The skeleton of the giant Jacob Lolly is a unique “brand” of the department of normal anatomy
- Authors: Gaivoronsky I.V.1,2, Tvardovskaya M.V.1, Solovyev K.V.1, Kirillova M.P.1, Spirina T.S.2,3, Vinogradov S.V.1,2, Semenova A.A.1,2,4
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Affiliations:
- Military medical academy of S.M. Kirov
- Saint Petersburg State University
- Almazov National Medical Research Centre
- Saint-Petersburg Medico-Social Institute
- Issue: Vol 24, No 1 (2022)
- Pages: 231-237
- Section: History of medicine
- URL: https://journals.rcsi.science/1682-7392/article/view/88968
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.17816/brmma88968
- ID: 88968
Cite item
Abstract
The paper presents the history of the appearance of the legendary skeleton of the giant Jacob Lolli in the museum collection of the Department of Normal Anatomy of the Military medical Academy. Research has been conducted on archival documents, including old magazines, newspapers, monographs, and minutes of the Academy Conference meetings stored in the Russian National Library, as well as the catalog and card index of the fundamental museum of the department. Data at the time of making the giant skeleton given in the catalog of the fundamental museum and literary sources of the 19th century were quite different and refer to the period from 1814 to 1818. Probably, the giant’s corpse was taken to the Department of Anatomy and Physiology of the Imperial Medical–Surgical Academy to establish the cause of death. After a while, the skeleton was presented to the Academy Conference as a rare museum exhibit and presented to its president, Jacov Willie, who returned the skeleton to the department. From 1818 to 1824, the skeleton temporarily left the walls of the academy and was examined by I.V. Buyalsky in the home museum. After the scientific work, the skeleton was returned to the department; as a result of the research conducted by I.V. Buyalsky in 1847, the article “Measure of the skeleton and the weight of the bones of the giant Jacob Lolly”, was the only published scientific work on the skeleton of a giant. The measurements were translated into the modern system of units. A brief description of the giant’s skull as a vivid example of typical changes in acromegaly was made a hundred years later by A.P. Bystrov, an employee of the department, in the book, “Past, present, future of man”. Two hundred years after its construction, the giant’s skeleton needed restoration, including delicate cleaning, restoration of destroyed fragments, and replacement of the material to imitate the cartilaginous components of the skeleton. The restorers’ work process is described, and the result of their activity is presented.
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##article.viewOnOriginalSite##About the authors
Ivan V. Gaivoronsky
Military medical academy of S.M. Kirov; Saint Petersburg State University
Email: i.v.gaivoronsky@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7232-6419
SPIN-code: 1898-3355
Scopus Author ID: 6603921732
ResearcherId: 0-7912-2014
doctor of medical sciences, professor
Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg; Saint PetersburgMarina V. Tvardovskaya
Military medical academy of S.M. Kirov
Email: Marina020139@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3381-242X
SPIN-code: 6712-3115
candidate of medical sciences, associate professor
Russian Federation, Saint PetersburgKirill V. Solovyev
Military medical academy of S.M. Kirov
Author for correspondence.
Email: kirill_solovik@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5527-0495
SPIN-code: 6519-7262
Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg
Maria P. Kirillova
Military medical academy of S.M. Kirov
Email: manatomy@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-3922-8673
SPIN-code: 2869-5688
candidate of biological sciences
Russian Federation, Saint PetersburgTatyana S. Spirina
Saint Petersburg State University; Almazov National Medical Research Centre
Email: scox1@rambler.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1188-7204
SPIN-code: 1048-9599
candidate of biological sciences
Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg; Saint PetersburgStas V. Vinogradov
Military medical academy of S.M. Kirov; Saint Petersburg State University
Email: Vitista@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-8429-5840
SPIN-code: 9343-0818
candidate of medical sciences, associate professor
Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg; Saint PetersburgAnastasia A. Semenova
Military medical academy of S.M. Kirov; Saint Petersburg State University; Saint-Petersburg Medico-Social Institute
Email: nastioxa@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6474-1113
SPIN-code: 2429-6876
candidate of medical sciences
Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg; Saint Petersburg; Saint PetersburgReferences
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