| Number | AMHAM: OBJECT.116 |
|---|---|
| Date | 1828 |
| About this object | In an era before tablets and capsules, most medicines were liquids. The strange-looking spoon was invented by Mr Gibson in 1828. It was advertised for giving using with “lunatics and fractious children”. With the liquid medicine in the covered spoon, and your thumb over the end, you put it in the patient’s mouth. When you took your thumb off the end, the change in pressure meant that the medicine would shoot into the patient’s mouth before they could object |
| Physical Description | This hollow medicine spoon was designed by Charles Gibson and is approximately 16cm in length and 2.5cm wide. It is made of pewter. The handle is also hollow and tubular with a small collar. The end of the spoon is pointed and the bowl is narrow and protected with a hinged lid. Its design allows medicine to be administered to those who had difficulty swallowing or who were unable to remain still as the liquid gets deep into the throat. |
| Find Out More | Charles Gibson | Science Museum Group Collection Pewter Gibson spoon | Science Museum Group Collection Collection detail | The Old Operating Theatre |