PELVIMETER

Description: A STEEL PELVIMETER. MADE OF TWO METAL ARMS PINIONED TOGETHER NEAREST THE MEASUREMENT END. THE MEASUREMENT GAGE IS MADE UP OF A HALF CIRCLE GAGE ETCHED WITH TWO RULERS MEASURING INCHES AND CENTIMETERS, AND A TWO PRONGED C-SHAPED POINTED INDICATOR. ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE HALF CIRCLE GAGE THE LETTERS “O.B.S.” ARE SCRATCHED INTO THE METAL. ON THE FRONT SIDE OF THE TOOL, UNDER THE HARDENED ADHESIVE OF A REMOVED PIECE OF TAPE ARE THE WORDS “ALLEN & HANBURYS LTD ENGLAND. S. S.” ETCHED INTO THE METAL. VERY GOOD CONDITION: MODERATE SCRATCHES ON OVERALL SURFACE.

History: UPON DONATION TO THE MUSEUM, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN ASKED MEMBERS OF THE GALT SCHOOL OF NURSING (GSN) ALUMNAE TO PROVIDE WRITTEN ANSWERS ON QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO EACH ARTIFACT DONATED IN THE COLLECTION. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION HAS COME FROM THOSE RESPONSES CORRESPONDING TO EACH INDIVIDUAL ARTIFACT. THE ALUMNI WROTE THIS INSTRUMENT WAS “USED FOR MEASURING [THE] PELVIS ON [THE] MATERNITY [WARD] TO SEE IF THE BABY COULD PASS THROUGH [THE] BIRTH CANAL… THIS INSTRUMENT WAS USED WHEN THE MUNICIPAL [HOSPITAL] OPENED. PELVIC MEASUREMENT [WAS] NOT USED BEFORE THEN THAT WE KNOW ABOUT.” INFORMATION FROM THE GALT ARCHIVES STATES, “IN JUNE 1955 THE LETHBRIDGE MUNICIPAL HOSPITAL WAS OPENED…” (ARCHIVES ACCESSION NUMBER: 20141073) ACCORDING TO THE HISTORY, THIS INSTRUMENT WAS USED BY THE DOCTORS AND IT “HELPED PATIENTS TO KNOW WHETHER THEY COULD HAVE A NATURAL BIRTH OR [IF THEY] NEEDED A C-SECTION.” THIS ARTIFACT IS AMONG A COLLECTION DONATED NEAR THE END OF 2014, BEING THE SECOND WAVE OF GSN ARTIFACTS ACQUIRED BY THE MUSEUM THAT YEAR. WITH THE FIRST WAVE OF GSN ARTIFACTS COLLECTED IN SUMMER 2014, MACLEAN INTERVIEWED THE PAST ARCHIVISTS OF THE GALT SCHOOL OF NURSING COLLECTION, SHIRLEY HIGA, ELAINE HAMILTON, AND SUE KYLLO, ABOUT THEIR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE GSN ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION AND THE HISTORY OF ARTIFACTS DONATED. FOR THAT INFORMATION, PLEASE REFER TO P20140006001. PLEASE SEE THE PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION.