Author(s): MERYL BROUGHTON

Science - Popular

Intimate interactions with complete strangers, faithful customers and everything in between, form a regular component of the professional work as a country doctor. Within the sanctity of the medical consulting room however, confidentiality is king and privacy rules supreme.For over 35 years Meryl Broughton has been a keeper of secrets. But while there is a special group of patients whose voices can no longer be heard, their tales can teach so much and deserve a wider audience than the doctors' enclave.The ultimate medical examination and strangest of encounters is the autopsy, that mysterious procedure strategically positioned between death and the grave. It is a sort of biography of the body that increasingly few people get the opportunity to see, and in Autopsies for the Armchair Enthusiast, Meryl provides a virtual tour. The insights she offers offer a unique and compelling encouragement to looking after one's own health.This account of a peculiar passion for performing post mortems involves pickled brains, dungeons, zombies, maggots, outsides, insides, blood and guts. Exploration of the human body is illustrated by fascinating true stories based on real cases.