How did a severed ear start a war between Britain and Spain in the 18th century? And what has Queen Victoria's armpit got to do with the development of antiseptic? Speaking to Charlotte Hodgman, medical doctor and historian Dr Suzie Edge investigates our long-standing fascination with body parts, and explores the incredible stories of the people attached to them – from Albert Einstein's brain to the bones of 'Irish Giant' Charles Byrne.

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Suzie Edge is a medical doctor, historian and the author of Vital Organs: A History of the World's Most Famous Body Parts (Wildfire, 2023)

Authors

Charlotte HodgmanStrategic Projects Editor, HistoryExtra

Charlotte Hodgman is Strategic Projects Editor for HistoryExtra. She currently looks after the HistoryExtra Academy and was previously editor of BBC History Revealed, and deputy editor of BBC History Magazine - although not at the same time. She also makes the occasional appearance on the HistoryExtra podcast

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