The historical collections of Paris’ main medical school are well displayed in a large room, showing a selective but informative (in French only) history of medicine, mainly focused on the development of various surgical instruments… but that’s not really why we’re here, is it?
No way. We’re here to:
- Marvel at misguided medical experimentation: an enormous painting of a goat to woman blood transfer!
- Giggle at quack remedies: elaborate 18th century glass and leather machines for transmitting soothing “electrical fluid” to patients!
- Make friends clutch their sensitive bits and groan: guys – linger with your lady friends near the 17th century gynecological instruments and ponder the huge and suspiciously pointy speculum! Gals – get revenge by reading aloud the signage in the extensive section on kidney stones, dwelling on concepts such as “urethra,” “inflexible metal tubes,” “the operation lasted 47 minutes,” and “no anesthesia”!
- Say “WTF!!!”: a decorative table top made out of dried blood, slices of liver, and human ears to give the surface a lovely three-dimensional effect!*
So: a little educational, a little gross. What could be better? Especially if the curator is there – he looks like Igor’s slightly classier, city-living cousin, seems to have a tendency to refuse attempts to pay the (nominal) entry fee, and will, if you let him, talk your ear off about the collections. But beware – you know where that ear will end up…
*Seriously – not kidding. It also incorporates a foot. It’s a clear front-runner for my list of the most bizarre objects in Paris.
