John Shekleton facts for kids

John Shekleton (born around 1795 – died 1824) was an Irish doctor and an expert in anatomy. Anatomy is the study of the body's structure. He was known for his important work at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

John's Early Life

John Shekleton was born in Dundalk, Ireland, around 1795. He grew up in a big family with five brothers and five sisters. His mother was Margaret Pentland, and his father, Joseph Shekleton, was a merchant. John went to primary school in Dundalk.

Becoming a Doctor

When John was 15, he began training to be a doctor. He studied medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). A famous surgeon named Abraham Colles was his teacher. John finished his studies on August 27, 1816.

After graduating, John moved to Paris, France, to learn even more. He came back to Ireland in 1817. Then, he became an anatomy demonstrator at RCSI. This meant he helped teach students about the human body. On February 1, 1819, he officially became a member of RCSI.

Building a Museum Collection

On May 1, 1820, RCSI decided to create a special museum. This museum would hold many interesting medical items. John Shekleton applied for the job of curator. A curator is someone who manages and takes care of a museum's collection.

To show his skills, John presented a special anatomy specimen. It was a lower limb (a leg) where he had injected mercury into the lymph system. This helped show the tiny parts of the body clearly. John got the job and was paid £30 each year. In 1821, his salary went up to £40. By 1823, he was promoted to conservator, which is a similar important role. As of 2014, the leg specimen he used to get the job was still on display at RCSI!

John worked very hard on the museum collection. By 1822, he had gathered over 600 specimens. By December 1823, he had more than 1,300! His collection included many different things. There were natural history specimens in jars, full and partial skeletons, and even stuffed animals. After John's sudden death, his apprentice, John Houston, took over his role.

John's Death

John Shekleton died on May 18, 1824. He was only 29 years old. His death was caused by an infection called sepsis. He got this infection from a needlestick injury while performing an autopsy 11 days before. An autopsy is when doctors examine a body after death to find out why someone died.