Reproduction
Object numberRCSHC/3681
Scientific nameHomo sapiens
CollectionHunterian
CategoryWet preparations
Object nameFetus, Quintuplets, Products of generation - Humans, Mounted wet tissue
DescriptionQuintuple foetuses, from a premature birth at about five months.
Two of the quintuplets were still-born; the other three died shortly after delivery. They were born to a mother in Blackburn, Lancashire in 1786. A local surgeon called John Hull attended the birth. He later reported a history of the case to Gilbert Blane, an eminent physician in London, who in turn passed the letter on to Maxwell Garthshore. Garthshore reported the case to the Royal Society in 1787.
In his report Hull describes how he was allowed to take the bodies of the foetuses, but was not permitted to take the placenta which was burnt in accordance with local custom. He sent the preserved bodies to London and they were placed in John Hunter's museum.
Production date 1787
Preparator
Hull, John, 1764-1843, physician, London
Owner/user
Patient/subject
Surgeon/clinician
presented
Physical Location
Location
Not on public display: contact museum for access conditions
Physical Information
Physical descriptionWet preparation of tissue mounted in a rectangular perspex container.
Materialperspex
Homo
Dimensions
whole height: 321 mm
whole width: 343 mm
whole depth: 81 mm
whole weight: 10200 g
whole width: 343 mm
whole depth: 81 mm
whole weight: 10200 g
Bibliography
SourceDobson 1970-71
Transcript3681: Five female foetuses, the produce of the same gestation, and successively brought forth at the same period of parturition; three were still-born; two of these may be distinguished by their shrivelled and distorted aspect; two were born alive, but survived their birth but a short time. The size of each foetus and the condition of the eyelids, ears, and external organs of generation correspond with the state of development usually exhibited at about the fifth month of uterine gestation. A record of this case of multiple gestation is published by Dr. Garthshore in the Philosophical Transactions, Vol. 77, 1787, p. 344, together with a summary of recorded cases of multiple births. In this account it is stated that the mother of the above children, who was 21 years of age, and had previously borne a single child, conceived again in December 1785, and on April 24th, 1786 brought forth these five foetuses, the time of delivery occupying 50 minutes. Each foetus was enclosed in its own amnion, and was attached by a separate umbilical cord to a common undivided placenta.
SourceDobson c.1950
Transcript3681 Five female foetuses, the produce of the same pregnancy and successively brought forth at the same period of parturition. Three were still born - two of which may be distinguished by their shrivelled and distorted aspect - and two were born alive, but survived only a short time. The size of each foetus and the condition of the eyelids, ears and external organs of generation corresponds with the state of development usually found around the fifth month of pregnancy. A record of this case of multiple pregnancy is published by Dr Garthshore, together with a summary of recorded cases of multiple births, in the Philosophical Transactions vol. 77, (1787), p. 344. In this account it is stated that the mother of these children was 21 years old and had already given birth to a single child. She conceived again in December 1785 and on April 24 1786 delivered these five foetuses in less than an hour. Each foetus was enclosed in its own amnion and was attached by a separate umbilical cord to a common undivided placenta. O.C. 3681 Hunterian. These foetuses were sent to Canada soon after the birth of the Dionne quintuplets, kept there during World War II and returned to the College in 1947.
SourceOwen 1840
177-8
NotesA full transcript of Maxwell Garthshore's apper to the Philosophical Transactions is appended to the catalogue entry (see reference below).
Transcript3681. Five foetuses, the produce of the same gestation, and successively brought forth at the same period of parturition: three were still-born; two of these may be distinguished by their shrivelled and distorted aspect: two were born alive, and survived their birth but a short time. The closed eyelids, the shape of the ears and the external organs of generation, together with the size of each foetus, correspond with the state of development usually exhibited at about the fifth month of uterine gestation. A label is attached to the right hand of each foetus, indicating the order of its birth. Such particulars as have been recorded respecting this remarkable case of human multiparous gestation, are given in the subjoined account. [Transcript of Gathshore's paper appended here].
SourceGarthshore 1787
NotesGarthshore's paper contains observations of several cases of multiple births and a detailed history of the case of Margaret Waddington, communicated by Mr Hull, a physician of Blackburn, via Gilbert Blane.
