Several teratologic collections containing specimens with malformations and syndromes are maintained in a number of Dutch anatomical museums. Technically, these are not works of art or antiquities. However, many have been depicted in illustrations of such high quality that they merit discussion here. We review a selection of specimens and their artistic portrayals which find their origin in four Dutch teratological collections. These museum specimens are more than just intriguing objects for the inquisitive museum visitor. As we will substantiate, these specimens—and their artistic depictions—can be used to find and describe rarely occurring birth defects, provide etiopathogenetic information and are a source of novel diagnosis. Additionally, we briefly discuss the ethical aspects and motivations of exhibiting these specimens, as these collections have to be protected meticulously by the new generation of museum professionals, who eventually determine what kind of past our future will have. It is therefore imperative that these collections of antique specimens are treasured as their importance is easily overlooked.

中文翻译：

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荷兰畸形学收藏品及其艺术描绘

一些包含畸形和综合征标本的畸形学收藏品保存在许多荷兰解剖博物馆中。从技术上讲，这些不是艺术品或古董。然而，许多被描绘在如此高质量的插图中，值得在这里讨论。我们回顾了一系列标本及其艺术描绘，这些标本起源于四个荷兰畸形学收藏品。对于好奇的博物馆游客来说，这些博物馆标本不仅仅是有趣的物品。正如我们将证实的那样，这些标本及其艺术描绘可用于发现和描述罕见的出生缺陷，提供病因学信息并且是新诊断的来源。此外，我们简要讨论了展示这些标本的伦理方面和动机，因为这些藏品必须由新一代博物馆专业人士精心保护，他们最终决定了我们的未来将拥有什么样的过去。因此，这些古董标本的收藏非常重要，因为它们的重要性很容易被忽视。