A Sanborn Metabulator; consisting of the frame (a) which is a rectangular mahogany box with four legs with black wheels on the bottom; inside the frame is the machine itself (b); the machine rests in a large hole on the top of the frame and lifts out via two metal handles, one at each end; the mach…
A Sanborn Metabulator; consisting of the frame (a) which is a rectangular mahogany box with four legs with black wheels on the bottom; inside the frame is the machine itself (b); the machine rests in a large hole on the top of the frame and lifts out via two metal handles, one at each end; the machine contains a motor and a device for printing readings on paper inside, two dials, some pieces for attaching tubes, and a container holding pink granules which should be removable but is stuck in place; the container has four round screw tops (c-f) which would hold it into place; there is also a silver connector with two black rubber (g) hoses attached to it which hang into a hole on the top of the machine; the machine also has a black rubber electrical cord; on the frame there is also a round hole containing a white oxygen tank (h), with a black metal holder (i) attached which attaches the tank to the machine with a silver screw (j); there is also a removable wooden drawer (k) which slides into the front of the frame; the bottom of the drawer is lined with an old piece of folded paper (l), which appears to be a disposable table cloth (it is decorated around the edges); inside the drawer is stored a black rubber oxygen mask (m) a nose clip (n) made of silver metal with beige coloured foam on it; two black replacement pieces of foam for the nose clip (o-p), what appears to be a rubber restraint (q) which would wrap around the face and fasten in the back; a rubber mouthpiece (r) sealed in plastic with a paper insert; another mouthpiece (s) with a piece of gauze stuck to it (due to the degradation of the rubber); three more individual mouth pieces (t-v) which were original wrapped in sheets of gauze (w-y) and an extra sheet of gauze (z); there is also a scale (aa), which is a long, thin piece of white plastic with temperature and barometer bars on it; a black rubber cork (ab), a rubber tube (ac), a glass rubber tube (ad), tapered at one end, a metal tool (ae) with a straight handle which tapers out at the end to form a curved heart shaped utensil, and a wrench like took (af); there are also two triangular paper inserts for mouthpieces (the same as the one in the sealed package) (ag-ah), a piece of paper with a list of medical products typed onto it (appears unrelated) ) (ai), and a piece of paper with instructions on how to prepare the patient for the metabolism test (aj); there is also a small rectangular piece of paper from the oxygen tank (ak).
Number Of Parts
37
Part Names
a - frame - Size: Length 64.5 cm x Width 33.7 cm x Depth 80.0 cm
b - machine - Size: Length 46.8 cm x Width 30.0 cm x Depth 30.0 cm
c-f - screws - Size: Depth 0.9 cm x Diam. 2.5 cm
g- connector with tubes - Size: Length 7.0 cm x Width 6.1 cm x Depth 71.2 cm
h - oxygen tank - Size: Length 51.7 cm x Diam. 11.0 cm
i - tank holder - Size: Length 14.0 cm x Width 7.0 cm x Depth 2.6 cm
j - screw - Size: Length 5.0 cm x Width 2.1 cm x Depth 0.7
k - drawer - Size: Length 34.5 cm x Width 31.9 cm x Depth 11.3 cm
l - tablecloth - Size (folded): Length 31.7 cm x Width 29.0 cm
m - oxygen mask - Size: Length 13.2 cm x Width 11.0 cm x Depth 7.0 cm
n - noseclip - Size: Length 8.0 cm x Width 7.3 cm x Depth 3.3 cm
o,p - replacement foam - Size: Depth 2.8 cm x Diam. 2.9 cm
q - restraint - Size: Length 48.0 cm x Width 17.8 cm x Depth 0.3 cm
r - sealed mouthpiece - Size: Length 15.0 cm x Width 10.4 cm Depth 5.0 cm
s - mouthpiece with gauze - Size: Length 19.0 cm x Width 16.0 cm x Depth 3.8 cm
t-v - mouthpiece - Size: Length 8.2 cm x Width 4.4 cm Depth 5.5 cm
w-z - gauze - Size: Length 20.0 x Width 20.0 cm
aa - scale - Size: Length 25.1 cm x Width 1.8 cm x Depth 0.2 cm
ab - cork - Size: Length 2.6 cm x Diam. 4.2 cm
ac - rubber tube - Size: Length 6.5 cm x Diam. 2.5 cm
ad - glass tube - Size: Length 10.5 cm x Width 2.9 cm x Depth 2.2 cm
ae - metal tool - Size: Length 11.6 cm x Width 5.1 cm x Depth 1.5 cm
af - wrench - Size: Length 10.0 cm x Width 2.1 cm x Depth 1.3 cm
ag,ah - mouthpiece inserts - Size: Length 8.5 cm x Width 7.6
ai - paper list - Size: Length 20.3 cm x Width 12.7 cm
aj - instruction sheet - Size: Length 28.0 cm x Width 21.5 cm
ak - oxygen tank paper - Size: Length 5.3 cm x Width 3.1 cm
Provenance
The metabulator was originally purchased around 1955 and used at St. Francis Hospital in Smith Falls, Ontario; possibly used by a Sister Mary Josephine; the donor purchased the machine from the hospital in the 1970s when the newly amalgamated institution was selling off redundant equipment, after which it was stored in her home; the oxygen tank and scale came from a second metabulator which was virtually the same but in poorer condition.
"Metabulator // SANBORN COMPANY, CAMBRIDGE, MASS. U.S.A. // MODEL // 10- // SERIAL // 6951 // VOLTS // 115 // CYCLES // 60 // AMPS // 0.5" printed on a panel on the top of the machine "ATLAS // TAGS // CANOX // B.P. OXYGEN B.P. // CANADIAN OXYGEN LIMITED // 255 HORNER AVENUE // TORONTO 14 // Date filled MAY 2 1966 // Capacity 95 GALS. // EMPTY" printed on a tag attached to the oxygen tank (ak) would have been attached to this tag and reads "FULL // Detach This Portion When // Contents Exhausted // W 4099" "CANOX // CANADIAN OXYGEN LIMITED // OXYGEN // BP . MADE IN CANADA // USE NO OIL OR GREASE ON VALVE, // KEEP CYLINDER COOL AND // VENTILATED AWAY FROM // HEAT AND FLAME // N'UTILISER AUCUNE HUILE GRAISSE // SUR LA VALVE, GARDEZ LE CYLIN- // DRE ELOIGNE DE LA CHALEUR // ET DES FLAMMES." printed on a sticker on the oxygen tank. "Pk. 1 // PART NO. // 9301-0154 // MOUTHPIECE // This Mouthpiece // Should be Sterilized // Before Using // DO NOT AUTOCLAVE // HEWLETT hp PACKARD // WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS 02154" printed on the mouthpiece inserts "THE SANBORN L-SCALE // FOR USE WITH THE // METABULATOR // OR ANY EARLIER SANBORN WATERLESS METABOLISM TESTER" printed on the scale.
Permanent Location
(a-l, q, ac, aj) Storage Room W1
W1-13-1
(ag-ai, ak) Storage Room 2005
2005-2-5 Box 19
All other items:
Storage Room 0010
0010-F6-7
Condition Remarks
The foam is very dry and crumbling; most of the rubber is very hard; the machine itself shows only minor wear
Copy Type
Original
Reference Types
Internet
Book
Reference Comments
"Textbook of the Principles and Practice of Nursing", Bertha Harmer, 1957; Web site: "p4a.com, Ltd."
Research Facts
Used to measure a patient's basal metabolic rate (B.M.R.), a diagnostic test in the evaluation of thyroid function (this can not be determined through blood tests); the basal metabolism of an individual is the lowest energy requirement of the body (or the least amount of heat produced by the body) while it is at rest.