Physicians' Gallery

This fortnightly podcast from the Physicians' Gallery at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) explores the history of medicine.

New to Physicians' Gallery?

Here are some great episodes to start with.

Ep.07 - What Is A Good Death

Ep.70 - Ambrose Parry - The Art Of Dying And The History Of Chloroform

Ep. 17 - Eating Blood

Recent Episodes

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Oct. 23, 2026

Ep.26 - Class Tickets

This week, we’re uncovering the history of class tickets. Issued to students at the University of Edinburgh, these tickets gave you admission to the classes of individual teachers. Students would pick and choose what courses to take, all over Europe – buying a ticket for anatomy at Paris, botany in the Netherlands and ward rounds in Edinburgh. We uncover how the country-hopping studies of 18th century students was a stark contrast with 21st century university life.

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Oct. 9, 2026

Ep.25 - Microscope

This week, we’re exploring early microscopes, 1600s Dutch experimenter Antonie van Leeuwenhoek and red blood cells.

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Sept. 25, 2026

Ep.24 - Womb

This week, we’re exploring some womb history. We’re starting off with a bit of menopause magic – symptoms to look out for include a loss of feminine grace and bleeding piles. We dig into some homeopathic remedies and what the womb even is anyway – if Ancient Greeks are to be believed, it’s just an inside out scrotum.

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Sept. 11, 2026

Ep.23 - James Gillray

This week, we’re exploring the blood-filled art of James Gillray. We uncover the world of excretory medicine – from gentle emetics to breathing a vein. And we dig into the uncouth, evocative and sometimes obscene work of Georgian caricaturists – making a mockery of the strange practices of eighteenth century doctors and their patients. The Team: Dr Charlotte Holmes - Editor/Producer Rachel Forrest - Researcher/Presenter Dr Daisy Cunynghame - Researcher/Presenter Dr Sarah Hayward - E

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Aug. 28, 2026

Ep.22 - Bloodletting Ulcer

This week, we’re exploring the oozing story of bloodletting ulcers. Bloodletting is often described as gory, weird or baffling – but the stories of patients who were overbled and scarred in the process are often forgotten. In this episode we explore the experiences of those who got the rough end of the lancet when they were prescribed a dose of bloodletting. The Team: Dr Charlotte Holmes (@_CCHolmes_) - Editor/Producer Rachel Forrest - Researcher/Presenter Dr Daisy Cunynghame - Researc

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Aug. 14, 2026

Ep.21 - Barber Pole

This week, we’re exploring the history of barber poles.

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About the Host

Dr Daisy Cunynghame

Host

Daisy Cunynghame completed an MA in Modern History at the University of St Andrews and a Higher Diploma in Archival Studies at University College Dublin. She is the Heritage Manager & Librarian for the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE). She was awarded her PhD by the University of Edinburgh in 2020. The focus of this work was ‘The Roles of the Edinburgh, Kelso, and Newcastle Dispensaries in Charitable Relief, 1776-1810’. Her research investigates public health initiatives in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries in Scotland and the north of England, with a particular focus on the patient experience within the dispensary system.