Over the years, humans have been preoccupied with ideas of preserving the body after death, whether it be Egyptian mummies or witch hunts. Recently it was announced that a prestigious nature museum in Vienna, revealed a huge collection of human remains from 200 years ago. Yes, you read that right. Human corpses preserved in the 18th century, protected from writhing maggots.
Now, they can be found behind glass in Vienna, the capital of Austria. For only 15 euros per ticket, you can enjoy representatives of a swollen liver, palms and about 50 thousand other organs that belong to the collection. While this type of display has been banned in some countries, human remains have been displayed in Europe since the 16th century, with Egyptian mummies being the first. The organs were originally intended to help train medical students in 1796. The gruesome gallery has sparked debate about whether the display offers anything more useful to society than a glimpse into those dark recesses or whether it is sufficient justification.
Lungs of a person who smokes (Photo: Getty Images)Curator Edward Winter said he hopes the exhibition can help people better understand the effects of disease on the body. The visitors will be able to take a look at the internal organs, injuries, burns and blood vessels and this will help them choose a healthier lifestyle and therefore the exhibition is in the public interest. For example, a liver weighing 13 kilograms, shows the effects of excessive alcohol consumption.
Hands from the 18th century (Photo: Getty Images)The findings were transferred to the anatomical-pathological museum in 1784, and many flocked to investigate the stories hidden behind the mysterious organs.