Terra Incognita in anatomical museology – A literature review from the perspective of evidence-based care

Domański, Jurand; Domagała, Zygmunt; Simmons, John E.

doi:10.1016/j.aanat.2022.152013

Cited by 6 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Articles on the conservation of artwork could be helpful in the care of these collections [ 23 ] as well as other rare studies performed, for example, on wax anatomical models [ 24 ]. This gap in the literature suggests that heritage medical collections need more attention from the scientific community, particularly with regard to designing solutions for their protection and a better understanding of their properties, especially in an interdisciplinary context [ 25 , 26 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial load of heritage dermatological moulages of the historic university department in Wroclaw, Poland

Domański¹,

Białynicki‐Birula²,

Nawrot³

et al. 2023

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Introduction Many historic dermatology departments keep and preserve valuable collections of dermatological moulages. Aim The aim of the present research was to find out whether the specimens collected in the Museum of the Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Allergology of Wroclaw Medical University are colonized by microorganisms, and whether these organisms can pose a risk of damage to this heritage or a health risk to visitors. Material and methods In the study 32 historic moulages and their environment (museum) were subjected to microbiological evaluation. Results Swabs from moulages turned to be positive in 28% of cases. Micrococcus luteus was mainly isolated. The flora isolated from the air and the external surfaces of the museum display cases was much richer. Environmental bacteria and fungi were determined, as well as organisms probably associated with the hospital flora: Pseudosomonas spp., Paebacillus sp., Acinetobacter sp. Conclusions The close proximity of clinical wards probably influences the composition of the museum environment. The surprisingly low contamination of the moulages may be due to the antiseptic properties of the bee wax from which they were made. Conservation work on the moulages as well as people visiting the museum do not pose significant health risks. However, the small number of studies devoted to this topic limits the conclusions. Further research on medical collections is needed to provide ‘evidence-based care’ for this heritage.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial load of heritage dermatological moulages of the historic university department in Wroclaw, Poland

Domański¹,

Białynicki‐Birula²,

Nawrot³

et al. 2023

pdia

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“…The literature was searched for information on methods of preserving anatomical specimens and possible methods of diagnosing fluid composition. The results of two literature reviews were used: (i) a systematic review (Domański et al, 2023) based on a search of scientific papers in PubMed, Medline, and Ebsco databases and (ii) a non‐systematic review based on papers published in the journal ‘Museologica’ and evaluation of literature lists from the monograph ‘Fluid preservation: a comprehensive reference’ (Simmons, 2014). Additionally, monographs on the history of the Medical University of Wrocław (Kozuschek, 2002, 2007) were analysed.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(i) a systematic review (Domański et al, 2023) based on a search of scientific papers in PubMed, Medline, and Ebsco databases and (ii) a non-systematic review based on papers published in the journal 'Museologica' and evaluation of literature lists from the monograph 'Fluid preservation: a comprehensive reference' (Simmons, 2014).…”

Section: Source Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research on human foetuses has been conducted in the Department of Anatomy of the Medical University of Wrocław since the end of the Second World War (Goździewski et al, 1985; Nizankowski, 1967). The rich collection of teratological and developmental specimens stored in the Museum within the Department of Anatomy indicates that the tradition of this research in Wrocław is much longer and is connected with the pre‐WWII period (Domański et al, 2023; Otto, 1841).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The lack of technical information makes the contemporary conservation of the anatomical specimens difficult. The methods of preservation and the chemical composition of the historic preservative fluids remain unknown (Domański et al, 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Preservation fluids of heritage anatomical specimens — a challenge for modern science. Studies of the origin, composition and microbiological contamination of old museum collections

et al. 2023

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Anatomical museums preserve specimens of great historical value and undiscovered scientific potential. However, frequently these collections lack documentation of the techniques of preparation and the composition of preservative substances (conservation principles). This poses a huge problem for the care and preservation of these materials, more so because understanding this issue requires knowledge of fundamentals from different scientific disciplines. The aim of the research was to obtain information about the composition of substances used to preserve historic specimens, as well as to conduct a microbiological assessment of the specimens to detect possible factors causing their deterioration. Furthermore, we wanted to fill an existing gap in the literature, as there is a lack of reports on analytical methods that could be successfully applied by anatomists involved in the daily care of museum collections in human anatomy departments. The starting point was the analysis of the sources and history of the collections, on which basis the choice of research methods was made. Methods based on simple chemical reactions and specialised methods (such as gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy) were used in the analyses of the composition of fluids. Microbiological analyses were based on culture and isolation methods, analysis of microscopy slides and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis. As a result of these analyses, some components of the preservative mixtures and their concentrations were determined. The presence of methanol, ethanol, formaldehyde and glycerol was detected, among other chemicals.The concentrations of these substances were different between the samples and their determination required the use of a variety of methods suitable for the individual components of the preservative mixture. In microbiological tests, both bacteria and fungi were isolated from swabs taken from anatomical specimens. The bacterial flora was less numerous than the fungal flora. Among the bacteria, environmental Gram-positive Bacillus cereus, Bacillus thuringiensis and a rare bacterium of the Cupriavidus genus were | 149 DOMAŃSKI et al.

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The Anatomical Collection at the University of Jena: Reinventing an exhibition of human remains based on ethical considerations

Lötzsch

Redies

2023

Annals of Anatomy - Anatomischer Anzeiger

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Terra Incognita in anatomical museology – A literature review from the perspective of evidence-based care

Cited by 6 publications

References 58 publications

Microbial load of heritage dermatological moulages of the historic university department in Wroclaw, Poland

Microbial load of heritage dermatological moulages of the historic university department in Wroclaw, Poland

Preservation fluids of heritage anatomical specimens — a challenge for modern science. Studies of the origin, composition and microbiological contamination of old museum collections

The Anatomical Collection at the University of Jena: Reinventing an exhibition of human remains based on ethical considerations

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