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Tuberculin is injected into the forearm to determine if the patient has been exposed to the bacteria causing tuberculosis. If the patent is infected, a small hard red bump will develop at the site of the injection, usually after 48 hours.

This test is referred to as the Mantoux Test, also known as the tuberculin skin test or TST. It was developed in the early 1900s by Charles Mantoux (1877-1947), building on the work of Robert Koch and Clemens von Pirquet. ]]>

The use of the scarificator was considered less painful than earlier bloodletting devices such as lances and fleams, as it punctured the skin quickly. The scarificator's spring-loaded blades are retracted using the lever and the button is pressed to release, creating multiple parallel incisions. ]]>

Made of tinplate.]]>
Johnson & Johnson; 1886-; Pharmaceutical manufacturer]]>
Early monaural stethoscope as devised by Dr Rene Laennec, early 19th century. The Breton doctor, Rene Laennec of Quimper (1781-1826) first invented the stethoscope in 1816. Confronted by a stout woman with an apparent heart condition, Laennec found that he was unable to use hand or ear to examine the patient without embarrassment, so he used a tightly rolled sheaf of papers, one end of which he placed against the precordial region and the other to his ear. He was able thereby to hear the heart with greater clarity than he had ever done before. Laennec developed a stethoscope which consisted of a simple wooden cylinder that could be unscrewed in the middle for carrying in the pocket.]]>

Laennec Stethoscope by RCPSG Heritage on Sketchfab

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A transilluminator is any device that projects light through a substance for examination. This specific transilluminator dates from the 1900s, and is held in a leather case with a spare light bulb. It was manufactured by R. Jung and Heidelberg. ]]>

This metal plaster cutter was manufactured by the Zimmer Manufacturing Company, now known today as Zimmer Biomet. The company was set up in 1927 by Justin O. Zimmer to produce medical splints. Today, plaster casts can be removed using an automatic cast saw. ]]>
Zimmer; 1927-; Orthopaedic device manufacturer]]>

Pictured here is a syringe set, containing a glass syringe and several hypodermic needles held within a white plastic case. ]]>

Tourniquets have been in use since the time of Ancient Greece, and were mainly used when amputating a limb. Any other surgical use of the tourniquet was not introduced until the 1800s. The tourniquet was tightened by twisting a rod to which it was attached. It wasn’t until an invention by Jean Louis Petit in 1718 that the mechanism was altered. Instead of tightening the tourniquet band with a rod, the tourniquet could be tightened with a screw. Such a style of tourniquet can be found within the College’s instrument store. ]]>
S. Maw & Son, Ltd.; 1860-1979; Health care manufacturer]]>

An oscillometer is a medical instrument used to measure oscillations in the bloodstream, particularly oscillations in blood pressure. The arm band is placed over the patient's arm and pumped with air to measure the pressure of blood. ]]>
G. Boulitte; early 20th century; Medical device maker]]>

A stethoscope is a medical diagnostic instrument used to listen to the internal sounds of the human body. Via the stethoscope a doctor can listen to the sounds of the heart and lungs during a diagnostic screening. ]]>

This tuning fork dates from the early 20th century and would have been used to test the hearing of a patient. The specific tests used to measure hearing deficiencies are known as the Weber and Rinne Test. In a Weber Test, the tuning fork is struck and placed in the middle of the patient's forehead, equidistant from both ears, If the patient's hearing is normal, the volume of the tone will be equal in both ears. If the volume is louder in one ear over another, this is an indication that there is some hearing loss.
In a Rinne test, the vibrating tuning fork is placed on the mastoid process behind either ear, and then placed next to each ear. If the volume of the note is louder when conducted through bone, hearing loss is present. ]]>