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Curiosity Cabinet: Episode 1 – Can you identify this instrument?
Posted: January 25th, 2012 by Pam Rose

WE HAVE A WINNER! Congratulations to Michelle Klimpt! … and thanks to everyone who submitted answers.

The instrument is a “Tonsilotome”. As the name suggests, it was used to remove tonsils. Mathieu’s Tonsilotome was described as requiring “but one hand and one motion”.

The McGuire Instrument Collection includes another style of this instrument manufactured by Luer, also known as a Tonsil guillotine. There were a few other models — check out the 1889 edition of a catalog of surgical instruments, American armamentarium chirurgicum from George Tiemann & Co, who had their own device, Tiemann & Co.’s Tonsilotome, as well as Billing’s and Fahnestock’s.

Watch for Episode 2 of the Curiosity Cabinet!

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Welcome to the first episode of the “Curiosity Cabinet”!

Periodically, we will be posting a short video of an interesting item from our McGuire Historical Instrument Collection, with a few clues about the origin. Readers may then send us their answers as instructed. So, let us begin!

View the video on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-2oUj2zC1Q

What is the name of this instrument and what was it used for?

HINTS

It was manufactured in the 19^th century by the Collin Company in Paris.
It’s based on a design developed by a Dr. Matthieu
It is made of steel.

Please submit your answers to Linda Lohr

The prize for the first correct answer received is a set of our beautiful Botanical Notecards!

Comments are closed.

About the Collection

The Robert L. Brown History of Medicine Collection was established as a separate entity in 1972. The collection was named in 1985 for Robert L. Brown, MD, former Associate Dean of the School of Medicine, in recognition of his strong support of the Health Sciences Library for more than twenty-five years.

The collection includes historical materials in all areas of the health sciences, including dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, & public health.

Our Location

History is on the lower level of UB's Health Sciences Library in Abbott Hall on the South Campus. Users enjoy our main reading area, which includes a History Reference section & tables for using our materials, as well as our climate controlled Rare Book Room which contains all of our monographs as well as interesting artifacts.

Materials in Our Collection

The print portion of the History collection includes:

over 13,000 nineteeth century monographs with particular strengths in surgery, dentistry, obstetrics/gynecology, pharmacology, & oncology
500 pre-nineteenth century titles
historical journal volumes
The Bonnie and Vern Bullough History of Nursing Collection

Non-print materials, artifacts, and instruments in the History collection include:

The Edgar R. McGuire Historical Medical Instrument Collection
Death masks of Dr. Edgar R. McGuire and Dr. Roswell Park
The official mace carried in the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences graduation procession
The original cap and gown designed by Dr. Robert L. Brown for the Dean, now used by all graduating medical students

Visting and Using Our Collection

Visitors to the History Collection are always welcome! Normal hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

It is best to schedule an appointment to use the collection and/or for a consultation so we can help you locate exactly what you need. Our materials do not circulate, so must be used on site. However, photocopies of pages in good condition are offered free of charge.

Reference questions on health science history are welcome and may be sent to Linda Lohr, (716) 829-3900 ext. 136.

Special Projects

Buffalo Medical Journal Database

Buffalo Medical Journal Indexing Project

McGuire Instrument Collection

The Edgar R. McGuire Historical Medical Instrument Collection was established in 1985 by Mrs. Annette Cravens in memory of her father, chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Buffalo from 1914 until his death in 1931.

The collection, containing more than 150 instruments or sets of instruments chosen for their illustration of past medical and dental procedures, includes microscopes, surgical instruments, anatomical models, a leech jar and bleeding cups, and dental instruments.

The collection is housed in the Robert L. Brown History of Medicine Collection in the Health Sciences Library, Abbott Hall, South Campus, University at Buffalo.

	Papier Mache Anatomical Models Louis Auzoux (1797-1880),a French physician, began making anatomical models out of papier mache in 1822. By the time of his death, Dr. Auzoux had perfected his techniques and created a wide range of models for teaching anatomy. The models are accurate in detail, labeled, and painted. They are not easily damaged by use or climatic changes and remain unsurpassed to this day. The McGuire Instrument Collection includes Auzoux models of the ear, eye, and larynx

	Lithotomy and Lithotrity Case This superb case of lithotomy and lithotrity instruments was manufactured by Charriere in Paris in approximately 1840. Removal of stones from the bladder was one of the earliest and most frequently performed operations. By the ninetheenth century, it had become a highly successful procedure and carried a low mortality rate. However, frequent infection and lack of anesthesia made the operation dreaded by most patients, and led to the development of instruments that could be introduced through the urethra to crush the stones. Shown here is Charriere's case of instruments, actual bladder stones, and a forceps from 1580 designed to extract stones from the bladder.

	Powell and Lealand No. 1 Stand Microscope Donated to the McGuire Instrument Collection by William H. Merrilees, MD, this instrument manufactured in 1884 represents perhaps the height of microscope design and craftsmanship in England.

	Dental Drill This unique dental drill, patented in 1873, is rotated by a Pitman crank worked by the thumb of the operator.

Friends of HSL

The Friends of the Health Sciences Library, founded in 1975, support the collections and services of HSL, with a primary focus on the History of Medicine Collection. The supported programs include the Health Sciences Art and Media Group art initiative and the Buffalo Medical Journal database indexing project, as well as our annual meeting and lecture events.

Our annual meeting features the C.K. Huang Memorial Lecture, named for one of HSL's former directors. For example, in 2005 Dr. Edward Fine and Dr. Arie Weinstock of UB's Department of Neurology presented a wonderful program on past and current methods of treating epilepsy. In addition to the presentations, the evening always includes food, drink, and great company.

Print out our membership form and send it along with your check or credit card information to the address indicated. Or, better yet, stop and visit History and get acquainted with our collection!

History of Health Sciences Exhibits

Art in the Health Sciences Library Exhibit No.3: "The Tools of Medicine"

"The Tools of Medicine" exhibit, which opened on November 19, 2003, features images of selected instruments contained in the the Edgar R. McGuire Historical Medical Instrument Collection. The exhibit features 6 enlarged, framed images mounted in the main staircase area on the first floor of HSL.

Made possible through the generous support of the Friends of the Health Sciences Library and the Medical Historical Society, the exhibit is the third of a series developed by the Health Sciences Art and Media Group (HSAMG) which includes staff from HSL and iMedia, a unit of Academic Services at UB.

The Historical Medical Instrument Collection is a remarkable assemblage of instruments and artifacts from medicine, surgery, dentistry, pharmacy, and nursing, dates from the Roman period to the 20th century. Among the items are microscopes, surgical and forensic instruments, anatomical models, a leech jar and cage, bleeding cups, and dental instruments. Established in 1985 by Mrs. Annette Cravens in memory of her father, the prominent surgeon Dr. Edgar Robinson McGuire, the collection vividly brings to life the history and evolution of the health sciences.

Dr. McGuire graduated from the University of Buffalo Medical School in 1900. He succeeded Dr. Roswell Park as chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University in 1917 and held the position until his death in 1931. In 2002, Mrs. Cravens permanently donated the portion of theCollection that had previously been on loan to the University.

The talented iMedia staff (Fred Kwiecien, Donald Trainor, Monica Carter, and Jim Ulrich) selected and photographed 6 instruments from the Historical Medical Instrument Collection to create The Tools of Medicine exhibit. The images were enlarged and framed for display in the natural gallery area of the main staircase between the 1st and 2nd floors.

Please visit iMedia.buffalo.edu/art/ to view items for sale from the first Art in the Library inititiave, 19th Century Botanicals.

For more information, please contact Linda Lohr, Manager, at 839-3900 x136.

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Academic Programs

Stanford University Program in Science, Technology, and Society

Archives, Libraries, Museums, and Other Special Collections

Bochum Anaesthesia Antiques Online Museum
Connecticut and New Haven's First General Hospital
Johnstone-Need Medical History Unit, University of Melbourne
Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic
Lloyd Library and Museum
Medical and Dental History Museum Catalogues, University of Melbourne
National Library of Medicine History of Medicine Division
Osler Library of the History of Medicine
Otis Historical Archives, National Museum of Health and Medicine, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
Profiles in Science
Relief of Pain and Suffering Symposium and Exhibit
UCLA Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library History & Special Collections Division
Universitat Zurich Medizinhistorisches Institut and Museum
University of Michigan Historical Center for the Health Sciences
University of Manchester (UK) Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine
Vanderbilt Medical Center Eskind Biomedical Library Archives
Wellcome Trust History of Medicine

Biography
Ask Osleriana: A Searchable Database (Sir William Osler)
The Problem of the "Difficult Woman" (Dr. Mary Dixon Jones)
Texas Physicians Historical Biographical Database
"That Girl There is Doctor in Medicine" (Elizabeth Blackwell Exhibit)

Digitized Images and Manuscripts

Bodleian Image Collection
Connecticut and New Haven's First General Hospital
General Directions for Collecting and Drying Medicinal Substances of the Vegetable Kingdom (1862)
Guide for Inspection of Hospitals and for Inspector's Report (1861-1865)
Islamic Medical Manuscripts at the National Library of Medicine
Moody Medical Library Microscope Collection
National Library of Medicine History of Medicine Collection
Plague and Public Health in Renaissance Europe
Poison Labels
Eleven images of vintage labels used on old poison jars, freely available for reproduction. A link to a larger images zip file is also offered.
Profiles in Science
Princeton University Library, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections Portfolio
A Selection of Letters Written by Florence Nightingale

Electronic Journals

Ellingwood's Therapeutist
Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences

Meta-Sites

Directory of History of Medicine Collections
Directory of Regional, State and Local Archival Organizations in the United States
Glossing the Body Electric: A Review of Web Resources for Historians of Psychology
Guide to Collections Relating to the History of Artificial Organs
Ready, Net, Go! Archival Internet Resources
Special Collections Resources on the Internet
Special Collections Web Resources

Professional Organizations

American Association for the History of Nursing
American Association of Neurological Surgeons Section on History
History of the Health Sciences Section of the Medical Library Association
History of the Philosophy of Science Working Group
International Network for the History of Public Health
International Society for the History of the Neurosciences
Northeast Document Conservation Center

Publishers

Science History Publications

Regional and Cultural History

A Celebration of Black History
Classical Islamic Biomedicine
Early Canadiana Online
Islamic Culture and the Medical Arts
Islamic Medical Manuscripts at the National Library of Medicine
WNY Medical History

Research Aids

Canadian Health Obituaries
Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States
(Peter Hirtle, Cornell Institute for Digital Collections -- a concise chart of types of works (unpublished, published in the U.S. and published outside the U.S.), the copyright term, and specifics of what was included in the public domain (thus exempt from copyright restrictions) as of 1 January 2007. The chart should be updated each year.
EAD (Encoded Archival Description) Help Pages
The Getty Information Institute--Vocabularies
Historical Services Resources for Students
History of Medicine Division Factsheet
National Library of Medicine History of Medicine Division
Ready, Net, Go! Archival Internet Resources
Recent Dissertations in the Medical Humanities
(U. of Pittsburgh Health Sciences Library System, History of Medicine division)
Special Collections Resources on the Internet
Special Collections Web Resources
Whonamedit.com

Thematic Sites

Anesthesia History Files
Bloodletting
Curious Expeditions
Glossing the Body Electric: A Review of Web Resources for Historians of Psychology
Guide to Collections Relating to the History of Artificial Organs
History of Nutritional Science
History of Syphilis
In Rousseau's Own Hand—His Book, His Notes, and Botany
John C. Liebeskind History of Pain Collection - UCLA History of Pain project
Neuroscience History Archives
Plague and Public Health in Renaissance Europe
Relief of Pain and Suffering Symposium and Exhibit
RETICULUM: Neuroscience History Resources
Texas Physicians Historical Biographical Database
Ten Great Public Health Achievements in the 20th Century
"To Bind Up the Nation's Wounds: Medicine During the Civil War"

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study
     Bad Blood: The Troubling Legacy of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study
      CDC Tuskegee Syphilis Study Page
      Internet Resources on the Tuskegee Study
      The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment

Visual History of Alternative Medicine
Washington, D.C. Historical Medical Sites
The Zwerdling Nursing Archives

A

Alternative Medicine, Visual History
American Association for the History of Nursing
American Association of Neurological Surgeons Section on History
Anesthesia History Files
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, National Museum of Health and Medicine, Otis Historical Archives
Ask Osleriana: A Searchable Database (Sir William Osler)

B

Bad Blood: The Troubling Legacy of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study
Bloodletting
Bochum Anaesthesia Antiques Online Museum
Bodleian Image Collection

C

CDC Tuskegee Syphilis Study Page
Canadian Health Obituaries
A Celebration of Black History
Classical Islamic Biomedicine
Connecticut and New Haven's First General Hospital
Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States
(Peter Hirtle, Cornell Institute for Digital Collections -- a concise chart of types of works (unpublished, published in the U.S. and published outside the U.S.), the copyright term, and specifics of what was included in the public domain (thus exempt from copyright restrictions) as of 1 January 2007. The chart should be updated each year.
Curious Expeditions
An eclectic journey by two explorers "devoted to unearthing and documenting the wondrous, the macabre and the obscure from around the globe". One section of the site includes a wealth of photos from extraordinary libraries from all over the world: Librophiliac Love Letter: a Compendium of Beautiful Libraries including Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, England, United States, Hungary, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Austria, Canada, Brazil, Scotland, and more.