Physicians' Gallery
LightNews LightNews
banner
physiciansgallery.bsky.social
Physicians' Gallery
@physiciansgallery.bsky.social
8.4K followers 610 following 370 posts
A free museum and library exploring the science and humanity of medicine at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

Sign up to our newsletter www.rcpe.ac.uk/newsletter
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
physiciansgallery.bsky.social
Physicians' Gallery @physiciansgallery.bsky.social · Aug 9
Visit our free #Edinburgh exhibition Hooked.

Exploring pills, drink, snuff and cigarettes, we uncover the many faces of addiction and the many attempts to combat it.

📍 Physicians’ Gallery, 11 Queen Street, EH2 1JQ

📅 Mon – Fri, 10am – 4.30pm

Find out more 👉 www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/hoo...
Three people looking into museum display cases A person looking at an interactive display showing a gambling fruit machine
physiciansgallery.bsky.social
New episode! We’re exploring different objects on display in our Physicians’ Gallery. This week, we’re talking about the electro-therapeutic machine. These machines were designed to administer electric shocks.

Listen now 👉 www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/ele...
Promotional image of electro machine. Text reads: Physicians' Gallery Podcast Electro Machine
November 21, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Reposted by Physicians' Gallery
drlindseyfitz.bsky.social
Victorian medicine chest, which contains medications for pain relief, such as opium. It also includes a set of scales, weights, a pill tile, and a spatula. It was probably used in the home or by an apothecary.

Photo: Wellcome Collection, London
A photo of the Victorian medicine chest. It is open at the front to reveal glass bottles inside and various drawers containing instruments.
November 17, 2025 at 9:58 AM
physiciansgallery.bsky.social
Blog! What we mean by addiction is ever changing. In 1600s Britain, reading books was seen as addictive. You could also be addicted to astrology or to writing poetry.
Read more 👉 www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/her...
Promotional image showing illustration of coffee plant with words 'Blog post Hooked - Defining Addiction'
November 20, 2025 at 7:44 AM
physiciansgallery.bsky.social
In 1700s Britain tea was in such high demand it was often counterfeited - with local plants mixed with turpentine, paint and sheep dung. This book shows an authentic Chinese tea leaf (bottom left) in comparison with 'spurious' substitute leaves

Find out more in Hooked www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/hoo...
Printed black and white illustration of tea making equipment. Two tea caddies are in the centre, surrounded by images of different leaves
November 17, 2025 at 8:22 AM
physiciansgallery.bsky.social
17th century birthing stool, with handgrips for the mother to grasp during contractions and a 'cloth round the ring to keep out the aire'. Similar stools can be found described in the Bible and in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs
An open book. On the right-hand-page is an illustration of a stool which has a tall back, fabric around the base covering the legs and an open ring-shaped base - so the seated person would perch on the ring with space below them for the baby to be delivered
November 12, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Reposted by Physicians' Gallery
rcpsgheritage.bsky.social
Marie Curie was born #OnThisDay 1867.

Madame Curie visited Glasgow in 1929, being hosted by Professor Archibald Young and Mrs Anna Young.

Here is a photo of Irene Curie, Madame Curie, and Mrs Young enjoying the fresh Scottish air at Loch Fyne 😅

#heritage #mariecurie
Black and white photo showing three women standing in front of a rock face. The women are wrapped up in big coats and don't look particularly thrilled to be out in the fresh Scottish air!
November 7, 2025 at 11:55 AM
physiciansgallery.bsky.social
A personal favourite treatment... To cure a whitloe (lesion) put your finger in a cat's ear
Printed recipe. Text reads: For a whitloe in the finger. Stop the finger into a cat's ear, and it will be whole within a quarter of an hour.
November 10, 2025 at 10:51 AM
physiciansgallery.bsky.social
New podcast series! We’re exploring different objects on display in our Physicians’ Gallery.

This week, we’re talking about a 1600s book called Erotomania, which explores the addictive nature of unrequited love.

Listen now 👉 www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/ero...
Promotional image showing an open book with text superimposed which reads 'Physicians' Gallery Podcast, Erotomania'
November 8, 2025 at 11:33 AM
physiciansgallery.bsky.social
On the doctor's orders - wine as a cure for melancholy, at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

archive.org/details/b216...
Handwritten recipe. Reads: A wine against melancholy. Take a pottle of white wine, of sage of [?] & warts-tongue of either one a close hand full. Rosemary as much as of the other then give all a boile on a soft fyre. Then put therin a pinte of spring well water & strain it after you think that a pinte is spent in boyling of the wine. Take a good beer glasse full in the morning at 4 of the clock (afternoon) & last at night
November 7, 2025 at 7:46 AM
physiciansgallery.bsky.social
Our new permanent gallery and learning centre are now open!

Be one of the first to check out our alchemical scroll, examine medicines from the Battle of Culloden and try out our family-friendly puzzles and activities.

Find out more 👉 www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/joy...
Photograph of a display case with a wooden medicine chest inside
November 3, 2025 at 1:03 PM
physiciansgallery.bsky.social
This image is from an 18thc text, 'Man-midwifery dissected'. Its author, John Blunt, wrote that women who employed male midwives were 'female brutes' who 'have stoically forgotten to blush, unless it be by the assistance of rouge'
Coloured illustration of a person - the left half is dressed in typically male 18th century clothing - yellow breeches, a green coat and a powdered wig, while the right side is dressed in typically female clothing - a dress with ruffled sleeves. The background is similarly divided - on the left are shelves of medicines, forceps and a mortar and pestle.
October 29, 2025 at 7:58 AM
physiciansgallery.bsky.social
These are both opium-based medicines. Paregoric was given to young children to relieve teething pain and send them to sleep. Other opium-based medicines for children included Mother Bailey’s Quieting Syrup and Mrs Winslow’s Soothing Syrup

Find out more in Hooked www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/hoo...
Two medicine bottles with labels reading ‘laudanum’ and ‘paregoric elixir’
October 24, 2025 at 6:46 AM
physiciansgallery.bsky.social
We're on the way!

Very excited to see our new public gallery taking shape.

Opening on 3rd November and free entry - see you there!

Find out more 👉 www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/joy...
A man standing on a ladder holding a sponge. Behind him is a colourful wall vinyl with pictures of test tubes and x-rays A green wall vinyl with rolled up vinyl tubes propped up against it
October 21, 2025 at 3:01 PM
physiciansgallery.bsky.social
‘A Satyr against Snuff’ caused a bit of a stir in the 18thc with its risqué health warnings:

‘now, tis by every sort And Sex adorned,
But ask a Wench how Oysters sell?
If nice, She begs a pinch before she sets a price’

Find out more in our exhibition www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/hoo...
Illustration of 1700s snuff taking – a group of men and women sit around a table, on the table are pipes and snuff boxes and the seated figures are smoking and sniffing from the boes
October 20, 2025 at 7:39 AM
physiciansgallery.bsky.social
Santorio Sanctorius’s 17thc weighing machine. For over 30 years he weighed everything that went into, and came out of his body, comparing the weight of his food and drink with his urine and excretia and keeping a detailed diary of his findings
A book open on its title page. On the right is text - Sanctorii Santorii De Statica Medicina Aphorismorum. On the left is an image of a man seated at a table. The table has plates, cups and cutlery on it. His chair is attached to a pulley.
October 17, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Reposted by Physicians' Gallery
mrcwarwick.bsky.social
"We are sun-starved"

Not sure a Collaro Sunray Lamp is the answer....

This advertisement is from September 1939, when people had a lot more on their minds than the lack of sunlight.
Advertisement for Collaro Sunray Lamp, 1939. Features a drawing of a woman wearing protective goggles convalescing in bed. The sunlamp is on the bedside table sending out healing rays.
October 16, 2025 at 1:52 PM
physiciansgallery.bsky.social
Sore legs? Considered putting herrings on your feet? - Handy 1785 medical tip
Printed recipe. Reads: For swelled legs. Take salt herrings, open them, pulling out the back-bone, lay them to the soles of your feet: by doing this once per day, for 7 days, you will experience the benefit.
October 15, 2025 at 6:38 AM
physiciansgallery.bsky.social
We’re excited to announce that on 3rd Nov we’re opening a 🎉 free 🎉 entry new gallery and learning centre!

Join us to explore stories from medicine – from alchemy to straitjackets, along with family-friendly activities and puzzles.

Find out more 👉 www.rcpe.ac.uk/heritage/joy...
Drawing of a bird wearing a crown biting its own wing, surrounded by drops of blood and feathers
October 13, 2025 at 7:00 AM
physiciansgallery.bsky.social
Dr Ebenezer Sibly, using his miracle tincture, the occult, and mesmerism to 'cure' a patient, ('A Key to Physic and the Occult Sciences')
An 18th century coloured print. Two figures - on the right is a seated woman in a green dress, on the left, standing over her, is a man in a red frockcoat. He holds up his hands and rays - dotted lines - emanate from his hands to her face
October 8, 2025 at 6:53 PM
physiciansgallery.bsky.social
18thc medical advice for #internationalcoffeeday – try opium in your coffee for ‘the Coffee takes of the narcotic quality of the Opium’ cullenproject.ac.uk/docs/5939/
Handwritten text. Reads: opium in strong coffee
October 1, 2025 at 8:25 AM
physiciansgallery.bsky.social
This is the first known illustration of a straitjacket (1794). Despite many seeing it as an extreme method of restraint, it was introduced as a humane solution. Although still dehumanising, it was an improvement on manacling and chaining patients to walls
Black and white print of 7 images - a person restrained on a bed, the bed itself, a person wearing a straitjacket, manacles and wrist restraints
September 29, 2025 at 6:50 AM
physiciansgallery.bsky.social
Old and stale urine of a man anyone?
Printed text. Reads: for blisters. 1. Anoint the place either with old and stale urine of a man. 2. Or, with the rust of iron. 3,. Or, with sanguis draconis. 4. Or, with cinnabarum.
September 24, 2025 at 6:48 AM
Reposted by Physicians' Gallery
anatomicalcat.bsky.social
Looking at this 18thC model of female pelvic anatomy, you see three foetuses. This isn’t showing pregnancy with triplets - it’s an intended to show different types of ectopic pregnancy. You can see ovarian, tubal, and peritoneal. It was produced by sculptor Francesc Citarelli to teach obstetrics
A model of the female pelvic region where you can see the kidneys and major abdominal blood vessels, and three foetuses lying outside the uterus
August 29, 2025 at 7:01 PM
physiciansgallery.bsky.social
Magiae Naturalis or Natural Magic. This book includes a recipe for Witches’ Unguent that supposedly allowed witches to fly at night… or at least they thought they could, due to its hallucinogenic properties!
A book frontispiece showing a man in a long robe holding a sword pointed at a mirror - another hand inside the mirror also hold a sword, pointing it back at the man
September 22, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Reposted by Physicians' Gallery
rcpsgheritage.bsky.social
Chomp!

Love this little guy taking a bite out of the gastronomy map of France (Cours gastronomique, ou, Les diners de Manant-ville, c.1809) 😋
Illustration of a man taking a bite out of the title of the book Gastro map of France
September 12, 2025 at 10:37 AM