Accession No
6164
Brief Description
papier mâché anatomical model of the human ear, by Louis Thomas Jérôme Auzoux, French, 1895
Origin
France; Saint-Aubin-d'Écrosville
Maker
Auzoux, Louis Thomas Jérôme
Class
demonstration; physiology; medical; biology
Earliest Date
1895
Latest Date
1895
Inscription Date
1895
Material
paper (papier mâche); metal (steel)
Dimensions
Length 280mm; width 280mm; height 215mm
Special Collection
Provenance
Purchased from Philippe Lamoussiere, Le Clos de la Tour, 33920, St Christoly de Blaye, France on or before 23/08/2007.
Inscription
‘Anatomie [de l’orielle]
au Dr Auzoux
1895.’ (top of model, next to label for ‘tempora’)
Description Notes
Papier mâché anatomical model of the human ear, by Auzoux, French, 1895.
The outer ear has two metal prongs that slot into metal-lined openings, so that it can be entirely removed. On the other side, the inner side, a metal hook can be lifted to release a large section, which opens out on two hinges. Inside this are three more detachable pieces: the semi-circular canals; the ear drum and stapes; and the cochlea.
Some vessels, muscles, tubes and other anatomical features are labelled with their names, but many are labelled with only a number. These would have been listed on an explanatory sheet that would have come with the model. Some labels are also accompanied by an image of a pointing hand; these hands indicate the place where a part should be removed, and they are numbered in order so that they ‘guide’ the student through a dissection.
Condition: fair. Much of the surface varnish is peeling off, including where the signature is located. The paint on the larger of the red blood vessels is cracking. The edges are very worn in places.
References
Events
Description
Until the 1870s, clinical training for medical students was available to only a select few. Confronted with a shortage of human remains for performing dissections, Louis Thomas Jérôme Auzoux (1797–1880) began to experiment with modeling human bodies as a student in 1816. Eventually he developed a special papier-mâché compound containing cork, clay, paper and glue, which was light and robust enough for creating clastic models and that could be disassembled to reveal internal anatomy. According to a report commissioned by the Académie Royale de Médecine in 1831, Auzoux’s anatomical models presented several advantages for public education: they circumvented a reliance on cadavers for medical training, they acted as a memory aid for provincial doctors, they replaced the flayed body that artists studied and they could be transported to the colonies for study by magistrates, military men and navigators who might require such knowledge. By welcoming and incorporating anatomical revisions from the Académie, Auzoux’s clastic models became emblematic of the forefront of anatomical knowledge. Like all of Auzoux’s models, this example of a human ear can be ‘dissected’ and reassembled. The outer ear (shown at the back) may be completely detached, and the hinged flap lifts up to show the parts of the inner ear, including the semi-circular canals, the ear drum and stapes (stirrup bone), and the cochlea.
18/02/2014
Created by: Allison Ksiazkiewicz on 18/02/2014
FM:46627
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