Alex Peck Medical, Surgical, and Dental Antiques and Books
Sale Catalogue Recent Additions
Below is a listing of recent additions to the Sale Catalogue.
Please feel free to send an e-mail for additional details and to place an order.
Sale Terms:
All descriptions are written to the best of this dealer's knowledge.
Minimum charge for shipping and handling is $15.00.
Items are shipped insured, subject to shipping agency limits. International buyers assume all liabilities, fees, etc, resulting from export and import customs declaration, clearance, and other international trade requirements.
Sales are made with a three day inspection period from time of delivery. Returns must be notified in advance and arrive in the condition as originally supplied. Shipping is not refundable.
Click here to view the entire Sale Catalogue.
All pictures and text are copyrighted 1982-2012 Alex Peck. All rights reserved.
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CLICK THE PAGE NUMBER TO GO TO THE PAGE OF THE ITEM DESCRIBED
Page 1. 5. An important c. 1819 first model antique Laennec monaural stethoscope that is ~32 cm / ~12.5" long. The tube was turned from a single piece of wood and the threads work perfectly. The plug fits both fully and snugly into the throat of the female-threaded section. This iconic Laennec is by all measures a remarkable example.
Page 2. 10. A fine c. 1840 antique Read's New Patent enema with rare original brass-bound mahogany case. The reservoir has a fancy applied plaque that states: READ'S NEW PATENT / 35, REGENT CIRCUS / LONDON.
Page 2. 13. A Weiss c. 1850 antique trephine with both narrow and wide crowns. The slots in the crown blade were thought to ease the clogging of the neurosurgery trephine caused by the mixture of bone dust and blood. Note the decorative formed horn handle with rosette finials and the impressed name: WEISS // LONDON. The instrument with its distinctive handle is illustrated in the Weiss catalogue of 1863.
Page 3. 16. A c. 1860 ceramic antique phrenology bust by Lorenzo N. Fowler, 337 Strand, London. The address is that of Fowler's London publisher William Tweedie. Prior to setting-up a permanent office in London on Fleet Street, in 1863, Fowler used Tweedie's establishment as the center of his English business. This is a genuine early example of the iconic antique Fowler phrenology head. ~11.5" tall.
Page 3. 18. A fine and scarce 16th century antique silver-mounted shagreen surgical and bloodletting instrument case. Such distinctive shagreen boxes are associated with the United Company of Barber Surgeons as several bear the coat-of-arms of the London guild. For one major example, please see this link. The silver clasp is engraved: J. Fowler / Stanton-Drew. Fowler is an old family name in Stanton-Drew, and, certainly, it is a lineage that is contemporary in time and place with the 16th century case. The small English village of Stanton-Drew is located 8 miles south of Bristol, in Somerset, and it appears in the Domesday Book of 1086. The interior velvet lining bears the impression of the antique spectacles that were stored in the box during the 18th century.
Page 3. 20. An exquisite silver plate c. 1860 antique ear trumpet by F.C. Rein & Son Patentees, sole inventor & only makers, No. 108 Strand, London. The bell and tube of the ear trumpet are expertly and fully hand-engraved in an elaborate foliage pattern. The pierced grill is particularly attractive and refined. The ear tip is ivory.
Page 4. 23. A rare c. 1840 pewter antique vaginal douche with anthropomorphic nozzle. Dr. Heber Chase, of Philadelphia, describes the construction and use of his Improved Female Syringe in the February 1837 issue of The American Journal of Medical Sciences. The antique gynecological instrument is also pictured in Henry Smith, M.D., The Principles and Practice of Surgery, 1863, Vol. II, pl. LVIII, fig. 20. The caption reads: Chase's vaginal syringe. Shield to close the vulva and assist in retaining the injection.
Page 4. 25. A Hewlett Packard Rappaport Sprague binaural stethoscope in its original presentation case. The stethoscope is in unused condition and comes with all the original accessories and operating manual.
Page 4. 26. A scarce signed and dated 1855 antique anatomical model of the human head by Auzoux. The head is oversized and quite dramatic.
Page 5. 34. A very attractive and well-made c. 1860 antique monaural stethoscope turned from cedar and fruitwood. The earplate is grooved to hold a rubber ring thus making the stethoscope a percussor. This uncommon stethoscope is relatively large at 20cm long.
Page 7. 44. A c. 1860s antique bloodletting scarificator by Leypoldt, Philadelphia. American made scarificators are rare.
Page 8. 51. A fine c. 1860s George Washington phrenology bust inkwell. The ink reservoir head of President Washington and the pen dipping cup are opal glass (milk glass). The stand is cast iron that has been painted black. Washington's head carries phrenological divisions, each being numbered. The base is replete with symbolism: oak leaves indicate fortitude and strength; ivy leaves signify fidelity and tenacity; laurel leaves represent martial victory and success. The leaves to the sides are shaped to form a cradle for pens. The top of the pen cup lid is decorated with an American eagle within a Federal shield, while the underside reads: SEE WASHINGTON MANUAL BY // JOHN HECKER, / N.Y. The front of the glass cup is lettered: WASHINGTON MANUAL. The 1866 manual was a guide to understanding the phrenology bust. The ring that holds the pen cup in place is marked: PATENTED DEC 11, 185[5]. Several other examples of this inkwell are known and the patent year on at least two is documented to be 1855. A check of the U.S. patent records reveals United States Patent 13,902 for a self-feeding fountain inkstand that was granted on 11 December 1855 to Charles T. Close, of New York, New York. The Washington Manual inkstand is 6.5" tall.
Page 12. 82. A 19th century antique vaccinating set from Sweden. The outfit includes two vaccinating lancets...one with mother-of-pearl covers, the other with horn and blade marked: STILLE ( a Swedish surgical instrument maker), a needle lancet with bone handle and cover, and two glass vials full of inoculating points. The original leather case is gold-stamped with the Swedish emblem of a royal crown over three open crowns, and the legend: Belon. for Skydds / Koppympning ( ___ for Cowpox Inoculation).
Page 12. 83. A c. 1860 antique chain saw for bone resection. The ebony handles can be removed from the chain so that the chain may be fed around bone before cutting. See Weiss 1863, pl. III, fig. 7.
Page 12. 87. A c. 1950 plaque off of an x-ray machine.
Page 15. 107. A fine and rare American set of c. 1860 antique lachrymal probes by Codman & Shurtleff, Boston. The probes are silver and numbered size 1 through 8.
Page 15. 111. A banjo style vintage ear trumpet by R.J. Dowling, London. The parabolic ear trumpet is also stamped with the British military broad arrow, indicating military ownership. The tube collapses for ease of carrying. The hearing aid has its original gun metal finish.
Page 16. 120. A c. 1850 antique circular amputation knife by John Weiss & Son, London. The pressed-horn handle is embossed: WEISS LONDON. This large capital amputation knife is illustrated in the John Weiss & Son catalogue of 1863.
Page 18. 132. A fine c. 1850 antique phrenology bust inkwell embossed along the front: By F. Bridges / Phrenologist. The use of gold accents, as opposed to the more common blue, is an attraction. 5.5" tall.
Page 18. 137. A George Tiemann, New York, patent 1877 antique clinical "bent" thermometer with original case.
Page 22. 169. An antique trephine by Down, London. This neurosurgical instrument is in very fine condition and has an ebony handle.
Page 23. 177. A very rare c. 1880 antique ear trumpet concealed within a lady's folding fan. The antique acoustic fan (l'éventail acoustique) is marked by the maker Franck-Valéry Frères, Paris. The antique hearing aid is shown in a Franck-Valéry catalogue from the 1880s.
Page 23. 183. A c. 1850 porcelain phrenology wax seal with brass base. The antique phrenology seal has not been engraved. Letter wax seals were a popular means of insuring privacy of correspondence during the Victorian (and earlier) period.
Page 24. 185. An antique amputation saw with checked-ivory grip. The center of the bow frame is marked: A.M. LESLIE & Co. Located in St. Louis, the surgical instrument maker Andrew M. Leslie was active from 1856 to 1891.
Page 24. 189. A replica of a Laennec stethoscope produced by Wyeth Laboratories as a promotional gift in the 1960s. The three-piece stethoscope comes with a stand. ~13" long.
Page 24. 190. A c. 1820 antique dental toothkey with walnut handle.
Page 24. 191. A c. 1780 antique neurosurgical forceps for removing a trepanned cranial bone disk. The instrument has the crown and star mark of Lichtenberger, Strasbourg.
Page 28. 219. A c. 1880 antique obstetrical forceps made by S. Maw, Son & Thompson, London. This is known as Lever's forceps. The grips are checked-ebony.
Page 28. 224. A c. 1900 antique quack hair comb maked: PROF. LONG'S MAGNETIC COMB. The maker, of Pekin, Illiniois, advertised that the magnetic comb would remove dandruff, stop falling hair, relieve headache, and never break. It has not been broken. Note the Art Nouveau decoration across the back of the comb.
Page 30. 235. An 1880s antique apothecary's caster oil reservoir with self-contained dispensing pump. The body and lid are both stenciled: CASTOR OIL. The soldered tin container is 15" tall and is affixed with the maker's tag: TURNER'S PAT / IMPROVED OIL CAN / PAT JAN 15, [18]84 / MADE BY / TURNER & HEATH / KNOXVILLE, TENN.
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