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Copy of a strait jacket, c.1930. The strait jacket, or strait waistcoat, was first described in 1772 in a textbook by David Macbride (1726-1778). Employed both as a restraint as well as for treatment, it's use gradually declined in the 19th century a
A bronze acupuncture training model used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for teaching the position of acupuncture points on the body. The model was covered in a thick layer of wax and filled with water or mercury. Students pressed acupuncture needl
Ede's portable chemical laboratory with 14 labelled bottles and 46 labelled boxes of samples, by R.B. Ede, English, 1840-1900
Alchemist's digesting furnace, or anthanot, stoneware, German, 1501-1700
Albarello vase, Italian from Deruta, 1539, buff and blue maiolica, used for pomegranate flowers (?)
Algot Lange, the Swedish-American explorer, took this medicine chest on his adventures in the Amazon rainforest in 1911.
This instrument was used for making traction on the foetus during childbirth. It is thought to be composed of whalebone and was manufactured by Wood of York.
Cupping set, incomplete, comprises one scarificator, three cupping glasses, one bottle, one canister, one kettle(?), used by Edward Jenner, late 18th century, in mahogany case. This is ordinary equipment all surgeons would have owned. The English doc
A wooden figure in the form of Eshu, a god of the Yoruba people of Nigeria. In Yoruba tradition, Eshu is described as a figure of trickery and surprise. In common with other depictions of Eshu, he is seen here playing a flute.
Bronze vaginal speculum, probably Roman, found in the Lebanon, made c. 100BC to 400AD, although the screw part is modern. It comprises a priapiscus with dovetailing valves which are opened and closed by a handle with a screw mechanism. It shows the r
