Medical Antiques Displayed: A Historical Reminder of Care

Here is an opportunity for remembering or discovering usable medical items from long ago. Enter these halls of memory, or examine this interesting display of objects newly discerned. Whichever you accomplish because of your own age, just imagine all the magnificent quality of our inherited medical toolery displayed in these photographs.

These items are now exhibited in the current office setting of Dr. V.J. Conrad who has her practice in central Oklahoma. Let me state my appreciative gratitude to this knowledgeable and competent physician for her permission to share these photographs of her antique medical collection.  They do indeed speak volumes of historical importance to those who desire to observe.

Some of the vintage medical items pictured may be well over seventy years old. Most of them were obtained from the elderly daughter of a deceased physician who had passed from this life after the age of ninety, and that more than twenty-five years ago. They now have reigned in prominent display at this physician’s office for about twenty-five years and receive ample interest and comment from those who see them.

Dr. V.J. Conrad, M.D. is the accomplished, intelligent and appreciated physician who has the generosity to share this exciting tribute with those who visit her office. She has practiced in Edmond for about twenty-five years now, and has gained successful expertise in the treatment of chronic illness and allergy, assisting her patients to regain a healthier life status via not only medical management, but whole- life administration of healthy practices. Additionally, Dr.Conrad has recently completed extensive research on several compilations of supplements for specific health conditions and plans to soon be able to offer some of these to her public. These compilations will not contain any fillers or artificial ingredients. This discerning physician practices continuous learning and utilizes research in health areas to the benefit of appreciative patients. But that is another hub.

Among her valued antique collection are bottles of liquid medicines, powders, bandaging and wound supplies. There are vintage surgical sutures, cast materials, and common items such as aspirin and merthiolate. There is an elaborate Bunsen burner, a simple balance scale, an electrical healing appliance; a metal/glass syringe with a needle that pierced many ‘buns’, I’m sure; several homeopathic and herbal preparations, just a diversity of useful medical equipment from pioneer years. Several bottles of natural remedies still contain some of their medicines. There are newer beautifully framed pictures of ancient (to some) magazine advertisements bandying their nutritious foods, as well as one particularly popular picture by Norman Rockwell: That one you may well remember!

There are several bright advertisements of cereals, butter, cough syrup - and lastly one fantastic vitamin advertisement by Lucille Ball!

Enjoy these actual advertisements of persuasion for butter, cereal, cherry cough syrup. Breakfast food advertisements have been around a long time...but my have they changed! And multiplied!

Many the young man who sees this Norman Rockwell publication and wonders if it is a portrayal of what is coming...for himself?

And dear poor Lucy...somebody forgot the sugar flavoring! But she tried, she tried! She really did try to NOT give that look!

Perhaps the rarest of items is this beautifully finished cabinet type X-ray Outfit. It is called such because it was too ‘young’ to be designated what we currently call an x-ray ‘machine’; it is an actual predecessor to our modern method of producing x-ray films to determine fractures, tumors, lung disease, etc.

Here are several types of surgical sewing threads, mostly catgut, which is not actually from cats. The intestines of sheep, cattle, horses, pigs or goats was treated with preservatives such as phenol or sulfur compounds or formalin, and the fibrous cords remaining were stretched and formed into thin threads for suturing wounds and surgical procedures. Amazingly, some are silkworm gut and silk twist sutures. Some are preserved in formalin type liquids as that was one main process of sustaining sterility. Others are packaged individually in paper. (Note: The sutures of today are stronger, finer and formed of fine synthetic materials; no more intestines!  Like the absorbable catgut and silkwork threads, some of the modern sutures are also absorbable by the body. Either type could possibly cause a sensitivity/allergic response.  That has not yet been fully overcome by modernized technology.)

There are large and small amber bottles of varied herbal, homeopathic and chemical type remedies necessary for a full family type medical practice. Cough medicines, malaria or grippe remedies, and as you may decipher, other commonly used treatment preparations are shown.

It might be particularly exciting to think of an injection with the displayed sturdy metal and glass apparatus. You’d hope the needle had been recently sharpened? I'm sure this item pierced many a 'bun'!  Did you break a leg jumping off the wagon? An old-time competent physician could get your bones encased in no time! No matter the cast seemed to weigh a ton or two.

Here are more of the amber bottles in varied sizes, and healing liquids they held, till needed for the doctor’s prescription. Need to relieve an itch or rash? Some of these old-time medications are very similar to the basis of currently available medications.

Here are more of the then commonly-used medications in their aged containers. Note several of the stated ingredients have been utilized in healing preparations even today. How far have we come – or not? There is continuing argument today about the authentic use of many old-time medications and treatments, particularly in the homeopathic realm. But they must have worked well enough and the experienced wisdom of the general practitioner – Doctor of everything – served that day in compassion and often with sacrificial necessity in times of hardship for patient and/or doctor.

Some further discovery of how/why certain chemicals work to heal or work to detriment, is ongoing research today – and should continue to be explored, as the technology of today’s science and technology is vastly superior to what was available fifty or a hundred years ago. But also there must continue to be the compassion and wisdom of ‘family medicine’ in propagating our new medical treatments, for the patient’s total health should be vitally held as no. 1 priority.

Each era of medical treatment has its wax and wane, and as new discoveries of methodology or disease causation occur, many changes are assimilated into ‘orthodox administration’ sometimes found to be not for the good of the patient as treatments evolve: Possibly as history unveils future developments, neither for the betterment of the general medical society.  Often, seeming progression basically garners increased monetary values rather than furthering genuine health values.

As we explore basic simple foundations of the medical past, perhaps we should keep their old-fashioned principles in mind. The interaction of physician and patient in pioneer days was often long term and considerate as an ideal.

Perhaps you might remember generational stories told of ‘how the doctor rode his horse in the middle of the night, through a snowstorm, over the flood waters or muddy roads, spent most of the night caring for a very ill patient who lived miles from assistance’. Or perhaps ‘how great-grandpa had to pay the doctor with chickens or eggs, or corn from the field harvest’. Or 'how the compassionate doctor-friend helped dig the stillborn's shallow grave in the cold of winter'.

Yes, these specific requirements may now be obsolete per se, but the genuine professional consideration of physician for/from patient is still a realistic desirability – and an uncommon achievement in today’s medical forte.

Then also, ‘Do no (purposed) harm’. Yes, let educational inventive freedoms ring throughout hospitals, medical research foundations, the learning-seeking scientists and students, and even those who would research to assist their own personal health issues however they choose!

Open pathways again to realistic discovery without the interference of overly-governed restraints that may prevent genuine health reforms or treatments. (Re: Explore the Bryzenskis, the Jonathan Wrights, the Linus Paulings, the Royal Rifes, the Albert Sanchezs’, and the other many searchers who cared --yet failed in achieving acceptance and validation of their discovered ‘cures’: Possibilities that never reached the light of public day in orthodox medical practice because of extensive restrictions and excessive governmental or political controls.)

Wow! May God bless America with freedom, as long as He can! And may our world-people be benefited individually and collectively because of it! When integrated self-help, herbal or homeopathic, or electrical medicine, or some yet unknown healing invention is found to assist the general population on an individual basis without extensive financial or physical sacrifice, again we shall celebrate!

More power to those who respect the compassionate findings of history and continue to reach to new heights in the technological inventive world they enter for individual good and for the discovery of heightened health probabilities for all!