Bodysnatchers to Lifesavers: Three Centuries of Medicine in Edinburgh

by Tara Womersley, Dorothy H. Crawford

In a history spanning more than three centuries, Edinburgh has played a key role in the development of modern medicine. From dissecting bodies ‘donated’ by grave robbers and murderers to developing modern lifesaving treatments, the city’s medical community has never been afraid to challenge entrenched medical ideas. Pioneering discoveries range from the identification of leukaemia to modern day breakthroughs, including hepatitis B vaccine and the cloning of Dolly the Sheep.

The tale of Edinburgh’s medical past is told through the stories of colourful characters including the bodysnatchers Burke and Hare, the evolutionist Charles Darwin, surgeons Joseph Lister and James Syme as well as Sophia Jex-Blake, who headed the campaign for women’s right to study medicine, and ‘James Barry’, Britain’s first female doctor.

Genres: Medicine, Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published September 6, 2010

Reviews

[Cherry Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't give 5 stars lightly, this book is fantastic! Those of you interested in the history of medicine know that the facts themselves are an interesting read, but the authors of this book wrote it in such a way that you really get to know the key figures from Edinburgh's medical history and their fascinating careers. Don't know Edinburgh? Don't be put off. You will learn the history of some of the world most celebrated discoveries and professionals; from Charles Darwin to Arthur Conan Doyle, from bodysnatchers Burke and Hare to Dolly the Sheep. Reading this gripping book really made me proud, not only to live in a city steeped in such pioneering medical history, but to be working for a Royal College so involved in the advancement of medicine through the centuries to the present day.