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Nobody likes being sick or having to visit the doctor or hospital. Health issues can be scary, and some people fear needles or other invasive procedures. Then there are the medical collectors. Yes, some vintage fans like to collect antique medical and science equipment. Just a hundred or so years ago, a doctor’s office, lab, or hospital looked very different from our high-tech environment. Medical tools of the past have become popular collectibles of today.
During the late 19th century, medical equipment was rudimentary and had mostly stayed the same for years. Most of the health care at the time happened in a local doctor’s office rather than large hospitals. The town doctor would likely carry a set of equipment for anything from basic care to childbirth or surgery inside his trusty medical bag. Collectors and history buffs find the equipment interesting, as it can tell the story of medical advancements, the development of cleanliness and medical protocols, and just how far healthcare has come.
EARLY MEDICAL LABS
Today if a healthcare provider orders a blood test or other lab analysis, patients can go to a stand-alone lab or a lab within a hospital or medical center. However, doctors at the turn of the century would often do some lab work in the office. A microscope was a key piece of equipment for any doctor to check for infections or blood cell counts. Antique microscopes are hot collector’s items because many are solid brass with handmade lenses. Some collectors also search for specimen slides to pair with a vintage microscope.
Other lab items from the past that collectors like are test tube racks. Wooden racks often held glass pipette straws, test tubes, and beakers. Finding suction tubes with intact rubber bulbs is rare since rubber deteriorates with age. Much like tires or auto parts, exposure to heat, chemicals, and improper storage means that equipment that includes suction bulbs might not always be intact after several decades.
COLLECTIBLES FROM THE OPERATING ROOM
Thanks to research and new technology, surgery is much more successful and safer now than in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Patients are more comfortable, and doctors have better equipment. Looking at some of the surgical instruments of the past shows how far science has come.
The regular use of general anesthesia wasn’t common until the mid-19th century, and even then, it wasn’t always that efficient and could be dangerous. Before that, doctors used plants and other substances like cocaine. An anesthesiologist could give ether or chloroform to patients via a metal inhaler mask lined with thick cotton.
The anesthesiologist would wet the cloth with tiny drops of ether or sometimes soak a rag in chloroform and place it over the patient’s face. Medical museums, both online and brick-and-mortar, include artifacts from 19th and early 20th-century surgical procedures.
Other instruments used in the OR include scalpels, retractors, forceps, and saws. Collections of these pieces of equipment are niche collectibles and not something most people would have out on the living room coffee table, but for historians and scientists, they can provide a fascinating look at the past. Many medical schools have collections of surgical instruments to show students the evolution of surgical techniques. Surgical kits are more popular with collectors, as they include a variety of tools of the day.
MEDICINE BOTTLES
Not every collector of vintage and antique medical equipment wants instruments. Old pharmaceutical bottles are very popular with collectors and are often nicer to look at. In New Jersey, a pharmacy owner recently renovated a building he planned to use for a new medical venture and unearthed several old bottles, instruments, and other medical supplies.
The new owner, Wael Isaac, told a local news station that the items will stay on display at the pharmacy, as he believes it’s a “treasure trove of pharmaceutical history.”
In the mid-19th century, many medicines were hand mixed by chemists and pharmacists. Apothecary kits are popular and sometimes used in décor since the bottles and cases they come in can look good in a vintage-themed bathroom or medicine cabinet.
Collectors can look at the thickness of the glass, embossed designs, and labels to date and identify antique bottles. Construction crews often find bottles and tins when tearing down old buildings or excavating land.
BATTLEFIELD MEDICAL CARE
Even in decades past, most medical procedures happened in hospitals or doctors’ offices, but during any war, life-saving measures often occur on the battlefield or in makeshift mobile hospitals. The Civil War was known for the terrible injuries soldiers suffered, and many present-day historians and Civil War buffs collect the medical equipment used. Most of it was primitive, and not much remains, but it’s part of the history of the war between the states. Many collectors of militaria will look for equipment, books, and supplies from World War I and World War II.
While there were field hospitals, soldiers and field medics were often issued individual first aid kits that would have items tailored to where they were serving. Pilots that flew over jungle areas, for instance, would have different equipment than a soldier serving on the ground in Europe.
Whether it’s a piece of vintage lab equipment, a Civil War-era bone saw, operating room instruments, or a combat first aid kit, medical and surgical equipment illustrates a timeline of innovation and scientific discovery. Thankfully, patients and healthcare professionals have much better technology now, but some collectors will always want to remember the early days of medical care.
Brenda Kelley Kim lives in the Boston area. She is the author of Sink or Swim: Tales From the Deep End of Everywhere and writes a weekly syndicated column for The Marblehead Weekly News/Essex Media Group. When not writing or walking her snorty pug Penny, she enjoys yard sales, flea markets, and badminton.
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