Museum Boerhaave photos from Morbid Anatomy

Over at Morbid Anatomy, Joanna just posted her lovely photos of the Museum Boerhaave in Leiden, NL. It's the country's National Museum of the History of Science and Medicine, and houses a legendary permanent collection of curiosities dating back several centuries. Above: Bernardus Siegfried Albinus Case in anatomy hall. All preparations by Albinus, Circa 1730. "The Magnificent Collection of the Museum Boerhaave, Leiden"

[#1 posted by Anonymous, July 23, 2009 11:32 AM]

I once went with my mom (a veterinarian with an interest in human medicine as well) to the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia. I sort of wish I hadn't, as many of the things there are now permanently burned into my brain. And I think pretty much everything there is rather horribly unfortunate in some way. The photo for this story reminds me of it all. Morbid curiosities, beware! (I need a unicorn just thinking about it.)

http://www.collphyphil.org/mutter.asp

[#2 posted by edgore, July 23, 2009 11:45 AM]

They seem to be missing an apple there.

[#3 posted by Rezpect, July 23, 2009 12:04 PM]

What's up with the baby's arm in the jar? Is it art? Or a real biological specimen? And if it's real, why is it in there?

[#4 posted by dbarak, July 23, 2009 12:13 PM]

Actually, there is a skeleton holding an apple on the website...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2558/3709430199_e0d9da64a7_o.jpg

No longer a baby though.

[#5 posted by Anonymous, July 23, 2009 1:09 PM]

Excuse me for this, but where's the penis?

[#6 posted by dbarak, July 23, 2009 1:43 PM]

@ #5 posted by Anonymous

Typically on a human, the penis is located at the bottom anterior portion of the torso, not far above the area where the legs join the torso. Depending on length and arousal status, the tip of a penis can hang down below the area where the legs join.

Integral to the operation of the penis are the testicles, which are enveloped in a skin sac known as a scrotum. Again depending on a variety of factors, the scrotum may or may not hang down below the level where the legs join the torso.

I assume you DID mean a human penis, right?

; )

[#7 posted by Kirsten, July 23, 2009 1:47 PM]

Is that a big toe in a diaper?

[#8 posted by Anonymous, July 23, 2009 1:59 PM]

@ #6 POSTED BY DBARAK,

Sounds like something I would learn at...

http://www.slideshare.net/maggiev/the-anatomy-of-a-blog-a-tutorial-presentation

[#9 posted by edgore, July 23, 2009 2:05 PM]

@Kristin

Actually, I believe that is a nightcap.

[#10 posted by dbarak, July 23, 2009 2:08 PM]

#8 posted by edgore

That's not like any nightcap I've ever had before bed...

[#11 posted by dbarak, July 23, 2009 2:37 PM]

#8 posted by Anonymous

Who knew that blogging could be so complex?

[#12 posted by Anonymous, July 29, 2009 2:21 PM]

If you like this kind of thing, check out the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Washington DC. It used to be on the Walter Reed Army Base, but I believe it may have moved.
Totally free to the public, it houses (among many other awesome things) - Lincoln's skull fragments, amputated limbs from the Civil War, and a collection of human oddities.