Have you ever seen a colon that is larger than a cat? A life-like model of smallpox? What about the skeletons of a midget and a giant?
You can find these medical oddities as well as 20,000 other bizarre objects on display at the Mutter Museum located at 19 S. 22nd Street.
Since its creation in the late 19th century, the museum has accumulated hundreds of medical instruments, human specimens and memorabilia belonging to famous scientists, physicians and nurses like Marie Curie and Florence Nightingale.
One exhibit entitled "The President as the Patient" examines physical disabilities and medical problems in the White House, taking a look at such issues as Bill Clinton's running habits.
The museum is currently running a feature exhibit on the social history of twins joined at birth, and the connected livers of the "original" Siamese twins, Chang and Eng Bunker, are on display. The museum also contains a collection of safety pins and other strange objects discovered in human bodies.
"Our policy is that our exhibits don't preach. They don't sugar-coat the truth," Levinson said. "We believe very strongly that the only agenda of our exhibits is to allow the voice of science to speak and be heard."
In 1856, a local doctor named Thomas Mutter donated his personal medical collection as well as $20,000 to the College of Physicians of Philadelphia in hopes that it would prepare medical students for the harsh realities they would face throughout their careers.
"The museum was a response to a real crisis in medical education during the 19th century," College of Physicians of Philadelphia spokesman Dick Levinson said.
Before the creation of the museum, medical students didn't work with patients in hospital settings or do the things that are now the bedrock of modern medicine, Levinson said.
Over a century later the museum still serves to educate students. Every year, hundreds visit the museum to learn about anatomy and biology, while obtaining insight into the medical worlds of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Even celebrities such as Robert Downy Jr. and Marilyn Manson have dropped by.
The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Admission is $7.00 dollars with student identification.
The odd on display - The connected livers of conjoined twins - Collection of safety pins and other objects discovered in human bodies - Exhibit examining physical disabilities and medical problems in the White House
