Call for papers for the European Association of Museums of the History of Medical Sciences

This call for papers just in from James Edmonson. It looks like it will be a popularly interesting conference, focusing on medical models and other human simulacra held and exhibited in medical museums. Full description below. Not sure when papers are due, will inquire and add to post. Please distribute this to any interested parties.

Call for Papers
The 14th Congress of the European Association of Museums of the History of Medical Sciences, 17 – 21 September 2008
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

The Body: Simulacra and Simulation: models, interventions, and prosthetics.
Models in wax or plastic, wood or metal, plaster or papier-mâché are held in almost every medical museum in the world; while the development of surgical interventions and prosthetics has also led to a range of materials being used to replicate and imitate external and internal parts and movements of the body. Congress 2008 will explore aspects of the use, culture, history, art and manufacture of models, surgical interventions and prosthetics. It is hoped that the conference will be the catalyst for the development of a European-wide electronic catalogue of models and prosthetics held in medical collections.

Keynote speakers for the Congress include Thomas Söderqvist (Medical Museion, University of Copenhagen) and Ken Arnold (Head of Public Programmes, Wellcome Trust).

Association Européenne des Musées d'Histoire des Sciences Médicales /European Association of Museums of the History of Medical Sciences

Submit proposed papers to:
Dawn Kemp, Director of Heritage
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
d.kemp@rcsed.ac.uk
Nicolson Street Edinburgh EH8 9DW Scotland UK
Tel: 0131 - 527 - 1649 Fax: 0131 - 557 - 6406

First image from The Mutter Museum, the second one is from the National Museum of Health and Medicine, and the third is from the Pathologisch-Anatomisches Bundesmuseum in Vienna.