Medical History

Posted at 10:27 am on 29th March, 2017

Over 100 year 10 students and staff visited the Thackray Medical Museum in Leeds, to support their GCSE History classroom work by examining medicine through time and specifically surgery during the First World War.

The Thackray Medical Museum opened in 1997 in the old Leeds Union Workhouse building - opened in 1861 as the purpose-built Leeds Union Workhouse, a harsh and unwelcoming home for poor and homeless people with nowhere else to go.

The students and staff experienced a self-guided tour of the museum which provided interactive exhibits, bringing the history of these periods to life. The 1842 Leeds street tour transported our students back in time to an era of dirt, diseases and death. They explored the innovations that have transformed the world of surgery, from the first public operation using a general anaesthetic, to Joseph Lister’s invention of his antiseptic apparatus.

Mr Garcha – History Teacher commented: ‘The trip relates to a whole section of the GCSE specification. With a mixture of artifacts, hands on exhibits and information; the museum brings the era and medical history to life and is clearly linked to the examination.’

Thackray Education staff posted ‘Great to see @FlixtonGS having fun! Students were excellent and always involved on task with their studies.’

Palvasha Khan year 10 said: ‘I really enjoyed the trip; the section on street life in Leeds in 1842 was brilliant. The museum brought the sounds and smells of the time to life.’