Our latest display at the Old Post Office is a selection of surgical instruments and miscellaneous equipment of various ages. This display offers an insight into the practices of the nineteenth century, which persisted well into the 20th century.
The small syringe is likely to be a tuberculin syringe, used for vaccination against TB. Great Portland Street is one of the more prominent commercial streets in London, so this instrument is of British manufacture.
Do you have any idea if the older instruments came from local Doctors?
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The instruments were lent to us by Liz Dillon-Hensby, and most of her antiques came from the English branch of the family. However the early Australian medical profession was dominated by English trained doctors, so the techniques and even the equipment would have been similar. We do have some instruments that were discarded by Kilmore Hospital, and these are the same general design.
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Was just wondering if any might have belonged to Dr Beavan my 2x Great Grandfather but I think his son would most likely have kept them. Unfortunately I can’t get down there at the moment but I’d love to see them. 😊
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I think it’s a bit unlikely that any of these instruments would have belonged to Dr Beavan, but I’m sure he would have recognised them immediately and have used instruments that were virtually identical.
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Kilmore Historical Society 
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