The Rotten Plum

🦨mummified skunk & raccoon paw🦝

a mummy is a deceased human or animal whose soft tissues & organs have been preserved intentionally or through natural exposure.

mummies are generally divided into two categories: anthropogenic or spontaneous. anthropogenic mummies are deliberately preserved for various reasons — the main one relating to religion & spirituality. spontaneous mummies are created as a result of natural conditions such as extremely dry heat or cold, or acidic & anaerobic conditions.

the chinchorro mummies are the oldest examples of artificially mummified human remains, dating nearly two thousand years before the ancient egyptian mummies. the chinchorro culture performed the act of mummification on all members of their society, rather than reserving this mostly for members of society that are deemed elite. that being said, mummification in egyptian culture was not necessarily inaccessible to certain ranks of society, but sometimes particular processes & methods were utilized depending on status.

the preservation of the dead has had a significant impact on egyptian religious practices. egyptians saw the preservation of the body after death as an important step to living well in the afterlife. the preservation of animals was common in egyptian culture, as animals were a large part of their society. animals were typically mummified for four main purposes: to allow beloved pets to move on to the afterlife, to act as offerings to gods, to provide food in the afterlife, or because some animals were seen as physical manifestations of deities that the egyptians worshipped.

we are always constantly looking to add to our mummy collection! these two paws are currently for sale to anyone interested in authentic mummified animal paws.

*for sale, message for details*

🎶loving you was like loving the dead🧟‍♀️

*SOLD*

in medicine, urinary catheters are used to drain the bladder or to inject liquids into the body that are used for treating or diagnosing certain bladder conditions. the process of insertion involves the catheter being inserted into the urethra & into the bladder.

the concept of urinary catheters has existed for over 3,500 years. ancient romans & egyptians recorded utilizing reeds, an order of tall & grasslike wetland plants, to relieve urinary retention. in china, the long & hollow leaves of allium were used. it wasn’t until medieval times that the silver catheter became more prominent in medicine. throughout these times, as well as through the renaissance, catheterization was performed in an upright or kneeling position (ahhh, my knees!)

the catheter continued to undergo improvement & a *little* experimentation (narwhal tusks, whale bones, ivory) before reaching a significant milestone — the implementation of rubber & elastic gum. scientists & manufacturers attempted to put various ideas involving both into practice, but all continued to encounter several issues ranging from rubber quality to encrustation & fragments of the instrument being left in the body. it wasn’t until the invention of vulcanization that the properties of rubber began to improve. we can thank self-taught, american chemist, charles goodyear for vulcanized rubber & not having to deal with narwhal tusks or fragments being abandoned in our insides!

over the years, urinary catheters continued to improve & evolve. the devices are now made of latex, silicone, or polyurethane & much less painful…when inserted correctly.

the rotten plum presents to you, an antique urinary catheter! you can find this model in henry hollingsworth smith’s 1852 book on operative surgery. (anyone in possession of ANY of his literature, please reach out!)

we look forward to placing this on display in our BRICK & MORTAR location! hint hint, this will be in stuart, florida.

🕷creature feature🕷

the mexican blond tarantula (aphonopelma chalcodes) is a new world tarantula commonly spotted in southwestern deserts — typically within arizona & mexico.

these critters are considered a slow growing species, often taking years to reach maturity. other than mating season, they do not frequently leave their burrows. when the males reach 10-12 years of age, they begin searching for a mate. shortly after mating, males leave the female & continue the season in pursuit of other conquests. males do not typically survive long after mating — some pass due to elements, predators, or become a delicious meal for the female.

take a gander at our a. chalcodes on display!

*not for sale*