Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

MEDICAL EQUIPMENT

Date Range From

1910

Date Range To

1930

Materials

WOOD, STEEL, RUBBER

No. Pieces

9

Height

28.9

Length

29.2

Width

16.7

Description

1. CASE. ABOVE DIMENSIONS. WOODEN CASE HAS A REDDISH-BROWN FINISH. LID IS ON TWO HINGES, AND HAS A SWINGING CLASP AT FRONT FOR CLOSURE. ONE HINGE IS BROKEN AND HAS BEEN REPAIRED WITH WIRE. ON TOP OF LID IS A STEEL HANDLE. FINISH ON CASE HAS SCRATCHES AND CHIPS THROUGHOUT. 2. INSTRUMENT. 23.4 X 27.2 X 14.8. ON A RECTANGULAR WOOD BASE, WITH SAME FINISH AS CASE. UNDERSIDE OF BASE HAS GROOVED RUBBER ON IT. MOUNTED ON BASE ARE A NUMBER OF COMPONENTS, INCLUDING A CYLINDRICAL STEEL CASING FOR A MOTOR?, A FLY WHEEL WITH RUBBER STRAP, THE MALE END OF A PLUG, A GLASS CYLINDER WITH NET INSIDE IT, A BOTTLE? HOLDER, A POWER SWITCH, ORANGE RUBBER TUBING, AND A PLATE THAT READS "C.M. SORENSEN CO., INC." "MACHINE NO. 17991". POWER SWITCH IS CHROME WITH A BLACK KNOB. EMBOSSED ON KNOB IS "PERKINS"; ENGRAVED INTO CHROME IS "UND. LAB. INSP. PERKINS 5 A 125V 3A 250V". 3. ATTACHMENT. 1.8 X 27.3 X 1.8. A HOLLOW STEEL TUBE; BENT IN 2 PLACES. HAS A STEEL HANDLE WITH GROOVES IN IT. BOTH ENDS OF TUBE ARE OPEN; ONE END HAS A BRASS PIECE ON IT WITH 4 SMALL HOLES IN IT. 4. RUBBER TUBES. 2 PIECES. 0.8(D) X 8.5(L) & 1.2(D) X 15.5 (L). STIFF & BRITTLE. BROKEN OFF OF MAIN INSTRUMENT. BOTH ARE ORANGE RUBBER AND HAVE BLACK SMUDGES ON THEM. LARGER PIECE HAS STEEL TUBING VISIBLE AT ONE END. 5. ELECTRICAL CORD. BLACK. BAKELITE ENDS. ONE END OF CORD IS REINFORCED WITH CLOTH TAPE. EMBOSSED ON FEMALE END OF CORD IS "BRYANT 10A 250V" 6. 3 LEATHER DISCS. 2 @ 2.9(D) & 1 @ 2.3 (D). BROWN LEATHER DISCS WITH A HOLE IN THE CENTER OF EACH. THE TWO LARGER ONES ARE SLIGHTLY RECESSED IN THE CENTER OF ONE SIDE.

Subjects

MEDICAL & DENTAL T&E

Historical Association

HEALTH SERVICES

History

USE OF ARTIFACT UNKNOWN. SOME SORT OF SUCTION DEVICE. ITEM BELONGED TO DONOR'S UNCLE, DR. DICK WOODCOCK. DR. WOODCOCK WAS BORN IN IOWA IN 1882, AND HAD ALL HIS YEARS OF EARLY EDUCATION THERE, LATER GRADUATING IN MEDICINE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA IN 1907. FOLLOWING GRADUATION HE DECIDED TO COME TO ALBERTA, WHICH HE DID IN 1908, SETTING UP A PRACTICE IN ENCHANT. DR. WOODCOCK SAW ADVERTISEMENTS ABOUT ALBERTA DOWN IN IOWA AND THOUGHT IT SOUNDED PRETTY EXCITING. HE WAS LOOKING FOR ADVENTURE AND THOUGHT PERHAPS HE COULD COMBINE HOMESTEADING WITH A FAMILY MEDICAL PRACTICE. DR. WOODCOCK HAD A FRIEND IN LETHBRIDGE AT THIS TIME, WHO SUGGESTED SETTLING IN THE TURIN AREA. HE BUILT HIMSELF WHAT HE TERMED A SHACK. IN THOSE EARLY DAYS OF HOMESTEADING DR. WOODCOCK OFTEN GOT PAID IN CHICKENS AND EGGS AND MADE HIS CALLS IN A HORSE AND BUGGY. IN 1912, HE BOUGHT HIS FIRST CAR, A MODEL T. IN 1912, DR. WOODCOCK MARRIED A RELATIVELY CLOSE NEIGHBOUR, AMANDA, WHOSE FAMILY CAME TO ALBERTA FROM MINNESOTA IN 1906. THEY SETTLED AT SUNDIAL ON A HOMESTEAD AND HAD A LITTLE STORE WITH A POST OFFICE. THE BUILDING OF THE IRRIGATION DITCH TO VAUXHALL DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR HELD DR. WOODCOCK IN ENCHANT FOR A WHILE, BUT IN 1919 HE MADE THE DECISION TO MOVE TO LETHBRIDGE, AS HE HAD A DESIRE TO SPECIALIZE HIS PRACTICE. SO, HE WENT TO VIENNA FOR A YEAR WHERE HE CERTIFIED IN OPTHALMOLOGY AND OTOLOGY, RETURNING TO LETHBRIDGE AS ONE OF ITS FIRST SPECIALISTS. DR. WOODCOCK, LIKE OTHER PHYSICIANS OF THE TIME, GAVE LECTURES TO STUDENTS IN THE OLD GALT HOSPITAL AND LATER WAS ON THE STAFF OF BOTH THE MUNICIPAL AND ST. MICHAEL'S HOSPITALS, WHEN THEY WERE BUILT. DR. WOODCOCK WAS A LIFETIME MEMBER OF THE ALBERTA COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS AND AS AN HONORARIUM WAS ELECTED TO THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS. OVER THE YEARS DR. WOODCOCK TREATED AN ESTIMATED 200,000 PATIENTS. HE RETIRED ABOUT 1960. HE AND HIS WIFE REMAINED ACTIVE IN THEIR LATER YEARS, ENGAGING IN MANY OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES INTO THEIR 90S. DR. & MRS. WOODCOCK PASSED AWAY IN 1976. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR NEWSPAPER ARTICLE DATED JAN. 29, 1972. DONOR LOOKED AFTER DR. WOODCOCK AND HIS WIFE FOR THREE YEARS PRIOR TO THEIR PASSING. SHE REPRESENTED THE WOODCOCK'S ONLY LOCAL FAMILY- THE BALANCE ARE IN PORTLAND, OREGON. DONOR KEPT ARTIFACT IN HER REC ROOM AND DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT, SO DECIDED TO DONATE TO MUSEUM. SEE P19738569000-GA FOR DONOR HISTORY.

Catalogue Number

P20020075001

Acquisition Date

2003-03

Collection

Museum

Less detail