University Health Network - Academy of Medicine Collection
Category
Vaccination
Public Health
General Treatment
General Surgery
Classification
Vaccination
Public Health
General Treatment
General Surgery
Accession Number
1969.2.2
Description
Single bladed metal hollow-pointed vaccinating lancet with arrow-head shaped sharp end with a pair of thin narrow tortioise shell covers, attached with a screw on the end so it can be swivelled in and out of the case; maker's mark on the blade.
Single bladed metal hollow-pointed vaccinating lancet with arrow-head shaped sharp end with a pair of thin narrow tortioise shell covers, attached with a screw on the end so it can be swivelled in and out of the case; maker's mark on the blade.
Number Of Parts
1
Provenance
Acquired from the Academy of Medicine; source: Dr. J. W. Rose, Cobourg Clinic in Ontario.
Date based on the founding of J. Gray and Son surgical instrument makers and the time in which instruments were made with tortoise shell
Material
tortoiseshell: dark brown, yellow
metal: silver
Inscriptions
Stamped on blade "J. GRAY & SON // SHEFFIELD"
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0010
0010-F1-8 (in box)
Temporary Location
On display: "Vaccines and Immunization: Epidemics, Prevention, and Canadian Innovation"; Museum of Health Care, 29 February 2024.
Length
5.5 cm
Width
1.0 cm
Depth
0.4 cm
Unit Of Measure
centimeters
Dimension Notes
Opened length 9.5 cm
Condition Remarks
July 23, 2023: Spot of rust on blade by accession number tag; some surface scratches and wear; some black tarnish on blade around accession number label
Leeches and a number of different instruments were used for bloodletting in the 18th and 19th centuries. The lancet was one of the simplest tools; it consisted of a sharp, pointed blade attached to a straight handle. A variation of this was the fleam, a wide double-edged blade at a right angle to the handle.
J. Gray & Son was founded in 1848, and after 1867, instruments made with tortoise shell fell out of fashion because of the introduction of aseptic surgery by Joseph Lister.
Exhibit History
On loan to McMaster University L-2023-3 until 27 October 2023.
On loan to MHC Education Collection 2 Nov 2023
On loan to Agnes Etherington Art Centre for the exhibit “Brown Butter” L-2022-4 16 May – 29 July 2022.