Royal College of Physicians Museum

Augustus D’Este is the earliest known person for whom a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis can be made. As a young man, he led an active life – hiking, horse-riding, and taking part in the War of 1812-1815 between Britain and the US – but when he was 28 he experienced a sudden loss of vision that lasted for several days. In the years that followed, these episodes of sight loss continued and other symptoms developed, such as weakness in the legs, fatigue, and incontinence. However, he never stopped living the fullest life possible. In his last years, he recorded in his diary how many minutes he had been able to walk for in his room each day – writing the times he was particularly pleased with in red ink. According to some physicians, his increasingly shaky #handwriting demonstrates the loss of manual dexterity that is one symptom of MS. * * * @rcphysicians @exploreyourarchive #EYAhandwriting #MultipleSclerosis

Plants have been used in the treatment of cancer for thousands of years. This #WorldOvarianCancerDay we are sharing about the yew trees grown in the RCP garden of medicinal plants - a variety of tree from which is derived a group of drugs used to treat this disease. 'Taxus baccata (European yew) and Taxus brevifolia (Pacific yew) are the source of a group of drugs called the taxanes. Docetaxel and cabazitaxel are both used to treat prostate cancer. Docetaxel is also used to treat breast cancer, some lung cancers, stomach cancer and some cancers involving the head and neck. Paclitaxel is used to treat several cancers including ovarian cancer and pancreatic cancer as well as breast cancer and some lung cancers.' Discover more stories of plants and cancer with the brand new @rcp_garden trail. Pick up free on a visit to the garden of medicinal plants. * * * @rcphysicians @medicalmuseums #histmed #gardens

Thank you to everyone who joined us at this week's Museum Late in the RCP garden of medicinal plants @rcp_garden . It was a lovely evening with: ✨ tours from the Garden Fellows – expert guides who are all qualified physicians and fellows of the RCP with a special interest in plants & cancer 🌿 a beautiful indoor plant display 📚 a selection of gorgeous historic botanical books to peruse 🌱 a new garden trail exploring plants and medicine 📖 a tour of exhibition 'A body of knowledge' with curator & rare books librarian Katie Birkwood Keep a look out for more upcoming events with both the RCP Museum & Garden teams coming soon check out the links in our bios. * * * @rcphysicians @medicalmuseums #histmed #BodyOfKnowledge #rarebooks #gardens

The criminalisation of women doctors, and oppression of women more widely, are well documented in the RCP archives, today we are sharing two examples centuries apart: Women fought for and won admission to the RCP in 1909, but in the centuries before that hundreds of women doctors were sanctioned for ‘illegal’ practice. For example, Elizabeth Pratt was fined and imprisoned in 1709 - see the documents from her legal below signed by Elizabeth and the members of the RCP. In 1911, doctor Mabel Ramsay and others bravely risked being criminalised for organising a census resistance party in protest against women being denied the vote. Two pages shown below are from Mabel's diaries in the RCP archives describing the resistance party. * * * #EYAcrime #universalsuffrage @rcphysicians @medicalmuseums #histmed

Have you ever wondered what languages the books in the @rcphysicians library are written in? With the help of staff and volunteers, Rare Books and Special Collections Librarian, Katie Birkwood, can now answer that question in our latest blog - discover the whole story in our latest blog via the link in our bio * * * @medicalmuseums #BodyofKnowledge #histmed

The RCP Museum team were excited recently to be able to visit conservators and mount makers @plowden_smith who are working on a bust from the RCP collection - a bronze head of Alexander Fleming sculpted in c.1955 by artist Frank Kovacs. The base the sculpture was sitting on was badly damaged so a brand new base will be created a template for it can be seen in the images here. The bronze will also be getting a gentle clean and wax by the specialist conservators to get it in the best condition to be put on display once more. We look forward to seeing the bust as the work progresses. We are grateful to the Tay Charitable Trust who funded this work as part of the @rcphysicians Adopt a Treasure Scheme. Find out more about the scheme via the link in the RCP Museum bio. * * * #histmed @medicalmuseums

Alfred Swaine Taylor was a specialist in what he called medical jurisprudence – what today we'd call forensic science, the application of scientific methods in the detection of crime. While most people investigated by Taylor on behalf of the state were working-class individuals, he also investigated factory owners for harmful emissions under the Smoke Nuisance Abatement Act 1853. Reporting on Bryant & May, match importers and grease and shoe polish makers, Taylor, referring to the manufacturing process, stated ‘the place would I believe be unbearable to the workmen during the boiling.’ Find out more about criminal cases Taylor worked on via the blog in our bio 👉 * * * #EYAcrime #ExploreYourArchive #histmed @exploreyourarchive @royalcollegeofphysicians

Explore the fascinating world of plants and medicine with the @rcp_garden and Museum teams after hours. 🗓️Wednesday 6 May ⏰5.30 - 8pm Register free now 👉 via the link in our bio. Discover how plants from the RCP garden of medicinal plants have been, and in some cases still are, used in medicine with tours throughout the evening from expert garden guides. Plus enjoy a mini-display of some of the beautiful botanical books that illustrate these plants from our Heritage Library. * * * @rcphysicians @medicalmuseums #histmed #RoyalCollegeOfPhysicians #rarebooks #BodyOfKnowledge

Happy #WorldAquaticAnimalDay - here is a cheerful octopus from our current exhibition! The unusual oblong shape of this book, with the pages wider than they are tall, is ideally suited to illustrating the many aquatic creatures featured: fishes, marine mammals, reptiles, crustaceans and molluscs, such as our friendly octopus. The text notes the octopus can change colours: ‘now white, then red, then livid, then distinguished by various shades.’ Why is this in our library? A 1523 Act of Parliament, which confirmed Henry VIII’s 1518 establishment of the @royalcollegeofphysicians said that physicians should be 'groundely lerned, and depely studyed’ – even beyond the discipline of medicine. Rules for running the library published in 1660 specified that, aside from medical books, it should include works ‘that pertain to Geometry, Geography, Cosmography, Astronomy, Music, Optics, Zoology, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, and Travel to the more remote regions of the earth.’ 👉 view the exhibition online via the link in our bio. * * * @medicalmuseums #histmed #RoyalcollegeOfPhysicians #BodyOfKnowledge

In our latest blog the @rcphysicians current Harveian Librarian Anita Simonds explores the career of the RCPs first – Christopher Merrett. With insights into the history of the RCP, medical practice, and social change in 17th century London. Read the blog via the link in our bio 👉 * * * @medicalmuseums #histmed #RoyalCollegeOfPhysicians #rarebooks #BodyOfKnowledge

William Harvey is remembered as the British physician who scientifically demonstrated that blood is pumped around the body by the heart in a state of ceaseless motion – a highly controversial revelation, challenging 1,500 years of established scientific and medical belief. To mark his birthday #OTD 1578, here are five lesser known facts about him: *1. He remembered the RCP and fellow physicians in his will* Harvey bequeathed his library to the RCP. He left his friend Dr William Ent £5 to commission himself a mourning ring, and bequeathed Dr Charles Scarburgh his ‘silver instruments of surgery’ and his ‘best velvet gown.’ *2. He had a fiery temper in his youth* According to his friend and biographer John Aubrey, Harvey was ‘very choleric’ [bad tempered] when he was young. Harvey wore a dagger and was quick to draw it. *3. He had beady eyes* Aubrey also left us a description of Harvey, who was “not tall, but of the lowest stature; round-faced; olivaster (like wainscot) complexion; little eyes, round, very black, full of spirit; his hair black as a raven, but quite white twenty years before he died.” *4. He demonstrated anatomical experiments to a king* Harvey served as court physician to Charles I and also James I. He demonstrated to Charles anatomical experiments, including dissections of royal deer. *5. His resting place took an unusual turn* Harvey was buried in a lead coffin. When his burial chamber later flooded, it led to the taking of a rather eerie photograph. The RCP eventually intervened to repair the vaults and erected a marble memorial. * * * @rcphysicians #histmed #RoyalcollegeOfPhysicians #WilliamHarvey #inspiringPhysicians

This silver punch bowl has clocked up over 3 centuries of service at the @rcphysicians . In 1719 the College Censors (officers) donated this bowl for the collection of ballot papers for College Day elections - happening #OTD 2026. Discover more about the ceremonial objects and college traditions at /blog/silver-silence-and-shillings-rcp-election-traditions * * * #RoyalcollegeofPhysicians @medicalmuseums #histmed