FREE to all Patreon members at $10/month or above.
Please note: This event will take place at 1 pm Eastern time (NYC)

This is the second of a two-part tour of Surgeons’ Hall. Part one is a frontstage tour, on April 11. Scroll up for more!

NOTE: All Patreon members at $10/month or above levels will automatically receive an invitation in their Patreon mailboxes a few days before the event, and will have access to a recording of the event after the fact.

In this special tour exclusive to our $10/month+ members, we invite you to meet Cat Irving, the fascinating and knowledgeable anatomist and human remains conservator of Edinburgh’s Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, Scotland, who will lead us on a virtual visit of the hidden backstage areas of this incredible historic collection. She will also be delighted to answer any questions you might have.

Qualifying (10$/mo and above) members will receive an email in the Patreon mailbox a few days before the event. They will also have access to a recording of the event after the fact.

Surgeons' Hall is the museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. This is one of the oldest surgical institutions in the world, founded in 1505 as the Incorporation of Barbers and Surgeons of Edinburgh. The collection was originally used for the teaching of anatomy and pathology, and includes bone and tissue specimens, artifacts and works of art. It developed in 1699 after 'natural and artificial curiosities' were publicly sought. In the 1800s, the original museum expanded to include the remarkable collections of surgeon and anatomists, Sir Charles Bell and John Barclay. It has been open to the public since 1832, making it one of Scotland's oldest museums.

The collections tell fascinating stories about people's lives, particularly in the nineteenth century. They also explore Edinburgh's unique contribution to surgical practice in modern times, illustrating key figures such as James Syme and pre-anesthesia surgery, Joseph Lister and the breakthrough discovery of antiseptic and James Young Simpson and the discovery of chloroform as an anesthetic. There is a connection with Joseph Bell, the man credited as the inspiration for Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes

There are also darker tales from the museum: Surgeons' Hall's first conservator, Robert Knox, bought bodies from Burke and Hare, who murdered at least sixteen people to sell for anatomical study. One item that can be seen on display is a book alleged to be made from the skin of William Burke after he was hanged for his crimes.

Cat Irving has been the Human Remains Conservator for Surgeons’ Hall since 2015 and has been caring for anatomical and pathological museum collections for nearly twenty years. After a degree in Anatomical Science she began removing brains and sewing up bodies at the Edinburgh City Mortuary. Following training in the care of wet tissue collections at the Royal College of Surgeons of England she worked with the preparations of William Hunter at the Hunterian Museum at Glasgow University. Cat is a licensed anatomist, and gives regular talks on anatomy and medical history.