RCP museum

We have four interesting exhibition events coming up over the next two months in person & online. Visit the exhibition free Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm or join an event @rcphysicians.bsky.social & online. More details below & book your place now 👉 history.rcp.ac.uk/events #histmed #PatientVoices

Patient Voices: autumn lectures (virtual) 📆18 November 🕢6-8pm Join us for an online lectures evening exploring examples of voices of both visible and marginalised female patients featured in exhibition ‘Patient voices: power, truth, understanding’.

We have four interesting exhibition events coming up over the next two months in person & online. Visit the exhibition free Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm or join an event @rcphysicians.bsky.social & online. More details below & book your place now 👉 history.rcp.ac.uk/events #histmed #PatientVoices

'Build a body': children’s workshop 📆27 October 🕢10.30am - 12.30pm Join us for a fun papercraft half-term workshop where you get to draw and create your very own “Build a body” artwork inspired by the collections at the Royal College of Physicians.

😍Exhibition 'Patient voices' is open to visit! We celebrated with a private view featuring speeches from the patient advocacy group who helped develop the exhibition, senior curator Liz Douglas & musical performances of baroque pieces evoking the experience of a patient. 🎼 Photos Saul Perryman

Marin Marais was a virtuoso viola de gamba player & composer born in 1656. During his career he composed two pieces of music that evoke the feelings of being a patient. Visit recent blog by Harveian Librarian, Anita Simonds, to find out more 👉 history.rcp.ac.uk/blog/marin-m...

This recipe book compiled 1644-1691 includes 3 cures 'Against Biting of a Mad dog'. Could this be rabies in the archive? #worldrabiesday 🧵 1. 'A poultice for ye biting of a mad dog' made with the bitten person's urine, boiled bread, turpentine and rose or chamomile oil applied to the bite.

Ale mixed with sage, garlic and treacle to create a ‘water’ drunk for 3 days post-bite and again for 3 days after the next full moon. Perhaps a remedy against the person becoming ‘mad’ also, as the full moon was considered to have an adverse impact on people with mental health issues.

We are reopening to visits tomorrow 2 September! Pop by for a drop-in visit, or why not book free to join our taster tour at 1.30pm tomorrow. history.rcp.ac.uk/event/rcp-mu...

This is the ‘Horoscope of Johannes’, born on 12 April 1538 - it's an extremely rare surviving example of ‘natal astrology’. It uses the date, time & location of a person’s birth to study the movements of the stars & planets at the time & predict their future course in life. #EYAsurprise 1/3

During the medieval period astrologers were respected scholars & most people believed that the world around them including a person's health could be predicted & influenced using astrology. This 'zodiac man' explained how the astrological formations (star signs) ruled each part of the body. 2/3

🫀 Discover Juan Valverde’s beautifully illustrated Anatomia, published in the 16th century. After 400+ years of use, its damaged binding needed specialist conservation. Find out how this remarkable anatomical book was repaired & preserved: history.rcp.ac.uk/blog/preserv...

What we are getting up to behind the scenes at this summer . . . ⭐ dusting with brushes & conservation vacuum 🧹 😍 creating bespoke cushions for our buttons 👀& getting objects mounted ready for the next exhibition! #MuseumLife #histmed

To celebrate #WorldHoneyBeeDay we thought we’d share a couple medicinal recipes featuring honey in the recipe books of the RCP archive. Kicking off with a classic from Lady Sedley’s 1686 book – ‘To make hayre grow’. . . with helpful accompanying illustration of expected growth 😆. #histmed 1/3

Then in Mistress Honore Henslow’s 1601 book of ‘surgerie and physic’ we find honey as part of a soothing remedy for the ‘heddache’. Rather than one to consume this is how to make a remedy to put in a linen bag and lay on your ‘pate’ [head] featuring garlic, pepper and the all important honey. 2/3

The Seventy Tales of the Parrot is one of our few non-medical manuscripts. The story tells of a merchant who leaves an enchanted parrot with his wife to tell her stories ending in cliffhangers every night to prevent her being unfaithful. #EYAsurprise @exploreyourarchive.bsky.social 1/2

We hope many of you are getting to enjoy this evening’s #solareclipse from your part of the world 😎. We found these two images of past eclipses in our collections - a print of the 1905 eclipse & an illustration of the eclipse way back in 1556! @rcphysicians.bsky.social #histmed

How did surgeons learn before videos & 3D models? In 1724, Lorenz Heister’s book Chirurgie used clear explanations & beautiful copperplate engravings to teach anatomy, instruments & operating methods. Discover its story & how you can support its conservation: history.rcp.ac.uk/blog/chirurg...