A black leather nursing kit; the kit (a) opens like a book and seals with a zipper; inside the kit are a glass syringe barrel (missing its bubble) (b), a pair of angular bandage scissors (c), a pair of straight scissors (d), and pair of hemostatic forceps (e), and shaving kit which consists of a ca…
A black leather nursing kit; the kit (a) opens like a book and seals with a zipper; inside the kit are a glass syringe barrel (missing its bubble) (b), a pair of angular bandage scissors (c), a pair of straight scissors (d), and pair of hemostatic forceps (e), and shaving kit which consists of a case (f) holding a gold metal razor handle (g) with a screw on top (h) and a cover which holds the razor blade in (i), a piece of cardboard where the blade would go (j) and a smaller case with a bottom (k) and a top (l), and a "Gillette Blue Blade" inside (m); there are also two "certificates of examination" (n-o) in the razor case which go with the two thermometers in the kit (see below); in the kit there are also a trocar (p) in a cylindrical case (q), an oral thermometer (r) in a black case with a bottom (s) and a top (t), a pair of tissue forceps (u), a probe (v), a director (w), a rectal thermometer (x) in a case (y), and a syringe kit containing a glass syringe barrel (z) and plunger (aa), four pill vials (ab-ae), a needle (af), and a cylinder for holding cleaning wires (ag), all in a metal case (ah); Germany stamped on several of the artifacts.
Number Of Parts
34
Part Names
a - case - Length 23.8 cm x Width 18.3 cm x Depth 4.0 cm
b - syringe barrel - Length 9.8 cm x Diam. 1.8 cm
c - angular bandage scissors - Length 14.5 cm x Width 4.7 cm x Depth 0.7 cm
d - straight scissors - Length 11.9 cm x Width 4.6 cm x Depth 0.5 cm
e - hemostatic forceps - Length 13.0 cm x Width 5.3 cm x Depth 0.6 cm
f - shaving kit case - Length 10.2 cm x Width 5.0 cm x Depth 2.1 cm
g - razor handle - Length 7.5 cm x Diam. 1.1 cm
h - razor top - Length 4.0 cm x Width 1.9 cm x Depth 1.2 cm
i - razor cover - Length 4.0 cm x Width 2.5 cm x Depth 0.5 cm
j - cardboard blade - Length 4.1 cm x Width 2.5 cm
k - blade case bottom - Length 4.7 cm x Width 2.5 cm x Depth 0.9 cm
l - blade case top - Length 4.8 cm x Width 2.6 cm x Depth 0.8 cm
m - blade - Length 4.5 cm x Width 2.4 cm x Depth 0.1 cm
n - certificate of examination - Length 11.5 cm x Width 7.7 cm
o - certificate of examination - Length 11.5 cm x Width 7.7 cm
p - trocar - Length 11.8 cm x Diam. 1.3 cm
q - trocar case - Length 10.6 cm x Diam. 0.7 cm
r - oral thermometer - Length 10.1 cm x Diam. 0.4 cm
s - thermometer case - Length 9.1 cm x Diam. 1.0 cm
t - thermometer case top - Length 4.4 cm x Diam. 1.2 cm
u - tissue forceps - Length 12.0 cm x Width 2.3 cm x Depth 0.9 cm
v - probe - Length 11.4 cm x Diam. 2.0 cm
w - director - Length 11.4 cm x Width 2.0 cm x Depth 0.5 cm
x - rectal thermometer - Length 10.3 cm x Diam. 1.1 cm
y - thermometer case - Length 10.6 cm x Diam. 1.0 cm
z - syringe barrel - Length 6.5 cm x Width 1.8 cm x Depth 1.4 cm
aa - syringe plunger - Length 6.4 cm x Diam. 1.4 cm
ab - pill vial - Length 7.5 cm x Diam. 0.6 cm
ac - pill vial - Length 7.5 cm x Diam. 0.6 cm
ad - pill vial - Length 7.5 cm x Diam. 0.6 cm
ae - pill vial - Length 7.5 cm x Diam. 0.6 cm
af - needle - Length 3.2 cm x Width 0.7 cm x Depth 0.6 cm
ag - wire holding cylinder - Length 2.5 cm x Diam. 0.3 cm
ah - syringe case - Length 8.3 cm x Width 4.7 cm x Depth 1.9 cm
Provenance
This nurse's kit was given to Dorothy (Tweddell) Grant by her parents as a graduation gift, but it was never used as Dorothy chose to work in the hospital rather than the community.
Several items are stamped 1937 and donor's remarks.
Material
leather: black
metal: silver, yellow
plastic: black
glass: clear
paper: white, blue
Inscriptions
"D. G. TWEDDELL" printed on the case; "B.D." and "MADE IN GERMANY" engraved on many of the artifacts; some other information on some of the papers.
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0010
0010-C5-5
Temporary Location
To exhibit: "For Service to Humanity", Nursing Gallery: Showcase West, Museum of Health Care, 13 Nov. 2008.
Condition Remarks
Most of the pieces are like new; some minor damage to the leather where the metal instruments were in contact with it.
Copy Type
Original
Reference Types
Book
Person
Websites
Reference Comments
"Pilling Instruments and Equipment for Surgeons and Hospitals," George P. Pilling & Son, Philadelphia, 1932, p. 260 (item #P17762)
"Internet: Evolution of the Double Edge Blade"
Becton-Dickinson, About BD: https://www.bd.com/en-us/company/about-bd
Research Facts
Dorothy Tweddell was a graduate of Kingston General Hospital School of Nursing in 1936.
Becton-Dickinson was founded in 1897 by Maxwell Becton and Fairleigh Dickinson. Fairleigh also founded Fairleigh Dickinson University, which has campuses today in New Jersey, England, and Vancouver, Canada.