In her article, The Rise and Demise of a Collection of Human Fetuses at Mount Holyoke College, Lynn Morgan analyzes the history of modern day specimen collecting from its noble beginnings to its shameful endings. Morgan argues that almost every major college institution and medical research facility in the country had at least a few “human fetal specimens” for studying purposes. For example, Franklin Paine Mall, who directed the new department of embryology at John Hopkins in 1913, was able to create a collection of over 1,000 Human fetal specimens. That number rose almost ten fold and what was once just a way to build 19th century museum showcases, Embryo collection changed at Mount Holyoke into applicable research with the creation of the first embryology classes taught by Amy Elizabeth Adams.
However, as Morgan highlights, the Criticism she received from her colleagues represents a deeper, negative societal view on the current state of human embryos. Morgan argues that fetuses specimens have come to be considered as disturbing and inappropriate, whether they appear in a biological artistic exhibit or as the subject of a police investigation” (Morgan 2006). She argues that charitable alumna and hospitals donated so many that Mount Holyoke’s collection was “commonplace and mundane” (Morgan 2006). As the professors who took care of the collections slowly disappeared, the collection did not. This led to a genuine distaste for specimens that were left uncared for which in turn initiated a whole shift in societal opinions on embryo collection.
The “historical transformation” that Morgan calls it is an interesting turn of events in the medical field of embryology. What used to be highly sought after human embryo specimens have turned taboo because of the inherent disrespect for human life. In the context of the industry as a whole, it’s interesting how everyone has shifted away from these specimens in favor of digital life like models and other forms of research.
Casper, Monica. 1998. “Negotiations, Work Objects, and the Unborn patient: The Interactional
Scaffolding of Fetal Surgery.” Symbolic Interaction. 21.4: 379-400.
Morgan, Lynn. 2006. “The Rise and Demise of a Collection of Human Fetuses at Mount
Holyoke College.” Perspectives in Biology and Medicine. 49.3: 435-451.
Hi Ryan,
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting topic to bring up for the melding of art, technology, and medicine. I chose a completely different subject to write about in my blog so it is nice to read a different interpretation on the weeks videos/readings. I think it is crazy how quickly something can change from a unique art form and method of research to something that is deemed crude and unacceptable to continue studying. It is also crazy to think about how people still want to continue with the research, but not with real fetuses, instead digital ones.
Hi Ryan,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog. I as well blogged about a completely different topic so it's refreshing to learn something new. I found your blog to touch home for me because being a new mother, I find this type of research to be problematic. But I do believe this can be because times have drastically changed and what we see as normal today might not have been the case years ago. Nowadays everything is so technical and advanced so it's a different type of research.