Colon Meets Colon

Our mini megacolon had the chance to meet the real Megacolon at Philadelphia's Mütter Museum this weekend. They caught up on all things digestive, swapped stories and had a grand old time. We learned a little more about the Megacolon's former owner, a man who performed as the "human balloon" in Philadelphia's Dime Museum sideshows until his death at age 29. His colon contained 40 pounds of feces and the specimen is 9 feet long. The Mutter Museum collection belongs to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Philadelphia, and houses an incredible collection of medical history, including specimens, instruments, medical oddities, wax replicas of the human body, gangrenous feet in jars, 70-lb ovarian tumors, conjoined twins (also in a jar) and so on. There's drawer after drawer devoted to things people have swallowed, skeletons, slices of Einstein's brain and so much more. If you're ever close to Philly, it's a must-see! And don't forget to visit the fantastic gift shop, where you will find our special exclusive Megacolon plush (makes a conversation-stopping airplane pillow: "What's that around your neck?" "It's a happy replica of a diseased colon.").