Tuberculin tester and BCG vaccinator, England, 1980-1990
The injector can be used to apply tuberculin to the skin to test whether a person has been exposed to or has immunity to tuberculosis. Six needles puncture the skin. This particular method is known as the Heaf Test – named after Frederick Heaf (1894-1973), a British physician. If, after a week, the patient shows no skin reaction they are at risk from the disease and would need to be vaccinated with the BCG vaccine. The injector can be used for this purpose by using one needle. The needles were probably disposed of or sterilised after use. This model was known as the East-Mark 6 and was made by H G East & Co Ltd.
Object number:
2005-725
Related Themes and Topics
Glossary:
Glossary: tuberculin test
No description.
Glossary: tuberculosis
An infectious disease that is caused by a bacterium first identified by Robert Koch in 1882. The disease usually affects the lungs first, and is accompanied by a chronic cough.
Glossary: BCG
Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is a weakened strain of the tuberculosis bacteria, which is used as a vaccination against TB(. Developed in 1908, it was first used on humans in 1921.