RCSEd Library & Archive
@rcsedlibandarchive.bsky.social
News, collection highlights and heritage stories from the Library & Archive at Surgeons' Hall/Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh #histmed
https://archiveandlibrary.rcsed.ac.uk
https://www.rcsed.ac.uk/career-hub/learning-resources/library-and-archive
https://archiveandlibrary.rcsed.ac.uk
https://www.rcsed.ac.uk/career-hub/learning-resources/library-and-archive
Medical students outside the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 1912.
November 27, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Medical students outside the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 1912.
A plate from “Engravings, Explaining the Anatomy of the Bones, Muscles, and Joints” by Scottish surgeon-anatomist John Bell FRCSEd, published in 1794. Bell illustrated his own works based on dissections he carried out in his Edinburgh anatomy school.
October 31, 2025 at 11:49 AM
A plate from “Engravings, Explaining the Anatomy of the Bones, Muscles, and Joints” by Scottish surgeon-anatomist John Bell FRCSEd, published in 1794. Bell illustrated his own works based on dissections he carried out in his Edinburgh anatomy school.
Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Gentlemen!
October 28, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Gentlemen!
Clocking on for spooky season.
October 21, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Clocking on for spooky season.
We haven't been round these parts much recently so dropping in to say hello and please enjoy these images of Baillière’s Synthetic Anatomy. Published in the 1920s & a descendent of the earlier paper anatomical flap books, each section uses glassine transparent overlays. Have a good weekend!
September 12, 2025 at 4:26 PM
We haven't been round these parts much recently so dropping in to say hello and please enjoy these images of Baillière’s Synthetic Anatomy. Published in the 1920s & a descendent of the earlier paper anatomical flap books, each section uses glassine transparent overlays. Have a good weekend!
📣JOB ALERT 📣 The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh has a vacancy for a Project Records Assistant, which will give experience of both Archives & Records Management. Closing date 5 pm on 22 Aug. Come join the Heritage team! cezanneondemand.intervieweb.it/rcsed/jobs/p...
July 24, 2025 at 9:42 AM
📣JOB ALERT 📣 The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh has a vacancy for a Project Records Assistant, which will give experience of both Archives & Records Management. Closing date 5 pm on 22 Aug. Come join the Heritage team! cezanneondemand.intervieweb.it/rcsed/jobs/p...
For South Asian Heritage Month see our guest blog by Dr Theeba Krishnamoorty on the pioneering doctor and activist Dr Nallamma Williams, a prominent voice in Sri Lanka’s early suffrage movement rcsedlibraryandarchive.wordpress.com/2025/07/18/d... #SouthAsianHeritageMonth #RootsToRoutes
July 21, 2025 at 11:19 AM
For South Asian Heritage Month see our guest blog by Dr Theeba Krishnamoorty on the pioneering doctor and activist Dr Nallamma Williams, a prominent voice in Sri Lanka’s early suffrage movement rcsedlibraryandarchive.wordpress.com/2025/07/18/d... #SouthAsianHeritageMonth #RootsToRoutes
An operation in progress, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, late 19th century.
July 18, 2025 at 1:22 PM
An operation in progress, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, late 19th century.
#OTD 1505 the Surgeons and Barbers of Edinburgh united and were formally incorporated as a craft guild by the Town Council. Happy birthday to us, we’re 520 years old!
July 1, 2025 at 9:00 AM
#OTD 1505 the Surgeons and Barbers of Edinburgh united and were formally incorporated as a craft guild by the Town Council. Happy birthday to us, we’re 520 years old!
It's #InsectWeek and also the @artukdotorg.bsky.social #OnlineArtExchange theme is wildlife & the environment. Insects feed on paper so library & archive collections are stored under strict environmental controls. Here's some illustrations of wildlife, who may also have dined on their host!
June 26, 2025 at 9:37 AM
It's #InsectWeek and also the @artukdotorg.bsky.social #OnlineArtExchange theme is wildlife & the environment. Insects feed on paper so library & archive collections are stored under strict environmental controls. Here's some illustrations of wildlife, who may also have dined on their host!
This is our 1st edition of William Harvey’s groundbreaking ‘Exercitatio Anatomica De Motu Cordis…’, published in 1628, which is often cited as the most important book in the history of medicine. Harvey was the first to recognize the full circulation of the blood in the human body #NationalBloodWeek
June 12, 2025 at 10:44 AM
This is our 1st edition of William Harvey’s groundbreaking ‘Exercitatio Anatomica De Motu Cordis…’, published in 1628, which is often cited as the most important book in the history of medicine. Harvey was the first to recognize the full circulation of the blood in the human body #NationalBloodWeek
This art & anatomy lecture notebook belonged to Edinburgh surgeon Patrick Heron Watson, c.1856. The only @rcsed.bsky.social Fellow to have been President twice, some argue he inspired his pupil Arthur Conan Doyle's character 'Dr Watson'. Digitised here: archiveandlibrary.rcsed.ac.uk/special-coll...?
June 11, 2025 at 11:13 AM
This art & anatomy lecture notebook belonged to Edinburgh surgeon Patrick Heron Watson, c.1856. The only @rcsed.bsky.social Fellow to have been President twice, some argue he inspired his pupil Arthur Conan Doyle's character 'Dr Watson'. Digitised here: archiveandlibrary.rcsed.ac.uk/special-coll...?
Anaesthesia pioneer James Young Simpson was born #OTD 1811. We love this student's sketch of Simpson lecturing as Professor of Midwifery at Edinburgh University in the 1850s.
June 7, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Anaesthesia pioneer James Young Simpson was born #OTD 1811. We love this student's sketch of Simpson lecturing as Professor of Midwifery at Edinburgh University in the 1850s.
When you can't decide on a font so just use them all.
May 30, 2025 at 3:18 PM
When you can't decide on a font so just use them all.
After weeks of exceptional weather in Scotland sadly the sun's packing its bags, so if you're heading out to catch some last minute rays today don't forget to pop on your modesty loincloth! #FoldOutFriday
May 23, 2025 at 10:02 AM
After weeks of exceptional weather in Scotland sadly the sun's packing its bags, so if you're heading out to catch some last minute rays today don't forget to pop on your modesty loincloth! #FoldOutFriday
Apparently it's Sherlock Holmes day so of course we have to share the real Sherlock, Edinburgh surgeon and RCSEd President, Joseph Bell! Here he is with some letters from his former pupil, Arthur Conan Doyle that confirm Bell as inspiration for Doyle's literary detective.
May 22, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Apparently it's Sherlock Holmes day so of course we have to share the real Sherlock, Edinburgh surgeon and RCSEd President, Joseph Bell! Here he is with some letters from his former pupil, Arthur Conan Doyle that confirm Bell as inspiration for Doyle's literary detective.
Hi @hallierubenhold.bsky.social, thought you might like to know @rcsed.bsky.social is starting a staff Book Club and we've had a delivery in the College Library for the club's summer reading! 📚
May 16, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Hi @hallierubenhold.bsky.social, thought you might like to know @rcsed.bsky.social is starting a staff Book Club and we've had a delivery in the College Library for the club's summer reading! 📚
Nurses have always played an important humanitarian role in response to crisis and war. This lantern slide from our collection is particularly poignant and shows nurses walking through a #WW1 trench. #InternationalNursesDay #HistNursing
May 12, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Nurses have always played an important humanitarian role in response to crisis and war. This lantern slide from our collection is particularly poignant and shows nurses walking through a #WW1 trench. #InternationalNursesDay #HistNursing
On International Day of the Midwife explore our digital exhibition 'In Safe Hands: The Battle for Midwifery', on the history of midwifery and obstetrics and Edinburgh's contribution to the development of the profession. archiveandlibrary.rcsed.ac.uk/special-coll...?
May 5, 2025 at 8:30 AM
On International Day of the Midwife explore our digital exhibition 'In Safe Hands: The Battle for Midwifery', on the history of midwifery and obstetrics and Edinburgh's contribution to the development of the profession. archiveandlibrary.rcsed.ac.uk/special-coll...?
The Western General Hospital in Edinburgh opened as Craigleith Poorhouse and Hospital in 1868. During #WW1 it was requisitioned as a military hospital with 1000 beds and you can view a digitised collection of photographs here: archiveandlibrary.rcsed.ac.uk/special-coll...?
May 1, 2025 at 12:20 PM
The Western General Hospital in Edinburgh opened as Craigleith Poorhouse and Hospital in 1868. During #WW1 it was requisitioned as a military hospital with 1000 beds and you can view a digitised collection of photographs here: archiveandlibrary.rcsed.ac.uk/special-coll...?
A small but favourite #ArchiveCollection for #Archive30, the family archive of surgeon brothers John & Charles Bell. It includes a locket with entwined hair of Charles & his wife Marion, with dates of their marriage & Charles' death. Sent to a nephew as "a memorial of your uncle Charles and me".
April 29, 2025 at 3:35 PM
A small but favourite #ArchiveCollection for #Archive30, the family archive of surgeon brothers John & Charles Bell. It includes a locket with entwined hair of Charles & his wife Marion, with dates of their marriage & Charles' death. Sent to a nephew as "a memorial of your uncle Charles and me".
It's #ArchiveBuildings today for #Archive30 and this is our Playfair building in Edinburgh's Old Town. With a bonus pic of the reading room loo because it's rather fancy!
April 28, 2025 at 10:00 AM
It's #ArchiveBuildings today for #Archive30 and this is our Playfair building in Edinburgh's Old Town. With a bonus pic of the reading room loo because it's rather fancy!
This beautiful miniature cabinet of microscopic slide preparations belonged to Professor of Materia Medica, Ralph Stockman. With the obligatory pencil for scale! #Archive30 #ArchiveObject
April 26, 2025 at 10:00 AM
This beautiful miniature cabinet of microscopic slide preparations belonged to Professor of Materia Medica, Ralph Stockman. With the obligatory pencil for scale! #Archive30 #ArchiveObject
The anatomy of a rabbit, from Samuel Collins' Systeme of Anatomy published in 1685. The work contains many illustrations of comparative neurology, an emerging science in the late 17th century
#OnlineArtExchange #Easter
#OnlineArtExchange #Easter
April 17, 2025 at 12:00 PM
The anatomy of a rabbit, from Samuel Collins' Systeme of Anatomy published in 1685. The work contains many illustrations of comparative neurology, an emerging science in the late 17th century
#OnlineArtExchange #Easter
#OnlineArtExchange #Easter
For #WorldArtDay please enjoy this beautiful illustration of the brain from an anatomy student’s lecture notebook, dated 1881.
April 15, 2025 at 3:20 PM
For #WorldArtDay please enjoy this beautiful illustration of the brain from an anatomy student’s lecture notebook, dated 1881.