Plaster cast of acephalic fetus

Dublin Core

Title

Plaster cast of acephalic fetus

Subject

Boston Society for Medical Improvement
Casts
Fetus
Twins
Acephaly
Holmes, Oliver Wendell, 1809-1894

Abstract

Plaster cast of fetus, mounted onto black wooden base. Cast painted white. Fetus lacking head and multiple extremities. This plaster cast of an acephalic fetus was taken by Oliver Wendell Holmes in June 1837. The fetus and its healthy twin were born on June 25, 1837 to a patient of Ward N. Boylston. The subject did not survive. The cast, the subject's skeleton, its small intestine, a lithographic drawing of the subject and color drawing of the subject's circulatory system by Jefferies Wyman were donated to the Boston Society for Medical Improvement between 1837 - 1848. The cast was acquired by the Warren Anatomical Museum when the pathological museum of the Boston Society for Medical Improvement was transferred to Harvard Medical School circa 1871.

Creator

Holmes, Oliver Wendell, 1809-1894

Date Created

1897 June 25-1837 June 30

Rights

The Harvard Medical Library does not hold copyright on all the materials in the collection. For use information, contact the Warren Anatomical Museum Curator at chm@hms.harvard.edu

Access Rights

Accessing collections in the Warren Anatomical Museum and the Warren Anatomical Museum archive requires advanced notice. Please submit a request to Public Services at chm@hms.harvard.edu to access the displayed item

Is Part Of

Warren Anatomical Museum 05758

Format

image

Extent

1 casting

Medium

castings

Type

physical object

Identifier

WAM 05758

Provenance

Transferred from the Boston Society for Medical Improvement to the Harvard Medical School around 1871

Files

05758_v1.JPG

Citation

Holmes, Oliver Wendell, 1809-1894, “Plaster cast of acephalic fetus,” OnView, accessed March 29, 2024, https://collections.countway.harvard.edu/onview/items/show/6399.