I am always looking for very high quality antiques that are either unusual or in cased sets in the categories of Medicine, Dentistry, Quackery, and Pharmacy. All 16th and 17th century instruments are of particular interest as are exhibition pieces. If you think you may have or know of an item that would fit into this collection please let me know (a finder's fee is available). Below is a list of my CURRENT SPECIFIC INTERESTS:
* Seton Clamp
* Bow String Dental Drill
* Large or Unusual Quack Devices
* Vesiculo-Vaginal Fistula Set
* Orbitoclast for Lobotomy (original)
* Kolff Drum Dialysis Machine
* Tobacco Enema Set
If you have any of these please click the Contact Me link at the upper right of this page.
The search never ends, and that is the challenge and fascination of collecting medical antiques!
SETON CLAMP
This seton was used in the 18th century for counterirritation. The needle introduced a piece of thread through skin, usually the neck, to create a draining wound to presumably remove evil humours from inside the body.
BOWSTRING DENTAL DRILL
This is a 19th century dental drill powered by a stringed bow.
VESICULO-VAGINAL FISTULA SET
This set of instruments was used to surgically correct the devistating condition of vesiculo-vaginal fistula that many women were (and are) suffering after delivery.
LARGE QUACK THERAPEUTIC DEVICE
This is a large Abrams quack medical instrument but I am also looking for other large unusual functional quack devices of the late 19th or early 20th century.
Calbro Radionic Instrument
The is another example of a large early 20th century quack instrument of interest -- CALBRO.
ORBITOCLAST FOR LOBOTOMY
This instrument was used by Dr. Walter Freeman in the mid 19th century for prefrontal lobotomy in order to change the behavior of mental patients. I'm interested in a documented original rather than a reproduction.
KOLFF DRUM DIALYSIS MACHINE (ca 1943)
Willem Kolff invented the dialysis machine for human use and imported several of these devices into the United States in the early 1940's.
TOBACCO ENEMA SET
Similar sets were placed along the Thames River in London to be used to revive drowning victims (by the effect of nicotene).
