Medical Items

On This Page: 
Nipple Shields
Barber's & Surgeon's Bowl
Mudge's Inhaler
Lather Box
Infusion Pot
Leech Tube
Cupping Lamp
Cups for Cupping Lamp
Spatula Mundani
Bourdaloue

Perkins' Tractors
Pill Roller Set
Tin Medicinal Bottle
Tongue Scraper and Depressor
Shaving Brushes
Tongue Scraper
Ca. 1680 Male Catheter
Plumbea Fistula
Small Clyster Syringe
Large Clyster Syringe
Unguentum Basilicon
Traveling Smallpox Inoculation Kit (1720-1798)
Mortar & Pestle
Pill Silverer
Dental Cautery
Electuary Spoon
Burras Box
Stitching Quills / Cannulas
Surgical Pipes
Cautery Plate Set
Ether Cone
Burras Quill
Ocular Needle Kit 
Scalpel 
Lancet 
Folding Fleam
Fleam Mallet
Eye Patch
Pipette
Suppositories
Ranula cautery
Bolus knife
Pill cutter
Maggot box

My last three mortar and pestles, left to right, A 4 3/8 top, 2 1/2 bottom,4 inches tall, 2 pounds 6 ounces $45.00
B 3 inch top, 3 inch bottom, 2 1/2 tall 3 pounds 4 ounces..$50.00
C 3 7/8 top,2 7/8 base, 3 3/4 tall. 2 pounds 2 ounces $45.00
hard to date, B says No 2 on base.
these are originals.

One of the best yuck factors in early medicine..stibnite pills..used since ancient times through the 1850s, by various names. Called the perpetual pill in th 18 th century, then the everlasting pill in the 19 th. It is antimony..a mildly toxic metal that will induce vomiting and relieve constipation. Oddly Enough it does work..once expelled it was taken back to the pharmacist, cleaned and ready for the next patient !!

So, " To purge and revitalize the bowels " we offer the pill in non toxic pure tin...NOT for consumption. Today we use magnesium as milk of magnesia, and bismuth as pepto bismol as they are not as toxic.
Two stibnite pills, ready for your first rental.......$5.00

This little box is a Roman..yes, Roman, traveling pill or medicinal box.  It is reproduced from one found in Pompei and numerous other examples. It measures 6 in. Long by 21/2 wide and 1 inch deep. It has 4 compartments for pillls, not powders or salves, having brass lids and all contained under a sliding lid. Copper and brass from about 60 AD .......$325.00

Maggot boxes,
 maggots were used to eat infected flesh,and will not eat living tissue. While not widely used, they have seen service since ancient times, and are still used today.
 I've used my round box..about 2 inches in diameter and 1 inch tall, to house a few faux maggots and some oats for them to munch on. All set for a house call.
 Maggot box ............$40.00

Pill cutter,
  After mixing the proper ingredients for a particular pill, they would be rolled into a large ball, then rolled flat and marked out with a pill cutter like this. The individual small segments would then be rolled to the desired siize and coated.
This is taken from a museum collection and dated to the 18 th century.
 Reproduction, 11 inches long by 1 1/4 wide, with cutters spaced 1/4 and 3/4 inch.
 Reproduction........$220.00

A bonus knife, used in the manufacturing of pills. This is taken from a museum piece dated 1701-1800. It measures 11 inches long with a 3/4 inch blade.
 Reproduction........$170.00

Ranula cautery iron and shield
  For cauterizing a tumor at the base of the tongue which makes talking difficult. Reproduced from a book of surgical instruments from 1634, and remaining basically the same until the 1860s.
 Iron shaft, maple handle and a brass cautery shield......&115.00

Suppositories..not for actual use..you get 12 wax suppositories about 1/2 x 1 inch in a seed packet made in an original late18 th or early 19 th century mold. Usually locally made from soap,sugar,alum, a bit of tallow candle with some medicinal herbs or oils to help with constipation due to the use of laudanim as a pain killer. Ours are off white paraffin.
Suppositories, pack of 12..........$7.50
it would seem that they were in colors too, so, brown, gold,red  you tell me..

These are medical pipettes, a system of transferring a small amount of liquid from one place to another. Actually the forerunner of our medicine dropper, they can be used to drop a single drop, or more with a bit of practice. The Romans used glass ones. Brass or copper, 1/8 inch tube about 5 inches long in 17 th and 18th century style....$45.00
  Good for filling ink wells too

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This dates from the 1300's and was originally the fix for blurry vision..if you have trouble with a blurry target, this will give a clear image. It works on the principle of the cameras obscura, and only lets a tiny image get through to your retina. A little wired at first try, but most can see much better with practice.
 Black painted copper measuring 11/2 by 2 1/4 with holes to attach a cord so you look like a pirate...but one that can see. Right or left eye, domed to make room for your lashes. And it works.
  Pin hole eye patch...........$35...cord not included

Our folding fleam is reproduced  from a mid 18th cent original and measures 4 inches closed, 7 1/2 inches open, it is spring powered like a good pocket knife, perfect for all your blood letting.
Reproduction folding Fleam......$120.00
Shown with our Fleam Mallets,hardwood 1inch by 7 1/2 long. If you're going to have a Fleam, you're going to need a mallet. Reproduced from many originals...........$30.00

Lancet..A small 2 inch long reproduction that fits perfectly in our Variolation kit, making your job of innoculations easier. About 3 3/4 long x 3/8 wide. steel with horn scales 16th through 19th century.
Reproduction..$50.00

Scalpel
 REproduced from mid 18th cent. examples, later sold as ink erasers, this measures 7 1/2 inches long with a VERY sharp blade. Perfect for all your surgical needs ..Reproduction.1700 to 1800.....$65.00

Nipple Shields (above)
A protective item meant to hold medicine to the location, these are reproductions one use in the 18th century. The brass were used with a healing wax ointment and allowed air and milk to flow. These are hand made, circa 1750. Most seem made by machine by the early 1800's.
Our nipple shields come in paper mache boxes and packed in tow as were the originals. They measure about 2 3/8 diameter.  Lead not available.
Nipple Shields: $50.00

ACUS OCULARIS  (above)
Ocular needles were used for cataract surgery. Both Bach and Handel underwent couching surgery and neither was a success.
We offer a kit of two needles, a holding tool, and a case. On the left is one for the procedure called couching,where a cataract is detached and pushed to the back of the eye. In the center is a suction needle to remove broken pieces of cataract. On the right is a copper tool to assist in either surgery.
Reproduction. Made in brass and copper, these are similar to ocular needles from the 1500's to late 1700's. The kit comes packed in a brass case that measures about 11/4 x 10. The copper tool copies one from an Egyptian tomb from about 1000 bc.
Ocular Needles: $175.00

Barber's and Surgeon's Bowl (above)
Handmade by Peter Goebel. Historic reproduction. 
From a circa 1750 original. This reproduction measures 9" across.
Copper: $90.00
Brass: $90.00

Mudge's Inhaler (above)
Handmade by Peter Goebel.
Better than an infusion pot, this is styled after Dr. Mudge's inhaler which dates to the late 18th century. It permitted the direct introduction of medicated vapor to the lungs. Made in fully tin-lined copper.
Mudge's Inhaler: $265.00

Lather Box (above)
Handmade by Peter Goebel.
Our lather box is a small tin-lined brass mug, with a box on the side with holes in the bottom for drainage. A sturdy and useful tool!
Tin lined brass. Measures 2 5/8" tall by 2 7/8" diameter.
Lather Box: $85.00
Scroll down for Shaving Brushes!

Infusion Pot (above)
Handmade by Peter Goebel. Historically inspired. 
An early vaporizer, this medical instrument was used to deliver medicated vapor to a sick room when filled with herbs & boiling water. When filled with mulling spices & boiling water it served as a room deodorizer. Our version is historically inspired by tin and ceramic originals. Dated 1750 - 1850. Made from copper with brass feet. The pot has a perforated lid attached with copper chain. Measures 7" tall, by 4 1/2" diameter.
Infusion Pot: $165.00

Leech Tube (above)
Handmade by Peter Goebel.
A convenient carrying case. Made with vent holes on one end, because you don't want to suffocate your little friends! Friction fit lid. Dated to the late 18th century. Measures about 3/4" by 4". Brass.
Leech Tube: $40.00

Brass Cupping Lamp (above)
Handmade by Peter Goebel. Historic reproduction.
Reproduced from an 18th century French original. One of the most interesting (and challenging) items I have made yet. A really unique and sweet piece. A must for doctors, surgeons and apothicaries. An original set would include the lamp and four cups. Burns any lampoil. Comes with wick. Brass. Cups sold seperately.
Dimensions: 4 1/2" overall length. 1 1/2" tall by 1 1/2" wide.
Brass Cupping Lamp: $175.00

Cup for Cupping Lamp (above)
Brass. These were also used to extinguish the lamp.
Dimensions: 1 5/8" tall by 1 1/2" wide at base, 1 3/8" wide mouth with flange.
Cup: $50.00 each

Spatula Mundani (above)
Handmade by Peter Goebel. Historic reproduction.
This is a reproduction of John Woodall's "Spatula Mundani" of the early 17th century. It was used "to serve upon any occasion of extreme costiveness (constipation) ... so that no purging medicine neither upward nor downeward administered or taken will work." The spatula was for mixing, and yes, the open spoon was for digging whatever ailed you out. Copied from the original and made in iron, it measures 12 inches long.
Spatula Mundani: $55.00

Perkins' Tractors (above)
Handmade by Peter Goebel. Historic reproduction.
A great medical curiosity, these are Perkins Tractors. They were used to draw off the noxious electrical fluid that lay at the root of suffering! Worked so well(?) that George Washington bought a pair for the family to use. Ben Franklin had a pair as well. Supposed to be made from platinum and secret metals, they were usually brass. Our set comes in their own wooden case with brass lid. Tractors measure 4 inches long.
Perkins' Tractors: $130.00

Tongue Scraper & Depressor (above)
Handmade in the USA by Peter Goebel. Historic reproduction.
Your 17th century multi-purpose dental tool! Closely copied from an original dated 1614.
100% brass. Measures 5 1/2” long.
Tongue Scraper & Depressor: $50.00

Tongue Scraper (above)
Handmade in the USA by Peter Goebel. Historically Inspired.
This tongue scraper has a hand-cut, solid brass handle and a naturally antimicrobial, hardened copper loop. The design was taken from an 18th century ivory tongue scraper.
Measures 5 3/4 inches long with a 1 1/4 inch loop.
Tongue Scraper: $50.00

Ca. 1680s Male Catheter (above)
Handmade in the USA by Peter Goebel. Historic Reproduction.
Made in solid brass, this style dates to about 1680 and afterward, when a rounded tip was added and two holes were drilled into the sides to move fluids - a step up from the simple tube the Romans used. This style of catheter would have been lubricated with lard. A flexible silver catheter was invented in the 1760s by Benjamin Franklin - thank you Ben!
This cringeworthy medical curiosity measures about 11 1/4 inches long, and 3/16 inches in diameter. 
Ca. 1680 Male Catheter: $44.00
Also available in a Female version...7 inches long...$42.00

Plumbea Fistula (above)
Handmade in the USA by Peter Goebel. Historic Reproduction.
A simple tapered brass tube to be inserted in any orifice or surgical opening to prevent 'contractions and adhesions'. This medical device dates from the Roman period (when they were made in lead) to the 19th century.
Made in solid brass, it measures 5" long, with a taper going from 3/4 to 5/16 inches. 
Plumbea Fistula: $18.00

Small Clyster Syringe (above, shown closed and open)
Handmade in the USA by Peter Goebel. Historic Reproduction.
In the 17th - 18th centuries, 'clyster' was the word used for an enema, which was popularly seen as a cure for more than constipation. Our version is based on British examples from ca. 1600 to the 1850s. 
Our small clyster syringe is made in solid brass. The body measures 1 x 5 inches, and overall the syringe measures 11 3/4 inches long. 
Small Clyster Syringe - $135.00

Large Clyster Syringe (above, closed and open)
Handmade in the USA by Peter Goebel. Historic Reproduction
In the 17th - 18th centuries, 'clyster' was the word used for an enema, which was popularly seen as a cure for more than constipation. Our version is reproduced from many British examples dating from 1600 to the 1860s. It is made from solid brass, with a turned, stained and polished hardwood handle, and a waxed pine plunger. 
The body measures 2 1/4 x 8 inches, and overall, the syringe is 19 inches long.
Large Clyster Syringe - $265.00

Travelling Smallpox Inoculation Kit (above)
Handmade in the USA by Peter Goebel. Historic Reproduction (dated to ca. 1720-1798).
Vaccination has come a long way! This reproduction is of the first (successful) vaccine available: the smallpox vaccine. 
To use, the points were repeatedly coated in lymph from the pustules of a patient diagnosed with smallpox. They were dried and packed in lint or tow. The points remained effective for a few months. The person to be vaccinated would have their skin abraded and the ivory points wiped in the wound.
While this kit would have been 'cutting edge' in the 18th century, we strongly advise not using it for vaccination purposes today. It comes to you clean and free of smallpox. Yes, that had to be said, just to clarify! This unique teaching tool is meant for demonstrating the procedure and development of innoculation, vaccination and variolation only.
The kit contains six faux ivory points ,or quills. The points are securely packed in tow in a small oval copper and brass box.
Box measures 2 1/4 x 1 1/2 x 1/2 inches deep. Points measure 1 3/4 long by 3/4 inches wide. 
Traveling Smallpox Inoculation Kit (1720-1798) - $80.00

Dental Cauterey (above, prototype shown)
Handmade in the USA by Peter Goebel.
From the 11th century, these devices were used to kill tooth worms - because everybody knows worms cause cavities! By the 18th century, the same device was used to kill the nerve in a tooth.
This device is composed of two parts, a brass guide and an iron pick. The pick is heated red-hot, and the brass guide allows the pick to be applied to the cavity without touching lips or tongue. 
Brass guide measures 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches, and the steel pick measures 6" long. Device is British, and dates from the 11th to 18th centuries.
Dental Cauterey: $70.00

Electuary Spoon (above)
Handmade in the USA by Peter Goebel.
Not a spoon at all; more of an open funnel used to deliver medicine into a wound. Reproduced from a British 12th century original. 
Handmade in solid brass - the handle end is turned with a little ball detail at the end. Handle measures 6" long, overall, the spoon measures 9 3/8" long. 3/4" wide. 
Electuary Spoon: $33.00

Burras Box (above)
Handmade in the USA by Peter Goebel. Historically inspired. 
What started out in the 1500s as a container to sprinkle powdered borax as a flux onto a joint to be soldered by silversmiths, was adapted in the 17th century for shipboard use to sprinkle powdered medicine in and on wounds.
Historically inspired from a 17th century verbal description. English, all brass. 2" square box with a 6" long tapered spout and a friction-fit lid that will not come off with use. Watertight, could have many uses.
Burras Box: $155.00

Stitching Quills or Cannulas (above)
Handmade in the USA by Peter Goebel. Historical reproduction.
A surgical instrument used to provide force to the opposite side of a wound in order to stitch it together. 
Reproduced from originals dating to the 1580s through the 1800s. 
All brass construction. A friction fit cap allows storage of needles within the tube.
Straight: 5" long and about 1/4" diameter. 
Curved: 6" long and about 1/4" diameter.
Stitching Quills or Cannulas: Either shape, each $60.00

Surgical Pipes (above)
Handmade by Peter Goebel. Historic Reproduction, ca. 1750.
Used from Roman times to today, these three date from the early to mid-18th century. They were used to provide long-term drainage to a wound. You supply two ribbons or soft tapes to tie them around the limb over the wound. 
All brass construction. 
A - Great Pipe: 2 1/2 plate and 4 1/2 long tube, 3/4 inches round. 
B - Lesser Pipe: 2 1/2 plate and 2 1/2 tube, tube tapered to 3/8 inches round.
C - Curved Pipe: 1 1/4 round and 2 3/4 tube, tube tapered to 3 /16 round.
Surgical Tube: $40.00. eachu

Cautery Plate Set (above)
Handmade by Peter Goebel. Historic Reproduction.
Protective plates that were tied over a wound with ribbons or soft tape (you supply) to allow cauterization of a wound only, and not the skin around it. Cautery plates came in hundreds of shapes and sizes. Ours are rectangular with differently-shaped holes in the centers, fancy scrolled corners, and holes to tie them in place. They have been given different curves to allow use on different areas of the body.
All handmade, brass construction. Set includes three plates measuring as follows:
Neck/Arm: 2 x 6 inches with 1-inch round hole
Arm/Leg: 3 x 6 inches with 1 1/4 x 2 inch diamond-shaped hole 
Body: 3 1/2 x 8 inches with 1-inch square hole
Cautery Plate Set: $63.00

Ether Cone (above)
Handmade in the USA by Peter Goebel. Historic Reproduction.
An American design dating from the Civil War era, this reproduction 100% copper ether cone is fully functional. Cloth pads soaked in ether were placed inside the neck of the ether cone, on the cross bar (visible in second picture above). The cone was put over the nose and mouth of the patient, and the vapors were inhaled. 
Measures 6 3/4 inches tall, neck is 2" tall by 2" in diameter, cone base (to fit over face of patient) is 5 1/2 inches in diameter, and handle measures 5 1/4 inches. 
Ether Cone: $140.00
Note..Ether is invented in 1540 by Valerius Corden from distilled ethanol and sulpheric acid and called "Sweet oil of vitriol".

Burras Quill (above)
A brass taper about 7 1/2 inches long, tapering from 7/8 inch to 5/16 inch diameter with 13 vibration ridges. Filled with a caustic powder to cauterize a wound it can be loaded and held over the wound, then an instrument can be rubbed over the ridges to trickle the powder out. From a mid 17th century English description.
Burras Quill: $33.00

Use our electuary spoon to fill your Burras Quill - buy them together for $60.00

Pocket Scalpel (above)
Be the first on your block to have this neat reproduction of a VERY SHARP ca 1650 pocket scalpel. We are not responsible for injuries incured handling the blade. Did I mention it is SHARP!!!  If you wish, the edge of the blade can be dulled a bit if you want to demo this item. It is made from heavy brass with a very sharp tool steel blade. It is about 5/8 wide by 5 inches long with a suspension loop on top. Blade (sharp) is 1/8 x 1/2 x 4 inches long. I will wipe my blood off the ones for sale.
Pocket Scalpel: $125.00

Trocars (above)
From the Encyclopedia Brittanica. A medical device, plunged into the body where a drain is needed. Ours is a brass copy of a steel original, 9 inches overall with a 3/16 shaft and a wooden plunger. The drain is 1/4 by about 6 with a cup on top measuring about 1 3/4 across. Sharpened to a not really surgical point for safety, it is a 3 sided point. Brass and hardwood reproduction.
Trocars: $77.00

Arrow Spoon (above)
These are medieval Arrow Spoons, designed to help extract barbed arrowheads, like the 2 inch swallowtail head in the middle. These were made with steel handles, my future models will have a 3/16 inch brass rod as the handle. They were invented by the ancient Greeks. They measure about 2 1/4 wide by about 4 inches long. Reproduced in heavy brass.
Arrow Spoon: $50.00

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When Abigail Adams wrote to John to remember the ladies, I'm sure this was not what she had in mind.
 This is a bourdaloue..a coach slipper..a female urinal, making relieving your self when wearing a full gown and petticoats a bit easier
 Mine is in brass, mid 18 th cent, and measures 8 1/2 long by 3 3/4 wide at the handle, and 3 at the front, and 3 3/4 tall...it's 11 inches long with the handle.
 Bourdaloue in brass....$175.00