The university's Anatomical Museum is a unique resource derived from the university's history as an influential early site of modern medical training, building on a longer history as a major institution for the study of anatomy, natural history, and medicine. The museum's primary purpose remains for medical training and research.

Your visit will be guided by Malcolm MacCallum, director of the museum's curatorial team and a rich source of knowledge and perspective about the collection. Pay close attention to what he shares with you about the museum.

During the visit, please think of answers to the following questions, and write down some of your responses afterward. You can develop your responses into a short reflection, including citations to relevant readings from the course, to include in your portfolio if you like.

1. A major component of the museum is its collection of human remains. The standards, norms, and purposes for collecting, preserving, and displaying human remains have changed significantly over the time the museum has been in operation. How are human remains collected and displayed today, and for what purposes? What signs can you see in the museum today of older approaches to collecting, preserving, and displaying human remains? What questions do these raise for you about science, medicine, and ethics?
2. What can you tell about the sources of materials for the museum? Look at labels and other contextual information. Where do the objects come from and how does this relate to their meaning and roles in this museum?
3. The collections include a mixture of 'normal' and 'pathological' specimens. How can you tell what is meant to display normal or typical anatomy, and how can you tell what is meant to display abnormal or pathological anatomy? What roles do these different kinds of specimens play in the museum? How do these relate to what we learned previously about natural and preternatural collections in natural history and natural philosophy?
4. Some elements of the collection are specifically about human variation and difference, including racial difference. These relate to the central historical role of Edinburgh in the history of scientific racism, as well as sciences of variation such phrenology that were widely pursued in Edinburgh. How have these subjects and concerns left their mark on the collections in terms of what objects there are and how they are displayed or explained?
5. Look for models or other examples of artificially made objects in the museum. Why are they there? Where do they come from? How are they related to the other collected objects? How would you understand skull casts, death masks, and other objects that seem to cross a boundary between found and made?
6. Look for non-human animal specimens on display. What role did non-human animals have in medical research and training? Why is the natural history of the wider animal world important in this museum? How are non-human specimens related to human ones in the displays and descriptions? Are natural or preternatural non-human specimens treated differently from natural or preternatural human specimens?