Your College Poster 1 - over 515 years of history
Explore the rich history of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) through our exclusive posters.
Nine captivating close-up shots unveil hidden stories. Each image is a carefully selected piece of our heritage, providing a glimpse into the esteemed legacy of the College.
Visitor at the museum Surgeons' Hall Museums is an award-winning Museum that is home to one of the largest and most historic pathology collections in the United Kingdom. It opened in 1832 and comprises anatomical specimens, surgical and dental instruments, and artworks, with many interactive displays. |
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Original drawings of our building The architectural plan of the western front of Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, 1829. From a collection of 120 original drawings by Scottish architect William Playfair, famous for creating the ‘Athens of the North’ in Edinburgh. |
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Harrington's clockwork 'Erado' drill Harrington’s clockwork device for preparing cavities, designed and crafted by George Fellows Harrington (1812-1895) in 1864, is a notable creation. When wound, it revolves through the action of a powerful spring that engages with cogwheels. This drill, recognised as the first to permit continuous rotation, is thought to have been produced with intricate engraved casings, possibly as presentation or demonstration models, like the one showcased here. |
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Photo of “Planches anatomiques du corps humain exécutées d'après les dimensions naturelles” (RCSEd’s largest book) |
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Stained-glass window |
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Is this from Patrick Heron Watson Lecture Notebook – “Anatomy for Artists”? Student notebook of Patrick Heron Watson FRCSEd, containing his drawings and notes from the class 'Anatomy for Artists', c.1856. Heron Watson held the unusual honour of being elected twice for the office of President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, in 1878 and 1905. Sir Patrick Heron Watson (1832 – 1907) was an eminent 19th-century Scottish surgeon and pioneer of anaesthetic development. He was associated with several surgical innovations including excision of the knee joint, excision of the thyroid and excision of the larynx for malignant disease. Portrait of Patrick Heron Watson FRCSEd can be viewed in the Main Corridor of the Playfair building. |
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Chloroform bottle This 19th century chloroform bottle was designed to dispense very small amounts of chloroform onto a towel or mask for patient administration, Though accounts vary, it seems that after a dinner in 1847, Simpson Young Simpson and several guests took part in an experiment with chloroform and passed out under the table. Following Simpson's publication of chloroform’s anaesthetic qualities, it widely replaced ether as a surgical anaesthetic within weeks because ether was expensive, highly volatile, and caused vomiting. This bottle is on permanent display in the History of Surgery Gallery of Surgeon’s Hall Museum. |
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RCSEd Minutes This page is from the first College Minute Book. The College Archive holds an uninterrupted record of all Council meetings from 1581 to the present day, which contain a wealth of information about our history, including a record of all men and women who have qualified with RCSEd since the sixteenth century. Papers of the RCSEd (1466-present) can be searched through our online catalogue. |
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Memorial to the Pandemic Workers |