Morality vs scientific knowledge

[Davran]

In 1858 one of my ancestors (whose credentials are somewhat suspect) tried to get a degree by special exam from a Scottish university. He was turned down because he was possibly associated with the exhibition in Kahn's Museum.

Kahn's was apparently an anatomical museum in Oxford Street, London, exhibiting wax models supposedly for the edification of the medical profession. However, according to an irate letter in the British Medical Journal, this 'indecent' exhibition could be visited by non-medical persons, and one part was open to women only one day a week. The letter writer sent a respectable 'monthly nurse' to the exhibitin and she reported back that for an extra shilling she could have gained entrance to the part of the exhibition supposedly only accessible to medical men.

Yet another facet of fascinating Victorian times.

[busyglen]

Where there is money to be made eh Davran? ;)

Glenys

[Penny Gallo]

http://books.google.com/books?id=zFKvimYMHloC&pg=PA563&lpg=PA563&dq=Kahn's+Museum,+London&source=web&ots=VuKfLwFQRo&sig=WaiRXev9mx0RvxUEROUX4ZHTFi8&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=9&ct=result

Well, of course I just had to see what all the fuss was about! There are a lot of articles on the www about this "Museum", but they all seem to be by medical journals and - suggesting it might be a bit strong stuff even today - you have to be logged in to the RMJ to see it.

However, it looks as though the Kahns emigrated to the USA, as their "Museum" was still going strong in 1915. Again it was said to be forbidden to women. According to this article, one of the Kahns (who were all born in London) invented what he claimed was a cure for venereal diseases - as this contained "Henbane", it would certainly have had some effect! I think this was a favourite of Victorian poisoners!

It reminds me of the "plasticisation" of that German "artist" - what goes around, comes around!

What happened to your ancestor later, Davran?

[Davran]

Penny, you'll wish you never asked! George was quite a character. He was born in 1825, the son of a Norfolk farmer. He married in Southwark in 1848, by which time he styled himself as a surgeon. He seems to have spent quite a number of years trying to get a bona fide qualification, studying anatomy at University College London. I'm not sure exactly how he earned his living, but from what I have read about him he was highly respected.

To summarise, he became a religious sceptic, a spiritualist and communist and then reconverted to Christianity and became a well-known lecturer on "Infidelity" (to the Christian faith), amongst other things. I find this rather funny because at the same time he had a mistress and several illegitimate children (not my lot - I am from the legitimate line) In fact there is a whole chapter devoted to him in the book "Crisis of Doubt" by Timothy Larsen.

George left England for North America in the early 1880s for a lecture tour and never returned, spending most of his time in Canada. I just wonder if he found this convenient as it must have been difficult to maintain his veneer of respectability with the two families both living in London. he died of heart failure in Toronto in 1898. I am in touch with a descendant of the illegitimate family, who has letters George wrote to one of this illegitimate daughters. Unfortunately, nothing much of his survives in my family - perhaps they were too disgusted with his goings-on. We do have a ring containing a Roman glass intaglio of Socrates' head, which he was given by the Accadamia dei Quiriti in Rome.

There can be no doubt that he was a well-read, intelligent man.

[busyglen]

That's a really interesting story of his life Davran.

My lot (so far) have been very dull by comparison. Well, apart from my illegitimate Gt. Grandfather, oh yes, and another who told porkies and changed his name, and then married after having several children. Then of course there was another Gt. Grandmother who died of drink, and her husband who was a Weights & Scale maker. Mmm! Perhaps they weren't so dull after all. ;)

Glenys

[norfolkkahns]

Could you kindly post your source of reference for Kahn's Museum? This is the first I've heard of it and my forebears had connections with Oxford Street, so I'd very much like to research the place to see if it has any links to me.

Thanks

Alan Kahn

[Davran]

Alan, I found the article by googling, which took me to the Royal Society of Medicine Journals site, which is a pay site, where you can buy a copy of the article by A W Bates -Dr Kahn's Museum: obscene anatomy in Victorian London.

However, the article I quoted above can be seen for free if you google Kahns' museum "W B Kesteven".

There is an interesting blog here: http://gracchii.blogspot.com/2008/12/anatomy-museums.html

Your best bet is to Google and see what you can dig up.

[Browneyes]

There's an article that illustrates the reaction some people had to the exhibits:

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2175054

Better for the public to see a wax model than a cadaver? Not sure either way.

I saw an exhibition of old and new wax anatomical models a few years back in London when studying art history - strange but true. I wondered at the time how people must have felt when they saw 'internal organs' for the first time. It was a bit like seeing things in a waxwork but slightly eerier.

[norfolkkahns]

Thanks to both of you for the information. I've checked out your suggestions and am now reasonably confident Dr Joseph Kahn is not one of my clan.

It has been a very interesti9ng exercise, however. Many thanks for your help.