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‘Iron lung’ as metaphor
I will argue that ‘iron lung’ became eponymous as it connected the material reality of the NPV with imagined sensory experiences for publics in the UK, highlighting the often contradictory earlier metaphors of modernity and sound.
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‘Your body is full of wounds’: references, social contexts and uses of the wounds of Christ in Late Medieval Europe
The wounds of Christ was an immensely popular motif in Late Medieval Europe. This collaborative essay discusses three different instances where the iconography is adapted to respond to the devotional and practical needs of the diverse and changing audiences.
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A history of amulets in ten objects
This article presents a historical survey of ten amulets using objects from the Science Museum collections. What can we learn about the place of amulets in the larger narrative of European healing from the early modern era to the present day?
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A statistical campaign: Florence Nightingale and Harriet Martineau’s England and her Soldiers
An essay on the making of England and her Soldiers, a book written by Harriet Martineau and based on the statistical work of Florence Nightingale.
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AIDS memorials from obituaries to artworks – a photo essay
Based on the online repository AIDSmemorial.info, this essay highlights the diversity of AIDS memorials worldwide by defining twenty categories, reflecting on their origins and evolution as well as attempts to preserve this cultural heritage.
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Wounded: ‘They had no fever…’ Ambroise Paré (1510–1590) and his method of gunshot wounds management
The paper deals with new surgical paradigm elaborated by French surgeon Ambroise Paré, who proposed a version of wound care where the cauterising was replaced with ligature of vessels and healing balm dressing.
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An overlooked eighteenth-century scrofula pamphlet: changing forms and changing readers, 1760–1824
This article explores the medical context, editorial history and varied reader reception of an eighteenth-century pamphlet on scrofula written by John Morley, a wealthy Essex landowner.
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Clinical images, imperial power and Bhau Daji’s secret treatment for leprosy at the Royal College of Physicians Museum
This article explores a collection of medical photographs and illustrations from the Royal College of Physicians Museum showing patients treated for leprosy by Dr Bhau Daji in the mid-nineteenth century.
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Rapid Response Collecting and the Irish Abortion Referendum
Ireland’s recent public referenda on LGBTI+ and women’s rights reflect a significant shift in Irish society. The National Museum of Ireland responded by collecting their material culture, working collaboratively with the public to fill collection gaps to better represent Ireland’s complex and difficult histories.
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Coming home - Bally’s miniature phrenological specimens
Close inspection of William Bally’s miniature phrenological specimens – a set of 60 small plaster busts – has led to a reappraisal of their origin and use. Made in 1832, they helped position Bally as ‘one of the best practical phrenologists in England’.