A Healthy Collection: Antique Medical Equipment

Civil War trepanning set by H. Hernstein, New York

I try to subscribe to a “could be worse” philosophy of life.  If you have a modicum of imagination, you realize that almost any situation could be worse.  For instance, I hate going to the doctor.  Hate it.  But a quick review of the medical collectibles in the database (just added material from a big sale) makes it very clear that going to the doctor could be a lot worse.  You can come to this conclusion without even using your imagination.  In fact, I recommend it.  Just take one look at a trepanning set (like the one pictured above) and you’ll never complain about a headache again!

Medical collectibles are one of those very specialized areas of antiques.  Doctors are, of course, some of the likeliest collectors, and they often gravitate toward early instruments from their specialties.  A surgeon might want an Civil War-era surgical kit or an optometrist might appreciate an early eye chart.  I can’t tell you what a dentist or an obstetrician might want because those things are too scary to look at – why anyone ever thought I needed a vivid imagination is beyond me….

Then of course, there are people who are just interested in the progression of technology or, in some delightfully zany cases, the lack of said progression.  “Quackery” is a great subset of medical collecting, filled with all sorts of relics of strange treatments and ideas gone (mercifully) by the wayside.  For instance, vampire-killing kits are always big sellers.  These neatly packed little boxes include everything you might need when confronted with a vampire that needs killing – vials for holy water, silver bullets, crucifix, etc.  And then there are all sorts of strange devices designed to deliver electric shocks in one manner or another or water coolers like this one that were designed to give your drinking water a healthy boost of radon.  Some of my favorites, though, are the fancy apothecary jars, especially the ones clearly labeled in elegant lettering, “Leeches” – I so want to get some of these to use as kitchen canisters, just to see the look on people’s faces!

-Hollie Davis, Senior Editor, p4A.com

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