Bringing your entire body and all your senses to see cabinets and jars of entire bodies and all of a person’s senses, the Wohl Pathology Museum is a shocking yet deeply interesting insight into ourselves and how we function. Not introspection per se, more so dissection, but displayed in such a pristine and strangely beautiful manner that draws in even the most squeamish visitors to marvel at the wonder that the human body and modern medical technique affords.
As you go around each of the meticulously categorised sections, trying to select which area of the body or condition you want to explore from cancer to gynaecology, neurosurgery and histology, you are struck by the beauty of the hall within which you find yourself and the meticulous specificity of the human anatomy. The inclusions of battlefield injury, plastic surgery and prosthetics elevate this collection to new heights and give it a final push to make this strange accumulation of bones and body bits a surprisingly unmissable experience for any and all visitors who can stomach its often-gory nature.
Stereolithographic skulls that look fresh from the set of Indianna Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull meet jars of parasitic worms, avulsed scalps and a wall of eyeballs in boxes that simply amaze all who view it and leave you simply in awe at the meticulous arrangement and preservation of every single specimen. Whilst more information points may have been useful in places, the choice not to include them on the majority of items allows the specimens to speak for themselves, particularly when diseased or deformed, giving viewers the chance to make connections for themselves, particularly when near their healthy counterparts.
As part of preservation, some display pieces have been crafted into what can only be described as unique artworks, most notably in a resin cast of renal circulation with stunning colours illustrating this complex network of arteries and veins in a way that wouldn’t be out of place in an art gallery. A picture is worth a thousand words and the neon hues in this picture are a physiological essay packed simply into three colours.
The Wohl Pathology Museum, if you can stomach it, is a must-see attraction during your time in Edinburgh, whether as a medical student, doctor, or slightly disturbingly curious person, tempted by the illustrious draw of our own bodies. Our complex networks are blown apart and examined in this collection for untold learning and wonder that will leave anyone’s mind blown when leaving the brilliant white and grandiose two-level chamber in which the exhibit resides. Worth every penny, especially when alongside the other artefacts in this museum complex, pathology is the path to wonder, and the Wohl-to-Wohl cases of human body parts will certainly leave you with vivid images in your mind long after you exit.
Rating: ★★★★★
The Wohl Pathology Museum is a continuing collection in Edinburgh’s Surgeons’ Hall Museums
