June 13th, 1894 — Skull & Scalpel, London
Following this lecture

"I cannot rightly say what I expected," the healer acknowledged over his brandy, "but I do not think I have the imagination to have expected what transpired."

Gideon Browne was one of many healers and others in the medical field who had attended the evening's lecture on the human body and the preservation of tissue. Unlike the bone menagerie, whic he had observed the day previous, the specimens at the lecture were human—and not reanimated. Still, there had been such intricacy and, somehow, intimacy in the preserved-but-stripped-back bodies that Gideon's fingers had itched for his charcoals to capture them even as a part of him internally recoiled from the unnaturalness of the sight. These had not been skeletons, nor had they been cadavers: somehow, the in-between affected the healer in a way neither end of the spectrum could.

The wizard had joined the somewhat diminished crowd of those who remained for refreshments after the lecture, stationing himself at a table rather near the bar. He was eager to hear what his colleagues made of the whole thing, his own mind still trying to come to a conclusion that could be effectively expressed in words.

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   Basil Foxwood

June was to be a most academic post-term month for Basil as he settled in at the Flint Institute and attended a rather more interesting set of lectures and events than he had in years prior. This particular evening he was unaccompanied, making his way diligently and with enthusiasm to the Skull & Scalpel, a men’s club he’d always had a vague fascination with. It was too bad there was no such academically inclined club for those who dedicated their lives to other studies. He enjoyed medicine greatly, particularly the effects the mind had on the body and how magic affected these connections, but Basil certainly didn’t have the patience (or temperament) to be much of a healer. Still, it was his fascination with the former that carried him through the evening in what would result to be the most riveting lecture he’d attended to date.

The specimens were as intricate in detail as they were morbid. The discussion was as insightful as it was influential. All in all, Basil walked out of the lecture hall some time later with a mind full of further questions and a vague direction to ponder for his next topic of research and publication. Curious as he was on how others of similar inclination had taken the event, he lingered as the crowd thinned, chatting here and there with a few familiar faces. Basil didn’t have so many connections in the medical field, but like him there were other academics who found interest in such topics and how they might relate to another primary field of study. For his own part, the idea of a magical body fostering different reactions than a muggle one to magic in its various forms was the most interesting. He’d never before considered how transfiguration or switching, even, might have physiological implications on muggles otherwise unexplored.

Making his way through the crowd and gathering a glass of firewhiskey as he went, Basil paused just beside a face he felt he might recognize but couldn’t quite place. He nodded in agreement at the man’s assessment. “It was a rather unnatural, literal display,” he acquiesced. “Though quite provoking, which I rather expect was the point.” He took a small sip of his drink and considered the various positions and detail with which the manikins had been displayed. “It’s remarkable how we as academics have managed to advance to this degree of preservation and study. The materials and techniques alone require such exacting mastery of magic,” he shook his head, impressed. “It really is a case study in dedication.”

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Gideon Browne +1

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This evening's lecture had been quite fascinating, quite different to the galleries and other events that he and Miss Middlemiss frequented together. He had had not invited her along to this rather macabre exhibition, not wanting to cause her any upset, but perhaps she might have even enjoyed the artistry involved in the preservation and display of human remains. It gave Salvatore some comfort that one day, his own remains might be used for similar study, as was the arrangement with several of his medical friends.

He stood nearby a couple of gentlemen that he remembered from his younger years. "I would disagree that what we saw was unnatural. But thought provoking, absolutely. There are many conditions that I believe we could alleviate by having a really good route around the recently deceased. Merlin rest their souls." he let out a little chuckle. It was a controversial science, many believed that the dead should be left to rest, in fact, many physicians over the years had suffered persecution for trying to advance this very field. "Raise a glass to the dedication of academics chaps, and also to the generous volunteers to their study?" he said and lifted his tumbler of whiskey.

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-Gideon Browne- -Basil Foxwood-