A Healing Passion

The Hunterian was founded in 1807 on the collections of the eminent Scottish physician and obstetrician, William Hunter (1718-1783) whose medical collections were the core of his career, museum and success.

Glasgow and the West of Scotland have played a very important part in the history of medicine, producing many key figures and significant achievements. Glasgow continues to play an important role in the field of ground-breaking medical research.

The Hunterian was founded in 1807 on the collections of the eminent Scottish physician and obstetrician, William Hunter (1718-1783) whose medical collections were the core of his career, museum and success.

‘A Healing Passion’ is the first display dedicated to medicine at the Hunterian and draws on these unique collections to reflect the illustrious heritage of the region. Covering historical and contemporary aspects of medicine in Glasgow, the display explores major and lesser known figures in medicine, showcasing their achievements and their impact on our lives.

The display is divided into seven subject areas: anatomy, pathology, surgery, obstetrics, forensic medicine and science, public health, and tomorrow's medicine. Of particular interest will be some of William Hunter’s original 18th century anatomical and pathological specimens, Joseph Lister’s carbolic spray, some of the first X-Ray films made by John MacIntyre, and one of the first ultrasound scanners ever developed.

Advances in medicine affect us all at some point in our lives. A Healing Passion celebrates these developments and explains how they are relevant to our lives today.

Anatomy is the science of the body’s structure. This section displays an array of anatomical and pathological specimens from William Hunter’s collections. Also featured are Hunter’s investigations on lymphatics, bone, joints and seasonal breeding.

Pathology is the study of the nature of diseases and the structural and functional changes produced by them. Displays include pathological specimens relating to the work of William Hunter’s associates, Matthew Baillie and William Cheselden. The 18th Century surgical procedure ‘Cutting for the Stone’ and Hunter’s collection of calculi (stones) are also featured.

Surgery is the treatment of disease or injury by operative procedures. 19th Century advances in antisepsis (Joseph Lister) and asepsis (William Macewen) are described. This section also introduces Glasgow’s pioneer of X-Ray and cinematography, John MacIntyre and features contemporary stories on MRSA and the Glasgow Coma Scale.

Public Health is the science and practice of protecting and improving the health of a community. Included are busts of William Tennant Gairdner, Glasgow’s first part-time medical officer of health and John Boyd Orr, who won the Nobel peace prize for his scientific research into nutrition and its effect on health.

Forensic Medicine and Science is the application of medical and scientific data to the law. The work of Glasgow Professors John Glaister Senior and John Glaister Junior in the late 19th and early 20th Century is explored. Modern forensic science is also featured, with an example of a scene of crime kit used by the police.

Obstetrics is the branch of medicine dealing with the care of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and following delivery. William Hunter’s research on maternal foetal circulation and the gravid uterus is outlined. Also featured is Murdoch Cameron’s work on the Caesarean section and the history and development of ultrasound.

Tomorrow’s Medicine
This section is dedicated to contemporary medical research in Glasgow, and will include a series of interactives which relate to subjects such as joint disease and blood pressure.

‘A Healing Passion: Medicine in Glasgow Past and Present’, is located on the upper balcony of the Hunterian Museum’s spectacular Victorian Gothic main hall, as a companion to the ‘Lord Kelvin: Revolutionary Scientist’ display, which opened in October 2004.
The exhibition was made possible thanks to the generous support of the ReDiscover Fund (Wellcome Trust and Wolfson Foundation), a Wellcome Trust People Award, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the University of Glasgow Chancellor’s Fund.