Post-mortem set

Post-mortem set Post mortem set, cased, by Weiss, English

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Post mortem set, cased, by Weiss, English
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Post mortem set, cased, by Weiss, English

The set contains a large steel hammer, a brain knife, a spine chisel, saws and scalpels – instruments used to carry out a post-mortem. Post-mortems only came into practice in the early 1800s. They were used to determine whether the physician’s diagnosis when the patient was alive had been correct. They also helped physicians to learn more about the internal symptoms and signs of disease. The set was made by John Weiss, a surgical instrument maker who founded his company in 1747.

Details

Category:
Anatomy & Pathology
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A647317
Materials:
case, wood and case, brass
Measurements:
closed case: 46 mm x 260 mm x 125 mm, 1.52 kg
fully open case: 46 mm x 260 mm x 248 mm,
type:
post-mortem set

Parts

Hammer with plastic scale tang handle

Hammer with plastic scale tang handle

Hammer with plastic scale tang handle

Materials:
steel and plastic
Object Number:
A647317 Pt1
type:
hammers
Spring forceps

Spring forceps

Spring forceps

Materials:
steel
Object Number:
A647317 Pt3
type:
forceps
Brain knife blade

Brain knife blade

Brain knife blade

Materials:
steel
Object Number:
A647317 Pt4
type:
brain knives
Post mortem saw blade

Post mortem saw blade

Post mortem saw blade

Materials:
steel
Object Number:
A647317 Pt6
type:
post mortem saws
Scalpel with wooden scale tang handle

Scalpel with wooden scale tang handle

Scalpel with wooden scale tang handle

Materials:
steel and wood
Object Number:
A647317 Pt8
type:
scalpels
Knife blade

Knife blade

Knife blade

Materials:
steel
Object Number:
A647317 Pt9
type:
knives
Handle for instruments

Handle for instruments

Handle for instruments

Materials:
steel and plastic
Object Number:
A647317 Pt10
type:
handles