Welcome, friends, to

Dr Jekyll’s Study
Science and Medicine in the Nineteenth Century

The nineteenth century was a time of rapid advances in science and medicine.
Researchers made new discoveries about the human body and mind that were thrilling...
but could also seem terrifying. Some of the most famous monsters in fiction were
inspired by the scientific discoveries of their times.

In the nineteenth century the first effective anaesthetic drugs were discovered, opening
the door to new surgical possibilities and pain relief. Scientists discovered that diseases
could be spread by microscopic germs. Doctors began to map the human brain and
women pioneered advanced nursing techniques and qualified as doctors in Britain for the
first time.

It is no coincidence that writers of this period also created some of the most famous
and enduring gothic monsters in fiction. From Frankenstein’s creature to Dr Jekyll and
Mr Hyde and Dracula, monsters of the nineteenth century continue to scare us today.
But they are all of them inspired by the medical advances and fears of their own times.

This exhibition is part of a collaborative research project on nineteenth-century

medicine and literature at Edge Hill University by Dr Laura Eastlake (Edge Hill), Dr
Andrew McInnes (Edge Hill), Dr Douglas Small (University of Glasgow) and Dr Bob
Nicholson (Edge Hill). With thanks to our sponsors: