University Health Network - Academy of Medicine Collection
Category
Diagnostic & Treatment Artifacts
Classification
General Treatment
Accession Number
002050003 a-c
Description
Enema syringe consists of a large cylindrical pewter (a) barrel; an angled (b) nozzle tip screws onto top of barrel; bottom of barrel has a metal (c) plunger handle ending in a cloth-wrapped plunger head; plunger handle passes through the centre of a metal cap which screws to the bottom of the barr…
Enema syringe consists of a large cylindrical pewter (a) barrel; an angled (b) nozzle tip screws onto top of barrel; bottom of barrel has a metal (c) plunger handle ending in a cloth-wrapped plunger head; plunger handle passes through the centre of a metal cap which screws to the bottom of the barrel to keep the plunger from falling out.
Number Of Parts
3
Part Names
a - barrel - Size: Length 29.0 cm x Diam 10.0 cm
b - nozzle tip - Size: Length 14.4 cm x Width 4.5 cm x Depth 3.6 cm
c - plunger - Size: Length 37.0 cm x Diam 10.5 cm
Provenance
Originally belonged with Dr. Drake's collection of medical artefacts and ceramics; later bequested to Academy of Medicine
Date taken from donor file and book on Dr. Drake's collection
Material
metal: silver
fabric: yellow, red, green
rubber: brown
Inscriptions
Handwritten in pen on barrel and plunger: "DD125"
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0010
0010-E6-15
Condition Remarks
Barrel has scratches and dents; plunger handle bears a significant dent; plunger head is wrapped in fabric with is stained, dusty and fragile
Copy Type
Original
Reference Types
Book
JPG
Reference Comments
"Antique Medical Instruments", Ellisabeth Bennion, 1979, pp. 169-173.; "Nurturing Yesterday's Child: A Portrait of the Drake Collection of Paediatric History", Mary Spaulding and Penny Welch, 1994, pp. 1-3, 222-225.; "The Evolution of Surgical Instruments: An Illustrated History from Ancient Times to the Twentieth Century", John Kirkup MD, FRCS, 2005, pp. 228-230; CD #1.
Research Facts
Large enema syringes, also known as clysters, were popular around the 1800s, and reflected the then current belief in the benefits of purging the body on a regular basis. Doctors, apothecaries and individuals themselves could administer enema solutions via clyster syringes for the purposes of colonic irrigation. These clysters could have different nozzle attachments and hoses for an easier reach for the self-administering user. Clysters evolved to be smaller and sometimes more discrete as in the case of travelling clysters which were shaped to look like a book. This item was a part of a large collection of items belonging to Dr. Drake, a paediatrician and nutritionist who co-developed the Pablum cereal.