New exhibition explores St George’s medical heritage

New exhibition explores St George’s medical heritage

14 September 2009

Students at St George’s, University of London are discovering how the medical school’s founding doctors helped shape modern medicine through a unique exhibition.

The permanent exhibition, ‘St George’s – Hunter and Our Heritage’, features 200-year-old artefacts belonging to St George’s doctor John Hunter, who is revered as the father of modern surgery. Artefacts include the couch that Hunter died on in 1793, following a furious argument about student admissions, as well as personal effects such as his shaving mirror and spectacles.

Also on display at St George’s is the hide of Blossom the cow, who helped Edward Jenner develop the smallpox vaccine – the first ever successful vaccine – and save hundreds of millions of lives. Jenner was Hunter’s protégé, and his heroic achievements mean he is remembered as the father of modern immunology.

St George’s Principal, Professor Peter Kopelman, said: “At St George’s we are incredibly privileged to have such illustrious predecessors. Hunter and Jenner’s contribution to the advancement of medicine cannot be overstated, and they are rightly acknowledged as amongst the most influential doctors of all time.

“We have created this permanent exhibition as a tribute to St George’s past, and it’s great for all our students to find out that they are following in the footsteps of such influencial figures in medicine.”

John Hunter was famous for dragging surgery into the modern age by applying scientific methodology. Prior to his revolutionary methods, surgery was mired in inexact and outdated practice. He was also dedicated to improving medical education.

Edward Jenner, who studied under Hunter and was a great friend, is perhaps responsible for saving more lives than anyone else in history. Since 10,000 BC, smallpox had killed hundreds of millions of people, until Jenner developed a vaccine in 1796. His vaccine was made from cowpox passed from Blossom the cow to a milkmaid, and was eventually used all over the world. Blossom’s hide now hangs at St George’s as a tribute to her role in Jenner’s life-saving breakthrough.

The exhibition was unveiled on Monday 14 September by local MP Sadiq Khan and the Mayor of Wandsworth, Professor Brian Prichard.

Sadiq Khan MP said: "It is a great honour to be asked to unveil the exhibition celebrating the work of John Hunter. He is widely regarded as an innovative doctor - it is no surprise that he is one of St George's most famous & inspiring medics.

“St George's has a rich & proud history, and whilst it is always moving forward, our community should never forget its past achievements. I regularly visit the University, and am always impressed by the staff and students' drive to continually progress and develop healthcare."