Bio- Art/Photo Journal
The College of Physicians of Philadelphia was founded in 1787. The Museum was named after Dr. Thomas Dent Mutter. Dr. Mutter donated over a thousand pieces from his personal collection to the museum, a truly rare living catalog.
The museum features:
-The Hyrtl skull collection of 139 Human skulls, mostly gypsies and criminals from Eastern Europe.
-Casts showing methods of Trepanning
-Studies of Opthamolgy- wax models of various diseases of the eye
-The collection of Dr. Chevalier Jackson---drawers of cataloged objects removed from the body using a Broncoscope
-The Phantom Brain- illustrates the working systems of the brain
- The skeleton of the Tallest Man , and a Dwarf named Mary who died in childbirth.
-President Abraham Lincoln's Life Mask
-Various Brain Slices ("Brain of a Murderer" and "Brains of epileptics" and other studies of sectional anatomy/cross sections
- President Grover Cleveland's preserved tumor
-The plaster death masks of Cheng and Eng- famous Siamese Twins. Also their conjoined organs preserved.
-Various antiquated medical tools such as: Autopsy, Embalming Kits, Scarification Tools, Field Operation Tools, Lobotomy implements, Lancets for blood-letting, Violet Ray Machines, Microscopes,
- Models exploring congenital anomalies, monstrous births, cancer, various skin diseases, tumors
- The Widow Demanche, who lived with a horn growing out of the center of her forehead.
-Skeletal and Fetal development outlining the growth of a normal infant child.
-Teratology, Conjoined Twins, Mermaid Baby, Archival Photo Collections of wounded Civil War soldiers.
-The Soap Woman- She died of yellow fever in the 19th c. and her body was preserved in the soil becuase of certain chemicals present. Her remains are preserved, similiar to the Bog Man whose was preserved in peat.
The visit was amazing and I will always remember the Museum docent; Jim Gould, who took the time to give Luke and I our own private lesson on Trepanning. We were able to handle some of the skull replicas. This was an amazing Birthday gift.
