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surgeonshall.bsky.social
Surgeons' Hall Museums
@surgeonshall.bsky.social
16K followers 190 following 810 posts
Home to the largest & most historic collection of surgical pathology in the world.

Open 10am-5pm, 7 days a week.
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surgeonshall.bsky.social
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.
A metal cylinder with a rubber face mask attachment on the left. There is a small key and a glass measuring cylinder by the side Blue box with analgesia anaesthesia The cyrprane inhaler. Cyprane ltd, Keighley, Yorkshire, England
January 22, 2026 at 12:01 PM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
The answer to #WordOnWednesday this week is cleft lip!
Dark blue background with white text. It reads: The answer to #WordOnWednesday is cleft lip. A cleft lip happens when the structures that form the upper lip fail to join together when a baby is developing in the womb. Often, the exact cause for this is unknown.
January 22, 2026 at 10:30 AM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
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?
Dark blue background with white text. It reads: Can you guess this week's words from our Wohl Pathology museum? There are 2 words. The first is made up of 5 letters and the second is made up of 3 letters. Clues: • An anagram of Tecfl Pli • One or more gaps or splits in the upper lip that may extend into the nose. • The surgical repair of this condition is called cheiloplasty
January 21, 2026 at 10:01 AM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
This is an eye bath used to rinse and soothe eyes!

#TriviaTuesday
surgeonshall.bsky.social Surgeons' Hall Museums @surgeonshall.bsky.social · 2d
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?
A blue glass object. It is shaped slightly like an egg cup however the top is more of an oval shape than circular.
January 20, 2026 at 4:46 PM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
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?
A blue glass object. It is shaped slightly like an egg cup however the top is more of an oval shape than circular.
January 20, 2026 at 10:06 AM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
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.
A steel instrument with part hollowed out at one end.
January 19, 2026 at 12:02 PM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
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.
A painting of a soldier with brown hair. He is standing up and is shirtless and is resting his right hand on his head. There are two gunshot wounds visible on his torso.
January 16, 2026 at 12:02 PM
Reposted by Surgeons' Hall Museums
drlindseyfitz.bsky.social
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...
The book jacket for DEAD ENDS, featuring a cartoon illustration of a man in a casket being shocked to life by a grinning doctor. The book jacket is colorful and children-friendly.
January 15, 2026 at 1:31 PM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
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.
Includes toothbrush, tongue scraper, tooth-pick (small brush on the other end), tooth powder container, scent bottle, and a brush to flick powder off the lapels. All are mounted on mother of pearl and silver gilt framework with shields. All held in a fitted red Morocco leather–covered cased with gilt decoration and a mirror inside the lid.
January 15, 2026 at 12:01 PM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
The answer to #WordOnWednesday this week is dental filling! 🦷
Dark blue background with white text which reads: The answer to Word on Wednesday is dental filling. Pliny the Elder's ‘Naturalis Historia’ (AD 23–79), references the use of materials like wax to fill hollow teeth. In contemporary dentistry, amalgam—a blend of metals such as silver, tin, and copper—is widely used.
January 14, 2026 at 4:41 PM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
#WordOnWednesday is back!

This week we are looking for a phrase you would find in our dental collection.

Can you work it out?
Dark blue background with white text. It reads: Can you guess this week's words from our dental collection? There are 2 words- the first is made up of 6 letters and the second is made up of 7 letters. Clues: An anagram of Nlated Gilnilf • 6,500-year-old Beeswax found in a human jaw, in Slovenia, may be the oldest example of this healthcare procedure.
January 14, 2026 at 10:01 AM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
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
surgeonshall.bsky.social Surgeons' Hall Museums @surgeonshall.bsky.social · 9d
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?
Large metal stand with a semi-circular attachment with sits vertically. Around the edge of the semi-circular portion are a series of measurements, with 0 at the mid point of the arch, then extending in .5 increments to 9/5 at each end.
January 13, 2026 at 4:34 PM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
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?
Large metal stand with a semi-circular attachment with sits vertically. Around the edge of the semi-circular portion are a series of measurements, with 0 at the mid point of the arch, then extending in .5 increments to 9/5 at each end.
January 13, 2026 at 10:01 AM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
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.
A glass vacuum cup and brass cylinder in a mahogany box.
January 9, 2026 at 12:01 PM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
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-...
Dark blue background with a drawing of a skull to the left of the image. To the right of the image is white text that reads: Blood and Guts: The Twists and Turns of Edinburgh's Medical History Walking Tour
January 8, 2026 at 12:01 PM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
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
An oval shaped cameo made of wax or enamel. Benjamin Bell has longish curly hair. The cameo is in a thick black frame.
January 7, 2026 at 12:02 PM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
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!
Dark blue background with white text. It reads:: Join the team. There is a photo of a carbolic acid spray to the left of the image. It is made of brass and has a glass attachment
January 6, 2026 at 12:00 PM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
We're open!

You can visit us from 10am--5pm, 7 days a week.

museum.rcsed.ac.uk
Dark blue background with white text. It reads 'we are open 10am-5pm 7 days a week'. There is a photo of a silver ornate clockwork dental drill to the right of the text.
January 5, 2026 at 10:01 AM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
We reopen at 10am tomorrow.

We can't wait to welcome you all to the museum throughout 2026!
Dark blue background with a photo of a wooden tray containing an array of prosthetic eyes. In white it reads: We reopen at 10am tomorrow
January 4, 2026 at 12:00 PM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
Happy New Year!

We are currently closed but will reopen at 10am on Monday the 5th of January.
Dark blue background with white text. It reads: Happy New Year. We will reopen at 10am on Monday the 5th of January. There is a photo of a curved amputation knife underneath the text.
January 1, 2026 at 10:01 AM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
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.
Dark green velvet looking background with white text. It reads 'Beyond the Knife. A Medical History podcast from Surgeons' Hall Museums. In the middle of the image is a photo of a curved amputation knife.
December 30, 2025 at 12:01 PM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
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...
A painting of seven female surgeons sitting around the anatomy theatre in Surgeons' Hall Museums. Some are wearing their RCSEd gowns and some are wearing their scrubs. In the background is two framed images which show Alice Mabel Headwards-Hunter and Caroline Doig.
December 29, 2025 at 12:01 PM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
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.
An oil painting depicting a dissection. There are 6 men standing round the dissection table. The man third from the left is wearing a large wig and is thought to be Pitcairne. There is a man lying on the dissection table, his torso has been dissected. Placed on his legs are some dissection tools and an hour glass. To the left of the table is a man with flayed skin on a pedestal and to the right is a skeleton on a pedestal holding a scythe On the floor there is some rope and a bowl with a hand in it.
December 25, 2025 at 12:02 PM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
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.
Dark blue background. There is a photo of a squires inhaler made of glass and brass with a green hose attached. In white it reads "we are closed! We will reopen at 10am on Monday the 5th of January 2026."
December 23, 2025 at 5:05 PM
surgeonshall.bsky.social
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.
Two brass plates. One is more worn than the other. The more worn one reads Mr Dykes Surgeon Dentist. The other reads Mr Dykes L.D.S Dental Surgeon.
December 22, 2025 at 12:03 PM