The Gripping History of Pre-Anesthesia Surgery and Instruments

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Cat Irving - Human Remains Conservator

Specimens

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CHAPTER

The Gripping History of Pre-Anesthesia Surgery and Instruments

This chapter delves into the history of surgical practices prior to anesthesia, focusing on a speedy surgeon and his innovative techniques. It captures the intense operating theater environment and shares anecdotes that highlight both the risks and advancements in surgery of that period.

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Love science and conservation? Want to discover new ways to protect our species? Elle Kaye chats with guests who work within the science genre, but whose job titles may need a little unpacking. Strap in for entomology, taxidermy, diaphonization, pet remains, human pathology and all those that work with specimens.

TW: Death/Dying and Human Remains

In episode 030 Elle chats with Cat about her work caring for anatomical and pathological museum collections for nearly twenty years. She discusses the transition between working in Edinburgh City Mortuary and moving to England to further train in wet tissue collections to returning to Scotland to work with pathology specimens in Surgeons’ Hall in Edinburgh. We also discuss shifts in perceptions around death and dying, and what that has meant for Cat.

Cat Socials

https://thesewanderingbones.wordpress.com/contents/

https://twitter.com/AnatomicalCat

https://www.instagram.com/anatomicalcat/

Surgeons Hall

https://museum.rcsed.ac.uk/

Hunterian Museum Glasgow

https://www.gla.ac.uk/hunterian/

Alder Hay Scandal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alder_Hey_organs_scandal

Authors Cat Mentions

Ian Rankin - https://www.ianrankin.net/