Weird and awesome things at the Mütter Museum

Adopt a skull

The museum recently began an initiative to encourage visitors to adopt a skull.

Slice of a human face

Dr. Matthew Cryer, a physician and dentist who was around during the early 1900s, prepared the slice to study the development of oral and sinus cavity formation and development.

Rib bones of a person with Rickets

The museum also owns pieces of rib bones that were from a person with rickets. Rickets is a disease caused by a deficiency in vitamin D and results in the softened bones.

Jar of picked human skin

According to Dr. Robert Hicks, the director of the museum, a jar of picked human skin smells faintly like Romano cheese.

Hippopotamus fat from the zulus in South Africa

According to Dr. Hicks, the Zulus in South Africa used hippo fat to cure stomachaches.

Aphrodisiac made from elephant’s tusk

The Zulus also contributed human aphrodisiacs to the Mütter Museum.

Bedbugs extracted from a patient’s ear

At the Mütter Museum, they have a jar of bedbugs that were extracted from a patient’s ear.