Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

OTOSCOPE

Date Range From

1950

Date Range To

1970

Materials

BAKELITE, STEEL, PLASTIC

No. Pieces

9

Height

5.0

Length

23.2

Width

9.0

Description

1. CASE. ABOVE DIMENSIONS. REDDISH BROWN BAKELITE CASE. ACROSS LID ARE 5 HORIZONTAL GROOVES WITH AN ELONGATED PENTAGON SHAPE IN THE CENTER WITH "WA" WITHIN IT. LID OPENS ON A SINGLE HINGE AT BACK, AND CLOSES WITH A CLASP IN FRONT. INSIDE LID IS A METAL LABEL WITH SAME SYMBOL AS ABOVE AND "WELCH ALLYN". BOTTOM OF CASE HAS A BROWN PIECE OF RUBBER THAT IS MOLDED TO HOLD INSTRUMENT. 2. BATTERY COMPARTMENT. 15.7(L) X 4.0(D). STEEL CYLINDER WITH A TEXTURED SURFACE. AT ONE END IS A SWIVELLING, BLACK, PLASTIC PIECE WITH "WELCH ALLYN CO. AUBURN, N.Y." EMBOSSED ON IT. PLASTIC PIECE SWIVELS TO INDICATE A NUMBER ON SIDE OF CYLINDER FROM 0 TO 2. ALSO ON THIS END OF CYLINDER IS A SMALL EXTENSION WITH THREADS IN IT. OPPOSITE END HAS A STEEL CAP THAT SCREWS OFF TO REVEAL BATTERY COMPARTMENT. WITHIN STEEL CAP IS A SPRING MOUNTED ON A METAL DISC. BELOW THIS, ETCHED INTO CAP, IS "S.J. GREGORY". 3. OTOSCOPE ATTACHMENT. 4.5(H) X 2.3(W) X 3.5(L). CHROME. SCREWS ONTO END OF BATTERY COMPARTMENT. HAS A SWIVELLING MAGNIFYING GLASS ON ONE SIDE. OPPOSITE SIDE REVEALS A SMALL LIGHT BULB, AND ALSO FITS SPECULA (BELOW). ENGRAVED INTO TOP OF ATTACHMENT IS "AUBURN N.Y.USA.". 4. SPECULA. 4.3(L) X 2.6(D). 3 PIECES. GREEN PLASTIC. 2 PIECES HAVE "SKAN. FALLS N.Y. U.S.A. WELCH ALLYN" EMBOSSED ON THEM, AND THE OTHER HAS "WELCH ALLYN CO. AUBURN, N.Y. U.S.A.". THE SPECULA ARE THREE DIFFERENT SIZES: "2MM", "4MM", AND "208". 5. OPHTHALMOSCOPE ATTACHMENT. 2.2(H) X 8.1(L) X 4.3(W). SCREWS ONTO END OF BATTERY COMPARTMENT. CONSISTS OF A METAL WHEEL SANDWICHED BETWEEN BLACK STEEL WHICH HAS 2 HOLES, REVEALING A MINI MAGNIFYING GLASS AND A NUMBER, THAT BOTH CHANGE WHEN WHEEL IS TURNED. EMBOSSED ON BLACK STEEL IS "PAT. NO. 2027663". EMBOSSED ON BACK OF PIECE IS "PATENT NO. 2311503 WACO NO.110 AUBURN N.Y. U.S.A.". ABOVE MAGNIFYING GLASS IS "WELCH ALLYN".

Subjects

MEDICAL & DENTAL T&E

Historical Association

PROFESSIONS

History

ARTIFACT SEEMS TO BE DUAL PURPOSE OTOSCOPE (FOR THE EARS) AND OPHTHALMOSCOPE (FOR THE EYES); OTOSCOPE ATTACHMENT PIECE IS NOT ORIGINAL TO INSTRUMENT. ITEMS BELONGED TO DONOR'S HUSBAND DR. STANLEY J. GREGORY. DR. GREGORY WAS BORN IN CALGARY ON FEBRUARY 9, 1923 AND HIS EARLY YEARS WERE SPENT ON A RANCH NEAR IRRICANA. HE JOINED THE R.C.A.F. IN 1941 AND WAS BASED IN NOVA SCOTIA, OPERATING RADAR AND WIRELESS UNTIL THE END OF THE WAR. AFTER HIS DISCHARGE HE MARRIED CHARLOTTE, HIS CHILDHOOD SWEETHEART AND ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA WHERE HE RECEIVED HIS DOCTORATE IN MEDICINE IN 1954. IN 1956 HE AND HIS WIFE MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE WHERE HE PRACTICED MEDICINE, AS A FAMILY PRACTITIONER AND ANASTHESIOLOGIST, AT THE BIGELOW FOWLER CLINIC UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN 1988. STAN WAS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE SOUTHMINSTER UNITED CHURCH, SERVED HIS COMMUNITY AS A MEMBER OF THE LEGION, KIWANIS CLUB, CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY, AND PATRON OF THE LETHBRIDGE SYMPHONY AND SUPPORTED OTHER CAUSES AND CHARITIES. HIS FIRST WIFE, CHARLOTTE PASSED AWAY AFTER 47 YEARS OF MARRIAGE, AND HE THEN MARRIED DONOR. STAN PASSED AWAY IN APRIL 2002 AT THE AGE OF 79 YEARS, AND AT THIS TIME HIS WIFE DONATED THESE PERSONAL ITEMS TO THE MUSEUM. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR "ANECDOTAL STORIES ABOUT DR. STAN GREGORY AS TOLD BY IS CHILDREN".

*UPDATE* IN 2021 TWO COLLECTIONS ASSISTANTS, RYLEY GELINAS AND O. E., CONDUCTED AN AUDIT OF THE ROLLED TEXTILE COLLECTION, INCLUDING OTHER ARTIFACTS WITHIN THIS COLLECTION. RESEARCH CONDUCTED LED TO CONTACT WITH THE DONOR AND/OR NEXT OF KIN, HOWEVER, NO FURTHER INFORMATION WAS MADE AVAILABLE AS A RESULT OF THE AUDIT WORK.

Catalogue Number

P20020058001

Acquisition Date

2002-12

Collection

Museum

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