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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
RCP museum
@rcpmuseum.bsky.social
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The Royal College of Physicians museum, heritage library, archive & garden in Regent's Park | History, medicine, art & modernist architecture | Exhibitions & events
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rcpmuseum.bsky.social
Visit the exhibition to discover more about the wide range of topics in our library, the disasters its survived (including plague, theft, fire & bombs!) & much more. You can visit free during our opening hours & at special Late openings 👉 history.rcp.ac.uk/visit-us
#BodyOfKnowledge #histmed
Exhibition graphic showing colourful pages from the books in the background and the following text: A body of knowledge Discover 500 years of book collecting at the RCP 10 September 2025 - 23 July 2026 Exhibition | Free entry
January 16, 2026 at 12:13 PM
rcpmuseum.bsky.social
For artwork ‘Making Visible’, in exhibition ‘A body of knowledge’, Harvey’s portrait has been temporarily replaced by one of Grace Pierrepont. Grace restarted the library collection after the Great Fire. Find out about her, Harvey & the books: history.rcp.ac.uk/exhibitions/...
#BodyOfKnowledge
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A portrait of Grace Pierrepont handing on a wooden wall with bookshelves either side. The books on the shelves are wrapped in blue paper as part o an artwork called 'Making Visible'
January 7, 2026 at 3:17 PM
rcpmuseum.bsky.social
A fellow of the RCP, Harvey was famous for his experiments & publication that demonstrated the circulation of blood. He was also an early donor to the physicians’ library giving books & money for the 1st librarian. Because of this his portrait usually hangs in the RCP's Dorchester Library.

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A close up of William Harvey's face painted by an unknown artist. He is shown as a white man with grey hair curling onto his shoulders, thinning on top, a small moustache and a beard on his chin. He is wearing a white collared shirt under a black robe. An image of the Dorchester Library showing shelves of books and the portrait of William Harvey handing in the centre.
January 7, 2026 at 3:17 PM
rcpmuseum.bsky.social
We hope you all have a wonderful Festive Season whether celebrating Hannukah, Christmas or just generally enjoying this time 'to feast and be merry'! 🍽️😋🎄

We will sign off socials for now and see you all in 2026 🥳

@rcphysicians.bsky.social
December 19, 2025 at 4:51 PM
rcpmuseum.bsky.social
Brown's annotations are in Arabic, Greek & Latin. He traces the origins & meanings of Arabic terms, compares the text with two different Latin translations, & confronts textual errors & inconsistencies. On these pages, Browne is grappling with the book’s classification and description of spiders!
The open pages of showing Arabic text and annotations in Greek, Latin and Arabic. The book is a copy of Al-qanun fi'l-tibb [The canon of medicine] byIbn Sīnā, known as Avicenna, published Rome, 1593
December 18, 2025 at 2:41 PM
rcpmuseum.bsky.social
This copy displayed in exhibition 'A body of knowledge' once belonged to physician Lancelot Brown, father-in-law of @rcphysicians.bsky.social fellow William Harvey. Harvey was famous for demonstrating how blood circulates. Brown was one of the few to read the original Arabic.
#BodyOfKnowledge
An open book with Arabic printed text inside a display case alongside several other books. The text is: Al-qanun fi'l-tibb [The canon of medicine] byIbn Sīnā, known as Avicenna, published Rome, 1593
December 18, 2025 at 2:41 PM
rcpmuseum.bsky.social
Look out for more creative workshops inspired by the books and manuscripts in exhibition 'A body of knowledge' coming next year.

#BodyofKnowledge #histmed

👉 history.rcp.ac.uk/exhibitions/...
Exhibition graphic with a selection of marbled papers showing the title: A body of knowledge Discover 500 years of book collecting at the Royal College of Physicians 10 September 2025 - 23 July 2026 Exhibition | Free entry
December 16, 2025 at 6:19 PM
rcpmuseum.bsky.social
ah the many purposes of urine! 🤢
December 16, 2025 at 4:07 PM
rcpmuseum.bsky.social
Oh & apparently for spots its hen's blood. . .
Neither are animal friendly & needless to say none to be tried at home!

Read all the recipes: archive.org/details/ms-5...
A recipe in an early 18th century handwritten recipe book claiming the blood of a white hen will remove spots or freckles if the face is washed in the blood, it is left to dry then wiped off. Needless to say - don't try at home!
December 16, 2025 at 2:26 PM
rcpmuseum.bsky.social
Snap!
We've a similar recipe in this hand-written book from c.1700 using eel blood with an added instruction to then bury the eel's head. Apparently when the head has rotted the warts will drop off. Underneath are others involving fig leaves & raw beef, all buried after use to complete the cure!
An excerpt from a early 18th century hand-written recipe book showing three recipes for removing warts. the first involves cutting off the head of an eel, washing the warts in the blood and then burying the eel's head. When the head has rotted the warts will apparently drop off. The next two recipes involve first fig leaves then raw beef, similarly rubbed on then buried. Needless to say don't try at home!
December 16, 2025 at 2:26 PM