Hypodermic syringe set, Berlin, Germany, 1910-1914

Hypodermic syringe with drugs, United States, 1885-1910

Hypodermic syringe, Europe, 1871-1900

Tuberculin syringe, England, 1901-1940

Hypodermic syringe, England, 1855-1865

Hypodermic syringe, 1853

Hypodermic syringe with spare needle and decorated metal cas

Hypodermic syringe, Paris, France, 1851-1900

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Hypodermic needles came into common use in the second half of the 1800s. They were invented by Scottish doctor Alexander Wood in 1853 – although French surgeon Charles Pravaz was independently developing a similar device at the same time.

Hypodermic needles like these are hollow so drugs can be injected directly into the body. This particular example has a glass barrel with a scale scratched on to the outside to measure how much was being given to the patient. The metal case is personalised with the initials “HC” engraved on the side, possibly indicating the case’s owner. The case contains one spare needle, although there is also room for another needle and three spare barrels.

maker: Unknown maker

Place made: Europe

Hypodermic needles came into common use during the second half of the 1800s. This syringe and needle set was made just a handful of years after the hollow needle was invented by Scottish doctor Alexander Wood in 1853 – although French surgeon Charles Pravaz was independently developing a similar device at the same time.

Hypodermic needles allow drugs to be injected in the body under the skin. Accompanied by different length needles, this example is made from silver with a glass barrel. Unlike modern syringes, which use a plunger, this syringe works by turning the screw at the top to inject the liquid. This would have been difficult and fiddly and required a skilled operator. The name “Mathieu”, a French surgical instrument maker, is punched into the syringe.

maker: Mathieu, Louis-Joseph

Place made: Paris, Ville de Paris, Île-de-France, France

The hypodermic syringe was used to give injections of quinine hydrochloride into the body. Quinine is used as an anti-malaria treatment and can also be given in tablet form. The kit contains a hypodermic syringe, paraffin-coated needles – to protect the needles during transportation – and twenty tablets and test tubes to make up solutions for injection. Sold by Burroughs, Wellcome & Co, the kit would have been used by those traveling to areas where malaria was common, such as Africa.

maker: Burroughs Wellcome and Company

Place made: Berlin, Berlin state, Germany

Tuberculin is injected into the skin to see whether a person has been exposed to the bacteria that cause tuberculosis. If the skin shows a reaction after 48 hours, they have been exposed. The tests help catch the disease before it develops and prevents its spread. This type of test is known as the Mantoux test, named after Charles Mantoux (1877-1947), who invented it in 1907. The test is still used today, especially to confirm the results of other tuberculosis tests. This glass and metal syringe was probably made in England.

maker: Unknown maker

Place made: England, United Kingdom

Hypodermic needles came into common use in the second half of the 1800s. This syringe and needle set was made just a handful of years after the hollow needle was invented by Scottish doctor Alexander Wood in 1853 – although French surgeon Charles Pravaz was independently developing a similar device at the same time.

Hypodermic needles allow drugs to be injected under the skin. In this example, parts of the syringe are also made of metal. The now familiar plastic syringes did not appear appeared until a century later. Today, both needles and syringe tend to be disposed of after a single use. This example was made by London-based surgical instrument makers Coxeter & Son.

maker: Unknown maker

Place made: Europe

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Hypodermic syringe

Images

Works

Hypodermic syringe, Europe, 1871-1900

Hypodermic syringe, Paris, France, 1851-1900

Hypodermic syringe set, Berlin, Germany, 1910-1914

Tuberculin syringe, England, 1901-1940

Hypodermic syringe with spare needle and decorated metal cas

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Wellcome uses cookies.

Hypodermic syringe

Images

Works

Hypodermic syringe, Europe, 1871-1900

Hypodermic syringe, Paris, France, 1851-1900

Hypodermic syringe set, Berlin, Germany, 1910-1914

Tuberculin syringe, England, 1901-1940

Hypodermic syringe with spare needle and decorated metal cas

Wellcome Collection

Today’s opening times