Steel kidney basin with enamelled glaze, white with black edging around the rim.
Number Of Parts
1
Provenance
Acquired from the Academy of Medicine; source: the Nightingale Tea Room, Elora, Ontario, on behalf of St. John's Church, Elora; instruments from a local doctor's general practice.
Dates
1920
1930
circa 1920-1930
Material
metal
enamel: white; black
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0010
0010-D3-6
Length
24.6 cm
Width
11.6 cm
Depth
5.1 cm
Unit Of Measure
centimeters
Dimension Notes
Length 24.6 cm x Width 11.6 cm x Depth 5.1 cm
Condition Remarks
Enamel chipped on top edging.
Copy Type
Original
Research Facts
A kidney dish (British English) or emesis basin (American English) is a shallow basin with a kidney-shaped base and sloping walls used in medical and surgical wards to receive soiled dressings and other medical waste. Reusable kidney dishes are usually made of stainless steel, while disposable ones may be made of paper pulp or plastic. The concave inner rim shape of the dish helps allows it to be held against the patient's body to catch any falling fluids or debris. Various sizes of emesis basin are a common sight in healthcare settings.
Contrary to its name, emesis basins (or "vomit dish") are not usually used for vomiting, as the depth, size, and sloping walls all contribute to spilling or splashing the vomit rather than catching it.
Emesis basins are suited for more controlled situations. When washing out a small wound, for example, sometimes the wash water is applied from above with an emesis basin held underneath to catch the runoff.