the technology of medicine

7/22/2019 The Technology of Medicine

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Review Essay

The Technology of MedicineJ. T. H. CONNOR

The history of medical technology is a subject that is more broad thandeep (see J. T. H. Connor, Th e Artifacts and Technology of the HealthSciences: Bibliographic Guide to Historical Sources [London, Ontario,19871). Works such as Stanley Reiser s Medicine and the Reign of Technol-ogy (Cambridge, 1978) and Audrey Davis Medicine and its Technology:A n Introduction to the History of Medical Instrumentation (Westport, 1981)stand out as seminal studies which provide a framework for the histor-ical interpretation of medical technology. More typical of the field is theannotated catalogue, a publication which consists of numerous listingsof medical instruments usually accompanied by a brief technicaldescription and perhaps an illustration of the object in question.

Antique Dental Instruments by Elisabeth Bennion. London: Sotheby's Publications,1986. 192 p. ill., 45.00 (US).The Finest Instruments Ever Made: A Bibliography of Medical Dental Optical and Phar-maceutical Company Trade Literature: 1700-1939 by Audrey B. Davis and Mark S.Dreyfuss. Arlington, MA: Medical History Publishing Associates I 1986.448 p., ill.,45.00 (US).Nineteenth Centu Surgical Instruments: A Catalogue of the Gustav Weber Colllection at theHoward Dittrick Museum of Historical Medicine by James M. Edmonson. Cleveland, OH:Cleveland Health Sciences Library, 1986. 69 p., ill., 20.00 (US).No Laughing Matter: Historical Aspects of Anaesthesia by Christopher Lawrence andGhislaine Lawrence. London: Wellcome Institute for the History of MedicinelScienceMuseum, 1987. 84 p., ill., 4.75.The Mechanics of Surgey 1899), by Charles Truax. San Francisco: Norman Publishing,1988. 1024 p., ill., 145.00 (US).Antique Medical Instruments by C. Keith Wilbur. West Chester, PA: Schiffer Publish-ing, 1987. 149 p., ill., 16.99.

J T. H. Connor, Medical Museum and Archives, University Hospital, Department ofHistory of Medicine and Science, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario.CBMH BCHM Volume : 989 p 67-70


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68 J T H. ONNORCatalogues may be encyclopedic in nature and cover a range of instru-ments and devices, or conversely may focus on a specific instrument orspecialty. Generally speaking, the six books of this review essay maybe classified n the genre of the catalogue, although they vary consider-ably in their plan.

Perhaps the most intriguing is C. Keith Wilbur's Antique MedicalInstruments, which consists of hundreds of accurately drawnannotated illustrations of all manner of medical equipment includingmicroscopes, stethoscopes, blood pressure instruments, electro-cardiographs, specula, thermometers, forceps, bloodletting instru-ments, and surgical equipment. One example of an instrument shouldserve to capture the book's overall approach. Under the heading ofnasal specula, Wilbur traces the development of this device from 1800to 1961 and includes sketches of no fewer than 79 examples arrangedand identified chronologically. From this array the reader not onlybecomes acquainted with the development of the nasal speculum, butalso is provided with a first-class identification chart. Complementingthe body of Antique Medical Instruments is a fairly current price guide (inUS dollars) of historical medical equipment. This book also includes alist of major American medical, dental, and apoothecary museums.Although Antique Medical Instruments is useful and satisfactory, toofrequently the accompanying discussion is marred by folksy writingand many, many spelling errors (the text is a product of the author'scalligraphic hand, and is not typeset).Much more lavish is Elisabeth Bennion's Antique Dental Instruments,one of the few comprehensive treatises about the history of dentistry.With its numerous halftone and color illustrations, accompanied byinformative, copious, and readable discussion, this work is indeed lessa catalogue and more a monograph. After providing some backgroundon the place of the tooth in life and folklore, Bennion devotesindividual chapters to extracting instruments, excavating instrumentsand filling materials, artificial teeth, anaesthesia equipment, dentalmirrors and scalers, and items associated with oral hygiene. As in herearlier work (Antique Medical Instruments [London, 1979]), this bookconcludes with a directory of British, European, and American instru-ment makers, as well as a chronology of some of the main contributorsto dentistry during the period 936 to the later nineteenth century. Forthose readers who wish to learn of the development of dentistrythrough the theme of its technology, this work is second to none.

Discussion of medical technology and catalogues naturally raises theissue of the role of medical museums; not surprisingly therefore, theremaining four monographs all have connections with majormuseological institutions.

Christopher and Ghislaine Lawrence's No Laughing Matter: HistoricalAspects of Anaesthesia is the exhibition catalogue of a series of exhibits


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REVIEW ESS Y 69mounted by London's Wellcome Institute during the summer of 1987.Owing to its origins, this work is highly thematic and its structureparallels the 15 cases or exhibits on which it was based. However, theinclusion of annotated illustrations of most of the major artifacts orgraphics enables readers to attend this significant exhibition.Moreover, each catalogue section (corresponding to a specific exhibitcase) is introduced with a fairly comprehensive historical overview ofthe particular theme or era, thereby adequately conveying the evolu:tion of anesthetic methodology and technology. In adopting thisapproach the authors have produced a hybrid document that ismuselogically sound, aesthetically pleasing, and informative.

Of equally high quality and value is James M. Edmonson'sNineteenth Centu Surgical Instruments, which is a catalogue that docu-ments a specific collection, rather than an exhibition. Based on theinstruments owned and used by Dr. Gustav Weber, who is describedas the single most powerful figure in Cleveland medicine during thelatter half of the nineteenth century, this monograph not only docu-ments the range of surgical and some medical devices available topractitioners, but also is testimony to their craftsmanship. Like theLawrences' work, this book successfully brings together museologyand historical scholarship in its detailed artifactual descriptions andbackground contextual information. Also of note is Edmonson's usefulbibliography of primary sources, which is arranged thematicallyaccording to specific instruments.

Edmonson, who is Curator of Cleveland's Howard Dittrick Museumof Historical Medicine, was also instrumental in making available avaluable work long out of print: Charles Truax's The Mechanics ofSurge irst published in 1899. This remarkable 1,000-page volumewas actually a comprehensive trade catalogue produced by the majorChicago-based medical and surgical supply house founded and oper-ated by Charles Truax. As such it discusses almost every instrument,device, article of furniture, and accessory that was available to clini-cians during the late nineteenth century. Augmenting these manydescriptions are beautifully clear engravings depicting most of theitems identified. The net result of this fascinating work therefore is areference text of immense worth to historians of medicine, medicalmuseologists, and amateur collectors alike; its crisp prose also makes ita readable book. Special mention should be made of Edmonson'sintroduction to this facsimile reprint, for in addition to putting Truaxand his company in historical context, it also places study of surgicalinstruments on a level not previously attained.

The final work to be discussed will also prove to be of tremendousvalue to historians and amateur and professional collectors. In TheFinest Instruments Ever Made, Audrey Davis (of the Smithsonian Institu-tion) and Mark Dreyfuss (a former colleague of Davis) have managed


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7 J T H. CONNORto compile a reference tour de force that has been fifteen years in themaking. Essentially this work is a catalogue of catalogues in which thegreat majority of medical and related trade literature produced duringthe nineteenth century and up to 1939 has been classified and itsvarious locations identified. The compilers have emphasized Ameri-can repositories but Australian British Canadian and private hold-ings have also been surveyed resulting in a truly comprehensivereference guide to English-language instrument catalogues. In addi-tion to its breadth this work is of great use owing to its arrangementfor entries are alphabetically grouped first according to manufacturerand second by institutions and their catalogue holdings. Users of thisbibliography will find the first category of particular worth because ofits informative citation format which includes pertinent historicalmaterial concerning the development and evolution of individualinstrument companies. Similarly the introductory remarks of Davisand Dreyfuss orient readers to the field of medical trade literature andoffer additional information on the history of the major companies aswell as discussing selected examples of medical technology.

Clearly these recent works on aspects of medical technology sup-port the view that the subject of medical and related instruments isworthy of study. Together they illustrate the scope of the field as wellas helping scholars to understand it but collectively they do not probeto its heart. The real isue therefore is not whether this aspect ofmaterial culture should be studied; rather it is perhaps ow should westudy it? As noted few comprehensive historical analyses of the rolefunction and impact of medical technology exist-more such syn-thetic works are needed. It seems reasonable to suggest that activeclinicians probably in collaboration with professional historiansmight be the best equipped to undertake such a task. As it is a blend ofart and science medicine is therefore a craft; thus its craftspeople maymost understand the operational requirements mechanisms draw-backs and advantages of medical technology.

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