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Bringing up the Bodies: Body snatching, Murder and Anatomy in Nineteenth Century Edinburgh
Lauriston Castle Lectures
At the beginning of the nineteenth century Edinburgh’s Medical School was one of the most prestigious in Europe. Students flocked to study there, and private anatomy schools flourished around the city. The quest for knowledge and understanding of the body came with a price. The dead did not always rest in peace. This talk will look at the development of medicine in Edinburgh, and examine its dark underbelly to understand how two murderers would play a role in changing the laws governing anatomy in the UK. There is also a tale to be told as we look over the Forth from Lauriston…. One night, under cover of darkness, surgeon Robert Liston – who became known as ‘the fastest knife in the West End’ – rowed across the Forth with London resurrectionist Ben Crouch. Their destination was a Fife graveyard. This was a time when the dead did not always rest in peace. At the beginning of the nineteenth century Edinburgh’s Medical School was one of the most prestigious in Europe. Students flocked to study there, and private anatomy schools flourished around the city. The quest for knowledge and understanding of the body came with a price. This talk will look at the development of medicine in Edinburgh and examine its dark underbelly to understand how two murderers would play a role in changing the laws governing anatomy in the UK. Cat Irving has been the Human Remains Conservator for Surgeons’ Hall since 2015 and has been caring for anatomical and pathological museum collections for over 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, as well as writing the blog Wandering Bones. Recently she has carried out conservation work on the skeleton of serial killer William Burke prior to his display in National Museum of Scotland.
All our lecture mornings cost £8 and include a friendly lecture where you can meet our guest lecturer, have coffee and a sweet treat and get a special castle tour. Why not make a day of it at Lauriston and have some lunch at Mimi’s café on-site after your lecture experience?
Book on the booking link
By phone - 0131 336 2060 (Opening Hours: Monday - Sunday 10am - 4pm)
In person - At Lauriston Castle – (Go through Courtyard by Mimi’s Café and ring the bell on the green door) Monday - Sunday 10am - 4pm
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
2a Cramond Road South, Davidson's Mains, EH4 5QD Edinburgh, United Kingdom, Lauriston Castle, 2A Cramond Road South, Edinburgh, EH4 6, United Kingdom,Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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