Archaeological evidence for 18th-century medical practice in the Old Town of Edinburgh: excavations at 13 Infirmary Street and Surgeons' Square

David Henderson (Author)

Mark Collard (Author)

Daniel A Johnston (Author)


Keyword(s):
Human Skeletons, Schools, Disarticulated Bones, Human Bones, Postmortem Tooth
Period(s):
1988, Eighteenth Century

Abstract


Articulated human skeletons and disarticulated bones recovered in 1993 from excavations in the area of the former Lady Yester's Kirkyard showed clear evidence of post-mortem dissection. They are identified as the `unclaimed' dead buried by the Royal Infirmary in the second half of the eighteenth century. There was evidence for post-mortem tooth removal from all the dentitions recovered during the excavation, probably for the manufacture of sets of false teeth. A further assemblage of human bones, found in 1988 adjacent to eighteenth/nineteenth-century anatomy schools formed part of a teaching collection from the schools.

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Published
30-11-1997
How to Cite
Henderson, D., Collard, M., & Johnston, D. (1997). Archaeological evidence for 18th-century medical practice in the Old Town of Edinburgh: excavations at 13 Infirmary Street and Surgeons’ Square. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 126, 929-941. https://doi.org/10.9750/PSAS.126.929.941
Section
Articles

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