone will love this romp thru #medicalhistory! www.waterstones.com/book/dead-en...

This mother-of-pearl set of French design includes a toothbrush, tongue scraper, toothpick with a small brush at one end, tooth powder container, scent bottle, and a brush to flick powder off the lapels. These beautifully designed and made items have never been used.

The answer to #WordOnWednesday this week is dental filling! 🦷

#WordOnWednesday is back! This week we are looking for a phrase you would find in our dental collection. Can you work it out?

This is a Traquair's Perimeter used to test peripheral vision. At the smaller end of the metal stand there is a chin rest which allows each eye to measured separately. #TriviaTuesday

It's #TriviaTuesday time! Our first mystery object of 2026 is from the 20th century. It is a big one measuring at 75 cm in height and 17 cm in width. Any ideas what it is?

An early example of a breast pump. The glass vacuum cup screws into the cylinder pump for use and has a small release valve to control pressure. There are no manufacturer markings, but it is similar to one shown in S Maw & Sons catalogue of 1866.

Our Blood and Guts walking tours will return on the 24th of January! Hear little known accounts of iconic writers, chloroform tea parties, pioneering women, grave robbing and of course Burke and Hare. Tours run every Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/blood-and-...

James Tassie made this miniature portrait medallion of Benjamin Bell. Tassie worked in a hard, fine textured substance known as vitreous paste, a compound he invented. He kept the recipe a secret from competitors. It was later found to be a type of glass with a high lead content

Want to join the team? We're looking for a Visitor Services Lead and a Visitor Services Assistant! Full details of each role can be found here: cezanneondemand.intervieweb.it/rcsed/en/car... Applications close on the 16th of January!

We're open! You can visit us from 10am--5pm, 7 days a week. museum.rcsed.ac.uk

We reopen at 10am tomorrow. We can't wait to welcome you all to the museum throughout 2026!

Happy New Year! We are currently closed but will reopen at 10am on Monday the 5th of January.

We launched our podcast 'Beyond The Knife' this year, featuring fantastic guests discussing dissection, forensic anthropology, and the history of midwifery—something for everyone! Exciting episodes are lined up for 2026. Find Beyond the Knife wherever you get your podcasts.

This year we launched a two-year project aimed celebrate women in surgery. The project launched with an exhibition exploring the history of women in surgery and a commissioned artwork representing eleven remarkable surgeons. You can read more here: surgeonshallmuseums.wordpress.com/2025/04/04/a...

Archibald Pitcairne died at the age of 60 #OTD in 1713. Pitcairne led the first recorded legal public dissection in Scotland when he dissected the remains of David Myles in 1702. The man leading the dissection in this painting is believed to be Pitcairne.

We are now closed for the remainder of the year. Thank you to everyone who visited us this year- 2025 has been our busiest yet! We'll see you all in 2026. We will reopen at 10am on Monday the 5th of January.

These brass name plates were taken from dental surgeon Thomas Dyke's practice. His premises was listed at Bank House, 11 Church Crescent in Dumfries in 1911.

There are just 4 days left to visit us this year! We will close at 5pm on Tuesday the 23rd of December and will reopen on Monday the 5th of December 2026.

Looking for a last minute Christmas present? Treat your loved one to an experience they’ll never forget! Get them a digital gift voucher to explore Surgeons' Hall Museums. Only available from our online shop: shop.museum.rcsed.ac.uk/products/sur...

These knives are designed for cutting the crescent-shaped disks of fibrocartilage that is attached to bones (meniscus). The blades vary from long and flat, tapering and straight, concave, or v-shaped ends. These knives are typically used for orthopaedic procedures.

Conditions in operating theatres prior to antisepsis were appalling. Most people were admitted in their ordinary clothes and surgeons operated in a suit and frock coat. This coat belonged to Joseph Lister and similar coats would be worn by a surgeon when operating.