The Chirurgeon’s Apprentice in Wellcome History
‘When people first discover that I am a historian of medicine, they often falter as they try to process this information. Most of the time,
The Rotten Tooth: A Brief History of Dentistry
The sharp pinch of a large needle piercing the tender flesh inside the mouth. The high-pitched sound of a drill shattering tooth enamel. The metallic
Torturing the Dead: The Prevention of Premature Burial and Dissection
In 1746, Jacques-Bénigne Winslow wrote: ‘Tho’ Death, at some Time or other, is the necessary and unavoidable Portion of Human Nature in its present Condition,
Self-Murder: The Case of Mary Hunt (1767 – 1792)
It is just before midnight on Thursday, the 19th of April, 1792. Mary Hunt—a 25-year-old servant to a gentleman in Bedford Square (below)—paces her room
Behind the Mask: The Plague Doctor
It is an image that many recognise but most know nothing about. The plague mask—with its elongated beak and dark, soulless eyes—has been replicated in
Grave Matters: The Body-Snatchers Unearthed
It is half past two in the morning on October 10th, 1777. The new moon casts a bluish light over St George’s burial ground off