In Autumn 2019 a spectacular suite of new Medicine galleries is due to open at the Science Museum in London, representing the biggest and most ambitious project that the Museum has ever undertaken. This permanent exhibition will include the historic collection of Henry Wellcome, whose personal treasure trove has been on long-term loan to the Museum for over 40 years, as well as the Science Museum's own medical holdings. Medicine: An Imperfect Science is formed of stand-alone but connected chapters, generously illustrated, within which a rich history of medicine collecting can be found.
- An accessible, illuminating handbook exploring the eclectic history of medical collecting;
- Richly illustrated in full colour throughout, drawing on treasures from Henry Wellcome's collection and the Science Museum's own medical holdings;
- Official companion to a set of galleries opening at the Science Museum in autumn 2019;
- An institution that attracts over 3 million visitors per year.
Contents:
Director's Foreword;
Funders' Forewords;
Preface;
Chapter 1: Collecting Medicine;
Chapter 2: Prostheses at the Science Museum;
Chapter 3: The Problematic Body;
Chapter 4: The Child in the Iron Lung;
Chapter 5: Created through Conflict;
Chapter 6: Preventing Cervical Cancer;
Chapter 7: Hearing Distant Voices;
Chapter 8: The Pharmacy Shop;
Chapter 9: Modelling Life;
Chapter 10: Emotional Objects;
Notes;
Further Reading;
Index;
Author Biographies;
Acknowledgements and Illustration Credits.