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

Recent Episodes

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May 22, 2026

Ep.15 - Asylum Art

This week, we’re talking about asylum art. And we’re focusing on a little volume of illustrations of patients at an asylum - the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. The illustrations show one patient playing a fiddle, another drinking a cup of tea. This volume is particularly interesting because they are all…

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May 8, 2026

Ep.14 - Ripley Alchemical Scroll, Part 4

This week, we’re talking about the alchemical Ripley Scroll. This huge scroll, almost six feet long, supposedly contains the secret to the Philosophers' Stone. In this final part of our series, we wrap up by sharing the secrets to eternal life and unlimited gold!

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April 24, 2026

Ep.13 - Ripley Alchemical Scroll, Part 3

This week, we’re talking about the alchemical Ripley Scroll. In this third part of our series, we're well under way in our alchemical preparation.

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April 10, 2026

Ep.12 - Ripley Alchemical Scroll, Part 2

This week, we’re into our second episode about the alchemical Ripley Scroll. In this episode we’re talking about conmen, Adam and Eve and Bigfoot.

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March 27, 2026

Ep.11 - Ripley Alchemical Scroll, Part 1

This week, we’re talking about the alchemical Ripley Scroll. This huge scroll, almost six feet long, supposedly contains the secret to the Philosophers' Stone - the key to both unlimited gold and eternal life! In this first part of our series, we explore the first steps in alchemy.

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March 13, 2026

Ep.10 - Scarificator

This week, we’re talking about scarificators. These alarming devices are filled with tiny blades. Also known as 'mechanical leeches' they were designed to be used for bloodletting.

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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.