First Days in Vienna

July 14, 2015

After arriving in Vienna yesterday morning somehow without getting lost, Dr. Schnabel took us on a walking tour of historical medical sites in the city. We first stopped at the old university buildings where the medical school once was. Maria Theresia had the current building constructed which houses an incredible lecture hall. Since its use as a medical lecture hall, great composers of the world like Mozart and Chopin performed in the room. Now only special events are held in the great hall. The men who attended university (since they were only men then) were held to the highest standards and expected to behave as gentlemen. The universities had their own legal system and the police didn't get involved in the punishment of students. If convicted of a capital crime, the heads of students were cut off with a sword. I wouldn't want to test the laws if I were them.

During the plague that devastated Vienna and all of Europe, doctors advised people who could flee the city to "leave fast, go far, and come back late." Even doctors tried to escape the disease and police often tracked them down and brought them back to the city to do their jobs.

Later in the evening, a tour guide took us down into the catacombs of St .Michael's Church. Three of the caskets were open and contained mummified remains. When additional space was needed for caskets, some of the remains were dumped on the ground and then the pile was covered in another layer of flooring. The original floor used to be about 3 feet lower than it is today. Somehow looking at the remains of people and piles of bones didn't creep me out, but the fact that so many bodies were right under my feet everywhere I walked was eerie.

This morning we visited the Josephinum, which contained room after room of anatomical wax models. The obstetrics portion was probably the most interesting to me. Military men brought their wives with them so it was important for the doctors to train for deliveries and be able to handle any complications. Karl Landsteiner figured out the various blood types at this facility and revolutionized medicine by making blood transfusions possible. Tonight everyone dressed up a little bit to go to a concert at St. Anna's Church. I'm head over heels for any kind of instrumental ensemble and listening to the 4 women play their violins/cellos/viola made me want to learn how to play another instrument.