University Health Network - Academy of Medicine Collection
Category
General Treatment
General Surgery
Classification
General Treatment
General Surgery
Accession Number
1969.2.10
Description
Short metal scalpel and long finger knife in a tortoise shell case, attached with a screw on each end so they can be swivelled in and out of the case; there is a catch on each end where the blades are attached to keep them in an open position. There is a maker's mark on the scalpel blade.
Short metal scalpel and long finger knife in a tortoise shell case, attached with a screw on each end so they can be swivelled in and out of the case; there is a catch on each end where the blades are attached to keep them in an open position. There is a maker's mark on the scalpel 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, dark gold, grey
Inscriptions
Stamped on blade "J. GRAY & SON // SHEFFIELD"
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0010
0010-F1-8 (in box)
Length
21.0 cm
Width
1.2 cm
Height
0.6 cm
Unit Of Measure
centimeters
Condition Remarks
Minor rusting on the blades; some cracking and pieces missing on the ends of case from the shock of the catches.
July 28, 2023: Surface scratches; surface grime and wear; discolouration; minor grey and brown rust speckled on blades and metal; two small semi-circle chips on base of shorter blade; tortoiseshell cover ends broken and exposing dark gold metal and three of the four rivets, fourth corner fully cracked but still attached and wedged under intact cover; tortoiseshell edges have small chips with a larger one on upper middle; fingerprint stains across both blade surfaces; joints mobile
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 November 2023