Mutterly Fascinating

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Mütterly Fascinating

By Sali

The elegant, historical building of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia houses the Mütter Museum. This is a collection of medical curiosities and scientific and thoughtprovoking exhibits relating to the human body, attitudes, and culture. It also has one of the country’s oldest medical libraries. Philadelphia is the birthplace of American Medicine.

The museum was founded by Thomas Dent Mütter in 1858 when he donated a collection of anomalies, anatomic and pathological specimens and bizarre medical instruments. As a sickly orphan, he developed an interest in medicine. At 17, he enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. After graduating from Penn, Mütter followed the path of many American doctors of the time and continued his education among the surgeons of Paris. In early 19th century Philadelphia, you didn’t need a medical degree or a license to practice medicine. Mütter was smart and ambitious and had a natural gift for teaching and practicing medicine. He returned to America and

built a large private practice and revolutionized American surgery.

There are so many highlights and fascinating things to see. A woman they call the Soap Lady was exhumed in downtown Philadelphia in 1875 near Fourth and Race streets, when city improvements near a cemetery required some graves be exhumed. The mummy formed when water seeped into their casket and turned the body fat into adiopocere, a waxy soap-like substance. It’s the only display they loan out.

There is a Soap Man who was exhumed at the same time and is in the Smithsonian. However he is no longer on display due to his fragile conditions, which require climatically controlled storage.

Other highlights of the museum include Viennese physician Joseph Hyrtl’s(1810-1894) collection of 139 skulls. Each skull is mounted on a stand and many skulls are inscribed with comments about the person’s age, place of origin and cause of death. He wanted to disprove the claims of phrenologists, who held that cranial features were evidence of

intelligence and personality and that racial differences caused anatomical differences. The 139 skulls aren’t very talkative, so you would have to go and see for yourself who was right.

The Mütter is one of two places in the world where you can see pieces of Albert Einstein’s brain tissue. It’s also the place to see the tools invented by Dr. Chevalier Jackson (1865-

1958) and the 2374 gross thing he extracted from a patient’s airway.

If you’re reading this during lunch, imagine what it would be like to have a nine-foot long forty pound colon. Yep, they have one on display. There are also shrunken heads and the recipe on how to make and preserve them. Fascinating or gross, you decide but keep eating.

Entire bodies and skeletons, body parts and models of disease and deformity, whether natural or shaped by human hands (and perceptions of beauty), such as the skeletal foot that had undergone binding and a rib cage post-corseting.

There are jars of human skin and a book bound in human skin. The book was written in the 1700s and talks about how a

woman become pregnant and the stages of pregnancy. In the 1800s, a physician took skin from a woman’s thigh, boiled it and used it to bind the pages to create the book. If you can still hold down your lunch, there was an exhibit of art and textiles made with human hair.

The Civil War exhibit provides a grim reminder of the consequences of conflict, fighting and violence. There is an interactive element that brings the visitor back in time and onto the battlefield. The Civil War was not so civil when you see the large number of amputations and the methods of field surgery.

Although it might make one queasy, all can appreciate that bodies are subject to illness, questionable judgement, the elements and time. The exhibits are unique and memorable. Give yourself enough time to soak in all that is on display.

Philadelphia can be a trek for some readers but a worthwhile destination. It’s a friendly, well preserved historical city with a great public transportation system. Enjoy a birch beer with your cheesesteaks and pierogis. And until February 3rd, the Eagles are still the Super Bowl champs.

Thank you Gillian and Elizabeth from the media and marketing department for being our guides and sharing your insight. We will return.

Follow the events at: muttermuseum.org.

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How many whales does it take to screw in a lightbulb? I don’t know, but if you find out let me minnow.

This question and more can be answered at the 9th annual Whalefest Monterey on January 26-27.

This is a free family-friendly event held for two days on Old Fisherman’s Wharf.

Would you like to go safely inside a whale? Dee, the popular 43-foot inflatable whale model returns for you to go inside and see its internal organs.

There will be numerous photo ops with costumed creatures

roaming the wharf all day. Other highlights of the day feature cooking demos, Japanese fish stenciling, abalone races and other interactive fun things to do and see.

Folks come from around the world to see whales in the Monterey Bay. Monterey has taken the name The Whale Watching Capital of the World™ for good reason. Fifteen different species of whales have been sighted year around frolicking and eating krill and anchovies in our protected bay. This begs the question on why whales live

in salt water. Probably because pepper makes them sneeze.

These two days will be more than fun and games. Two marine research boats, a Coast Guard boat and our Monterey Fire boat will be on display. The Science Seafloor ROV will also be there. Many local and national marine organizations will be setting up exhibits for fun and education.

The Wharf Theater hosts speakers for a symposium representing topics and groups from The Monterey National Marine Sanctuary, MBARI, Hopkins Marine Station,

Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust, Whale Entanglement Team and more.

While you’re here, it’s a chance to pick up a unique marine themed gift or a collectible Whalefest t-shirt while listening and swaying to live music to work up an appetite for a meal at one of the award-winning restaurants on the wharf. Weather permitting, whale watching tours, fishing, sailing and glass bottom boats will be operating.

Why did the whales cross the road? Because they were following you to Whalefest!

*Community Shout Out is space dedicated to Not for Profit businesses to have a voice for their cause.

Great Selection of Local Wine & Craft Beer

Expires January 31st, 2019

Homemade Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

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NEW LAWS

We, the staff of Foolish Times, hereby declare that these 20 new laws should be in effect starting in 2019 for Monterey County. You, the readers of Foolish Times, can laugh at this throughout the year.

• Every day, city councilmen will patrol traffic in the Trader Joe’s parking lot.

• All stop signs are officially suggestion signs.

• It is illegal to stand around without a good reason to be there.

• During the summer, it is illegal to complain that you wish it was warmer.

• It is illegal not to smile in public.

• Picking your nose is allowed. Picking your friend’s nose is illegal.

• Boogers may not be flicked into the wind.

• Salinas City Center is confined to the Taylor Building. The rest of the area is still Oldtown.

• If you don’t know where you’re going, it is illegal to leave your house.

• It is illegal for a man with a mustache to kiss a woman in public.

• It is illegal to pretend that your parents are rich.

• Clergy must tell jokes or humorous stories from the pulpit during Sunday services.

• Restaurants can’t outnumber the total population of residents.

• Seabirds are to be worshiped and their white spattering a form of local art.

• You can’t purchase alcohol without written permission from your spouse.

• Driving with a dog on your lap is legal as long as it passed the driving test.

• All restaurants will have a no cell phone rule.

• A person is not eligible to run for an elected office if they participated in a duel.

• Jaywalking is legal as long as you’re not on your phone.

• To go to college, you must be intelligent.

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January 3 Fruitcake Toss Day

There is no one way to toss out the old fruitcake. Just be sure no one gets hurt. It would be hard to explain to the judge.

January 4 First Friday Artwalk

Kick off the year with the first artwalk of the year. 1stfridays.org

January 5 Comedy Contest

Compete for a whopping $110 grand prize. Quit your day job and hit the road as a headliner comedian. pinkflamingo theater.org

January 10-13 Monterey Swingfest

Dance, dance ,dance! Workshops. World and national champion dancers. Dance until dawn or dance with Dawn. centralcoastswingdance.com

January 16 Styx

Ageless wonders from Chicago are still rocking since the 70’s. Hard rock, pop rock, progressive rock, soft rock. All radio friendly. Sunsetcenter.org

January 17

Ditch Your Resolution Day

Enough is enough. You had good intention to eat better, lose weight and solve the world’s problems. Let’s get back to being you.

January 23-26 EcoFarm Conference

A gathering for inspiration, renewal and celebration. Network, shop, and learn about the latest products and services in the agricultural industry. eco-farm.org

January 25-26

Love letters

A romantic, funny, heartwarming story of love and friendship told through a lifetime of letters. A finalist for a Pulitzer for Drama. pinkflamingotheater.org

January 10 Priscilla Presley

Priscilla opens up her world with conversation, photos, home movies and film clips about her life with the King of Rock and Roll. Elvis’s birthday is January 8th. sunsetcenter.org

January 12 Beach Clean-Up

From the Monterey commercial wharf to the condos on Del Monte Beach. Prizes for most unique item and most cigarette butts collected. Buckets and latex gloves provided. discoverywhalewatch.com

January 14-21

Get Hooked

Fish caught by our local fishing boats and supplied to our restaurants get masterfully transformed into delectable dishes by top chefs. A true taste of Monterey Bay. gethookedmontereybay.com

January 17-20 Big Sur Foragers

Four days of foraging events and culinary delights. Benefit for The Big Sur Health Center. bigsurforagersfestival.org

January 21 National Hugging Day

Started in 1986, the idea is to encourage everyone to hug family and friends more often.

January 26-27

Whalefest

Family friendly interactive events, music, and more. Two day symposium with lectures and documentaries related to ocean marine life and conservation. Montereywharf.com

January 28 Fun at Work Day

Too bad this is only celebrated once a year. Unless you work with us.

January 31 Kosher Lunch

Best lunch ever! Corned beef and pastrami cut thin and piled high. Don’t forget the baked goods. Templebethelsalinas.org