Post mortem set, almost complete, in mahogany case, by Charriere of Paris, 1820-1860
The steel instrument set contains all the equipment needed to carry out a post mortem dissection. The set contains dissecting scissors, a large hammer, saws and knives, a so-called brain knife, three scalpels and three bistouries, which are long surgical knives. Most gruesome of all are the large and sturdy rib shears, for cutting open the ribcage, and the double bladed, curved spine saw. The set was made by the French surgical instrument maker Charrière.
Post mortem or autopsy only came into common practice in the early 1800s. The purpose of post mortem was to find the cause of death and establish whether the physician’s diagnosis when the patient was alive was correct. It also helped physicians to learn more about the internal symptoms and signs of disease. Today, post mortems are commonly associated with forensic science.
Details
- Category:
- Anatomy & Pathology
- Collection:
- Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
- Object Number:
- A106316
- Measurements:
-
case open: 218 mm x 310 mm x 278 mm, 3.73 kg
case closed: 80 mm x 309 mm x 188 mm, 3.73 kg
- type:
- post mortem set
- credit:
- Loan, Wellcome Trust
Parts
Dissecting scissors from post-mortem set
Post-mortem hammer
Post mortem saw
Knives from post mortem set
Charriere-type double spine saw
Brain knife from post mortem set
Scalpels from post mortem set
Bistouries from post mortem set
Rib shears for use during post mortem
Case for post mortem set
- Materials:
- mahogany (wood) , brass (copper, zinc alloy) and felt
- Object Number:
- A106316 Pt11
- type:
- case - container and surgery