| Reference Number | FC/3/5/3 |
| Title | Surgical Instruments in Case |
| Date | 1850-1899 |
| Creator Name | Louis Casella & Co, Medical supply company, 1838- |
| Gibson; fl. nineteenth century; medical instrument maker |
| Description | The wooden box opens by pushing the brass button on the case and lifting its hinged lid. Once opened, it reveals two scalpels, a set of three sharp metal hooks chained together, a thermometer, and one metal catheter. The main body and lid of the case contain metal and wooden compartments to house the instruments. The two scalpels, heavily corroded, have vulcanite handles and metal blades. The thermometer, which is made of clear glass with mercury and a metal tip, is secured with black cotton strings to an ivory board, where the scale in black ink is engraved, ranging from 20 to 100. White discoloration is present towards the end of the scale, but the maker's name "L. Casella London" is still readable. Heavy corrosion is visible on the catheter, Eustachian type, and on the three different-sized surgical hooks. The bottom of the case is stamped with "Gibson Dublin South Anne St." The outside surface of the lid is hand-carved with the name "A FitzGerald". |
| Extent | 6 parts |
| Dimensions | Case: 170mm x 20mm x 55mm |
| Thermometer: 120mm x 5mm x 20mm |
| Chain and hook (each): 140mm x 5mm |
| Catheter: 140mm x 5mm |
| Scalpels: 140mm x 5mm x 14mm |
| Digital Collections | View online in our digital collections |
| Copyright | Free to use under the terms of the Creative Commons Licence Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) |
| Credit Line | Royal College of Physicians of Ireland |
| Object Name | Thermometer |
| Catheter |
| Surgical Hooks |
| Scalpels |
| Instrument Case |
| Term | General Surgery -- Instrumentation |
| Physical Examination |
| Urinary Catheterisation |