Physicians' Gallery

This week, we’re examining The Midwives Book and how a female midwife in 1600s England talked, wrote and understood periods, wombs and menopause. Was flatulence a sign of pregnancy? Do periods cause rabies? Can menstruating women kill bees? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s episode.

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_______________
The Team:
Dr Charlotte Holmes (@_CCHolmes_) - Editor/Producer
Rachel Forrest - Researcher/Presenter
Dr Daisy Cunynghame - Researcher/Presenter
Dr Sarah Hayward - Editor/Producer
Elizabeth Van Trampe - Editor/Producer

In this episode, we’re unearthing the history of medicinal leeches. From rural swamps to 24 hour leech shops, the leech industry grew and grew across Europe. There were many risks to the use of leeches - from them slithering up your behind to giving you syphilis. One top tip was to not use weird smelling leeches, another was to always squeeze them to empty them out before use.
_______________
Follow us on:
Bluesky - @physiciansgallery
Instagram - @physiciansgallery
TikTok - @physiciansgallery
Facebook - www.facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
Sign up for our newsletter - www.rcpe.ac.uk/newsletter
To support heritage at the RCPE, please donate:
www.rcpe.ac.uk/donate
_______________
The Team:
Dr Charlotte Holmes (@_CCHolmes_) - Editor/Producer
Rachel Forrest - Researcher/Presenter
Dr Daisy Cunynghame - Researcher/Presenter
Dr Sarah Hayward - Editor/Producer
Dr Kate So - Editor/Producer
Elizabeth Van Trampe - Editor/Producer

In this episode, we’re digging into the gnarly history of blood transfusion. From dog blood to black urine, we’re looking at 1600s attempts to carry out the first transfusions. A man is allegedly kidnapped off the streets while French and English scientists vie for primacy in this story of innovation, experimentation and bad ideas.
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Follow us on:
Bluesky - @physiciansgallery
Instagram - @physiciansgallery
TikTok - @physiciansgallery
Facebook - www.facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery
Sign up for our newsletter - https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/newsletter
To support heritage at the RCPE, please donate:
www.rcpe.ac.uk/donate
_______________
The Team:
Dr Charlotte Holmes (@_CCHolmes_) - Editor/Producer
Rachel Forrest - Researcher/Presenter
Dr Daisy Cunynghame - Researcher/Presenter
Dr Sarah Hayward - Editor/Producer
Dr Kate So - Editor/Producer
Elizabeth Van Trampe - Editor/Producer

This week, we’re talking about eating blood. We’re digging into a tiny Scottish chapbook and the slightly gnarly recipe it contains! From the blood of Roman Gladiators to executed prisoners. Eating blood, cooking blood, smearing blood jam on your toast - we’ve got it all!

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Follow us on:
Bluesky - @physiciansgallery
Instagram - @physiciansgallery
TikTok - @physiciansgallery
Facebook - www.facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery

Sign up for our newsletter - www.rcpe.ac.uk/newsletter

To support heritage at the RCPE, please donate:
www.rcpe.ac.uk/donate

_______________

The Team:
Dr Charlotte Holmes (@_CCHolmes_) - Editor/Producer
Rachel Forrest - Researcher/Presenter
Dr Daisy Cunynghame - Researcher/Presenter
Dr Sarah Hayward - Editor/Producer
Elizabeth Van Trampe - Editor/Producer

This week, we’re talking about straitjackets. Despite many seeing the straitjacket as an extreme method of patient restraint, in the 1700s it was introduced as a modern and humane solution.
_______________

Follow us on:
Bluesky - @physiciansgallery
Instagram - @physiciansgallery
TikTok - @physiciansgallery
Facebook - www.facebook.com/PhysiciansGallery

Sign up for our newsletter - https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/newsletter

To support heritage at the RCPE, please donate:
www.rcpe.ac.uk/donate

_______________

The Team:
Dr Charlotte Holmes (@_CCHolmes_) - Editor/Producer
Rachel Forrest - Researcher/Presenter
Dr Daisy Cunynghame - Researcher/Presenter
Dr Sarah Hayward - Editor/Producer