Post-mortem set
- maker:
- Weiss, John
This image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Licence
License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Licence
License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
License
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
Bowel scissors
Bowel scissors
- Measurements:
-
length 207 mm
width 53 mm
- Materials:
- steel
- Object Number:
- A647317 Pt2
- type:
- bowel scissors
Brain knife blade
Brain knife blade
- Measurements:
-
length 173 mm
width 18 mm
- Materials:
- steel
- Object Number:
- A647317 Pt4
- type:
- brain knives
Spine chisel
Spine chisel
- Measurements:
-
length 196 mm
width 29 mm
- Materials:
- steel
- Object Number:
- A647317 Pt5
- type:
- spine chisels
Post mortem saw blade
Post mortem saw blade
- Measurements:
-
length 241 mm
width 53 mm
- Materials:
- steel
- Object Number:
- A647317 Pt6
- type:
- post mortem saws
Post mortem chisel
Post mortem chisel
- Measurements:
-
length 164 mm
width 22 mm
- Materials:
- steel
- Object Number:
- A647317 Pt7
- type:
- post mortem chisels
Blow pipe
Blow pipe
Post-mortem set
Leather covered wooden case for post mortem set, by Weiss, English
- Measurements:
-
case: length 260 mm
case: width 125 mm
case: height 46 mm
- Materials:
- case, wood and case, brass
- Object Number:
- A647317 Pt12
- type:
- post-mortem set
