History Extra podcast
Victoria's armpit and 'giant' bones: body parts that changed history
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Body parts have played a significant role in historical events, such as the War of Jenkins Ear and Queen Victoria's armpit abscess leading to medical advancements.
- The preservation and display of body parts raise ethical and controversial issues, such as the unauthorized use of Henrietta Lacks' cells and skepticism surrounding the authenticity of certain preserved body parts.
Deep dives
The Stories of Body Parts: From Dissection to Collection
One prominent theme discussed in the podcast episode is the significance of body parts in history. The guest, Dr. Susie Edge, discusses how her interest in body part stories began during her anatomical dissection classes. She shares that she has spent years collecting stories about body parts, and these stories have started to come together nicely. It is mentioned that some stories were collected from people sending them to her on TikTok. Dr. Edge also talks about the connection between body parts and power, consent, and what happens to people's bodies. The story of Alexis St Martin, a fur trader who survived being shot and had a hole in his stomach, is highlighted as one of the fascinating stories. These various stories shed light on the theme of consent and who gets to decide what happens to people's bodies.
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