A potted history of specimen-taking

In jars: The integration of historical anatomical and pathological potted specimens in undergraduate education

INTRODUCTION

Across the UK, many anatomy departments possess historical potted wet cadaveric specimen collections, such as organs preserved in fluid-filled jars. Although considered obsolete by some for anatomical education, there is immense potential for their utilisation in teaching, particularly in institutes that have limited access to cadavers or have had body donation rates impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Another benefit of historical potted cadaveric specimens is that severe pathology, often not seen today, can be observed by the student.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The aim of this study was to understand students' opinions and attitudes towards the use of historical anatomical and pathological potted wet specimen collections in undergraduate science teaching. Following their integration into the anatomy program of a Clinical Sciences degree, seventy-seven undergraduate students completed a five-point Likert questionnaire on their perspective for the integration of the historical potted specimens in anatomical education. This study was approved by the Research Ethics committee at the University of Bradford RESULTS: The study demonstrated that 90 % of students found the collection useful in teaching, 92 % would like to see the collection used more in teaching, and 76 % of students found that the collection encouraged them to consider medical ethics and the donor.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, the survey findings suggest that further utilisation of historical potted wet specimen collections would be useful in the teaching of anatomy and that these collections could potentially encourage conversations on post-mortem bodily integrity, ethics, and organ donation.

From cradle to grave via the dissection room: the role of foetal and infant bodies in anatomical education from the late 1700s to early 1900s

The preponderance of men in the narrative of anatomical education during the 1800s has skewed the historical perception of medical cadavers in favour of adult men, and stifled the conversation about the less portrayed individuals, especially children. Although underrepresented in both the historical literature and skeletal remains from archaeological contexts dated to the 1800s, these sources nevertheless illustrate that foetal and infant cadavers were a prized source of knowledge. In the late 1700s and 1800s foetal and infant cadavers were acquired by anatomists following body snatching from graveyards, from the child's death in a charitable hospital, death from infectious disease in large poor families, or following infanticide by desperate unwed mothers. Study of foetal and infant remains from the 1800s in the anatomical collection at the University of Cambridge shows that their bodies were treated differently to adults by anatomists. In contrast to adults it was extremely rare for foetal and infant cadavers to undergo craniotomy, and thoracotomy seems to have been performed through costal cartilages of the chest rather than the ribs themselves. However, many infants and foetuses do show evidence for knife marks on the cranium indicating surgical removal of the scalp by anatomists. These bodies were much more likely to be curated long term in anatomical collections and museums than were adult males who had undergone dissection. They were prized both for demonstrating normal anatomical development, but also congenital abnormalities that led to an early death. The current findings show that the dissection of foetal and infant cadavers was more widespread than previous research on anatomical education suggests. This research details the important role of the youngest members of society in anatomical education during the long 19th century, and how the social identity of individuals in this subgroup affected their acquisition, treatment and disposal by elite medical men of the time.

Comparison of injection/dissection and injection/corrosion methods: example of vertebral veins in the transverse canal

PURPOSE

In order to contribute some new elements to the discussion on the organization of the vertebral veins inside the transverse canal, we compared two dissection techniques: injection/dissection and injection/corrosion. The aim of this study was to compare these two techniques to study the vertebral veins, and also to emphasize the importance of preserving specimens in anatomical museums.

METHODS

Using the injection/dissection technique, latex was injected into ten specimens, then the transverse canal was opened to expose the vertebral veins and their anastomoses. Using the injection/corrosion technique, altufix was injected into eight specimens that were afterwards plunged in sulfuric acid and washed daily until complete corrosion was obtained.

RESULTS

Both techniques showed concordant results. The vertebral veins were plexuous, located ventro-laterally to the artery and received constant metamerical branches at each level. The injection/dissection technique conserved the anatomical relationships allowing metamerical analysis of the vertebral veins. The injection/corrosion technique, however, failed to conserve these relationships but provided a precise visualization of smaller anastomosis.

CONCLUSIONS

By analyzing different aspects of the vertebral veins anatomy in the transverse canal, the two techniques complete each other. This study emphasizes the importance of preserving the anatomical preparations: in addition to the historical and cultural value of these preparations, they contain precious information that furthers our anatomical knowledge.

The study of anatomy in England from 1700 to the early 20th century

The study of anatomy in England during the 18th and 19th century has become infamous for bodysnatching from graveyards to provide a sufficient supply of cadavers. However, recent discoveries have improved our understanding of how and why anatomy was studied during the enlightenment, and allow us to see the context in which dissection of the human body took place. Excavations of infirmary burial grounds and medical school cemeteries, study of hospital archives, and analysis of the content of surviving anatomical collections in medical museums enables us to re-evaluate the field from a fresh perspective. The pathway from a death in poverty, sale of the corpse to body dealer, dissection by anatomist or medical student, and either the disposal and burial of the remains or preservation of teaching specimens that survive today in medical museums is a complex and fascinating one.