The second in a series of posts looking at anatomical models in Scotland's Medical Collections, and taking a deep dive into the materials they're made from. Why Wax? Easily mouldable and able to retain structure and colour, wax has a long history of being used to mimic a human body. Wax effigies in the early modern period and Roman antiquity were used to represent a specific person, often for religious or funerary purposes. Wax models like those found in Madame Tussauds

As well as medical instruments and records, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh also has an impressive collection of art. Among...