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  • The human consciousness
  • Diagram showing balls representing different stages of consciousness
  • (left) A man who has hanged himself, (right) a man who has drowned being reuscitated. A manuscript with details describing techniques to resuscitating people who have drowned, hung themeselves, collapsed or lost consciousness.
  • Vicia faba L. Fabaceae. Broad beans, Fava bean. Distribution: N. Africa, SW Asia. Culpeper (1650) writes: 'Fabarum. Of Beans. Of Bean Cods (or Pods as we in Sussex call them) being burned, the ashes are a sovereign remedy for aches in the joints, old bruises, gout and sciaticaes.’ The beans are perfectly edible for the majority, but 1% of Caucasians, predominantly among Greeks, Italians and people from the Eastern Mediterranean regions, have a genetic trait in that they lack the ability to produce the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. As a consequence, eating broad beans or even inhaling the pollen, causes a severe haemolytic anaemia a few days later. This condition is known as favism. The whole plant, including the beans, contains levodopa, a precursor of dopamine, and some patients with Parkinsonism report symptomatic improvement after commencing on a diet that contains these beans regularly. A case of neuroleptic malignant-like syndrome (fever, rigidity, autonomic instability, altered consciousness, elevated creatine phosphokinase levels) consequent on abrupt discontinuation of a diet containing plenty of broad beans, has been described in a patient with Parkinsonism. This is usually seen when patients abruptly discontinue L-dopa therapy. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • A woman asleep in an armchair: her book is slipping out of her hand, the rest of the room is in disarray; representing oblivion. Lithograph by H. Bertremieux after G.S. Newton.
  • A louche man approaches a well-dressed man who has looked at hs girlfriend and asks him "What do you want, clown?". Coloured lithograph by E.J. Pigal. 1822.
  • An unconscious naked man lying on a table being attacked by little demons armed with surgical instruments; representing the effects of chloroform on the human body. Watercolour by R. Cooper.
  • An unconscious naked man lying on a table being attacked by little demons armed with surgical instruments; representing the effects of chloroform on the human body. Watercolour by R. Cooper.
  • An unconscious naked man lying on a table being attacked by little demons armed with surgical instruments; representing the effects of chloroform on the human body. Watercolour by R. Cooper.
  • An unconscious naked man lying on a table being attacked by little demons armed with surgical instruments; representing the effects of chloroform on the human body. Watercolour by R. Cooper.
  • Two St. Bernard dogs find a lost unconscious figure in the snow, while one tries to revive the figure the other howls for help. Wood engraving.
  • Two St. Bernard dogs find an injured man, while one tries to revive him the other alerts the rescue party of his presence. Wood engraving by Baxter after E. Landseer.
  • Two St. Bernard dogs find an injured man, while one tries to revive him the other alerts the rescue party of his presence. Chromolithograph after E. Landseer, 1860/1880.
  • Two St. Bernard dogs find an injured man, while one tries to revive him the other alerts the rescue party of his presence. Chromolithograph after E. Landseer, 1860/1880.
  • Two St. Bernard dogs with an avalanche victim, one tries to revive him while the other alerts the rescue party. Line engraving by J. Landseer, 1831, after E. Landseer.
  • Two St. Bernard dogs with an avalanche victim, one tries to revive him while the other alerts the rescue party. Stipple engraving by T. Landseer after E. Landseer.
  • A poor doctor takes the pulse of a rich, corpulent patient and announces that he is very ill. Lithograph after E.J. Pigal, c. 1840.
  • A poor doctor takes the pulse of a rich, corpulent patient and announces that he is very ill. Coloured stipple engraving by J.J. after E.J. Pigal, c. 1840.
  • A poor doctor takes the pulse of a rich, corpulent patient and announces that he is very ill. Coloured stipple engraving by J.J. after E.J. Pigal, c. 1840.
  • A rich physician feels the pulse of a poor, sick patient; he tells him he is fine. Coloured stipple engraving by J.J. after E.J. Pigal, c. 1840.
  • A rich physician feels the pulse of a poor, sick patient; he tells him he is fine. Coloured stipple engraving by J.J. after E.J. Pigal, c. 1840.
  • Acupuncture chart: Acu-moxa points for heatstroke with coma
  • A rich physician feels the pulse of a poor, sick patient; he tells him he is fine. Coloured lithograph by E.J. Pigal, 1822.
  • A rich physician feels the pulse of a poor, sick patient; he tells him he is fine. Coloured lithograph by E.J. Pigal, 1822.
  • Three Tibetan anatomical figures. Watercolour, 1904.
  • Three Tibetan anatomical figures. Watercolour, 1904.
  • Three perspectives of a head divided according to phrenological 'faculties', with key. Colour pen drawing.
  • "On the periphery": a patient's view of a surgical operation. Oil painting by Pauline Annesley, 1955.
  • "On the periphery": a patient's view of a surgical operation. Oil painting by Pauline Annesley, 1955.
  • "On the periphery": a patient's view of a surgical operation. Oil painting by Pauline Annesley, 1955.