History of Urology

July 2, 2024 7:11 AM

The British Association of Urological Surgeons has a Virtual Museum. You can navigate through the timeline or visit rooms in the museum, including the toilets. Exhibits include instruments and diseases and procedures.

There is a page on institutions, including the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, founded in 1771. There is a gallery of clinicians, including two women, E Catherine Lewis, 1882 to 1965, and Helen Wingate, 1895 to 1985. Another biography, William Keith, 1802 to 1871, describes the state of hygiene in the operating theatre of the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, which was "the favoured retiring room for the ward sister’s cats".

There are conference poster abstracts, and details of annual meetings from 1945. There are photographs by Eric Riches of the 1947 annual meeting, and a 1961 photograph of many men, and one woman.

There is an art gallery of members' work, including Cathy Corbishley's cyanotypes on fabric, some on historical themes and one, Blood Film, made as a retirement present for a haematologist.

posted by paduasoy (6 comments total)

Fascinating collection! I somehow ended up first at the prostatic punch, thinking that would be some sort of bizarre health beverage. Alas, it is "punch" in the sense of "hole punch" and it's a 1909 surgical method for prostatectomy. There are old-timey cartoon animations illustrating the procedure. See also the urethroscope an early form of what we do now with fiber optics and cameras. I'm a little confused at how the image was carried down the tube.
posted by Nelson at 7:24 AM on July 2 [1 favorite]

Not my ology.
posted by Foosnark at 7:49 AM on July 2

noo, no no no, do not want to look, yes important, but this is why doc's get the beeg bucks, do not want to look or think
posted by sammyo at 7:49 AM on July 2 [2 favorites]

Urine-oying
posted by Czjewel at 7:57 AM on July 2

There is an actual physical "Center for Urologic History" in Maryland with instruments and displays and [no. Look away]

It is not true that there's a Musuem of Proctology one floor below, whose entrance is at the back.

( /joke. Actually, all praise to the doctors who understand and treat human ailments. A urologist is part of the team that keeps my brother alive and still walking around)
posted by Artful Codger at 8:08 AM on July 2 [1 favorite]

"The British Association of Urological Surgeons: Taking the piss since 1945."
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 8:22 AM on July 2 [3 favorites]