From the August 2018 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Medical Museum: Gibson Spoon
Each month, we visit Dr. Blaufox’s Museum of Historical Medical Artifacts to take a look back at the medical equipment that cleared the way for what patients encounter in doctors’ offices and operating rooms of today. Some equipment may be recognizable, while other featured inventions have since become obsolete or have had their usefulness discredited.
The picture and description appear courtesy of Dr. M. Donald Blaufox, M.D., Ph.D, from his website: www.mohma.org.
Estimated Date: 1850
Manufacturer: Maw
Description: This is a pewter spoon measuring 5.2“x1”. The tubular handle is hollow and there is a lid on the enclosed spoon part to lift up. There are tooth marks on the spoon from its use. This is the classic Gibson configuration. Those with tooth marks are prized by collectors.
The medication was placed in the spoon by lifting the lid and holding a finger over the tube to prevent air entering. It was then placed in the mouth, forcibly if necessary, and when the finger was removed the medication flowed into the mouth. It was used both for seriously ill and for mentally deranged patients who could not or would not take their medication through normal means.
