Before entering the wonderful and exciting world of medical antique collecting (and before exposing yourself to its disappointments and frustrations), there are several general rules that you should understand.

1. You can't have everything.
2. There will always be a better instrument or cased set; pass on an item if what you are considering is not exactly right for your collection or if the price is too high since eventually something better will be offered to you.
3. Always have a philosophy or theme to your collection and do your best to stick to it (no matter how difficult that may be at times). The above guidelines have been learned after much personal angst, so hopefully you can benefit from some of my mistakes.

Personal History

I have been collecting for over 25 years and began in 1974 when I was an Air Force physician and purchased a 1st edition of Sir William Osler's "Principles and Practice of Medicine" (1)(2). Dr Osler is generally considered to be the finest internist of the modern era and brought bedside teaching to medical schools in the United States, Canada, and England. This is the greatest modern textbook of medicine and reading it became a fascination. I thought it might be nice to have an autographed picture, so spent the next 15 years looking for one (3). As I visited medical bookstores, I began to see the same instruments about which I was reading. The adventure began and continues to this day.

Frequently asked questions

How do I begin a collection?

Everybody collects something, so having found this web site you probably have already begun. The most important beginning advice is to give your collection a theme and try not to stray, no matter how tempting that may be at times. Purchasing unrelated items reduces the impact of your collection and diminishes resources needed for other more relevant antiques. Your collection may be narrow (ophthalmoscopes), or broad (all items related to ophthalmology). My own philosophy is to collect the finest instruments of each category and avoid duplicates; if I find a nicer antique, I sell what I have. I don't buy something just because it is rare, though remember that the more costly an antique, the more likely it will appreciate in value. I also don't collect for provenance (history of ownership) which will usually double the cost of most pieces.

How do I find what I want?

Up until the Internet age, medical antiques were few and far between. Ebay has made collecting a great deal easier since you can reduce a three-month search into an afternoon. Unfortunately, Ebay rarely has "high end" antiques, though hopefully that will change with time. Several dealers around the world (mostly in the US) specialize in medical antiques and will get in touch with you if you give them your interests. Beware, however, that their prices may be quite high. Other sources are Christies and Sothebys, each usually with 2 auctions per year containing medical antiques. Unfortunately, I have found that antique magazines and other auction houses are rarely worth the time and expense.

What would be some good tips to use in Ebay bidding?

You probably have some experience regarding this question, so I will give you my own painfully learned advice.

1. Stay in contact with the seller and ask questions. An item may have an old date on it, so ask if you are bidding on a reproduction; the seller is not obligated to tell you unless you ask. Read the item descriptions on Ebay carefully!
2. Set your top limit and don't wait until the last second to bid since you are likely to get flustered and bid higher than you want to in the final moments. Many things can go wrong if you wait (despite your most careful and cunning planning), including the system going down, pressing the wrong button on the computer, etc., etc. Don't allow other factors to enter the bidding, including winning just to win. If you get into a bidding war and win at too high a price, no one will cover your mistake with a repurchase.
3. When you place your last bid, think that that is the highest you would pay, and if someone gets it for more, he will have paid too much and you will not be disappointed. You should do a mock bidding session with yourself well in advance of the "final hammer".

How can I determine the value of my antique?

The old expression is that an antique is worth what someone will pay. That is true, but there are some guidelines. Certainly the material and workmanship of any antique is obvious. Gold, silver, ivory, and rosewood were used on the finest antiques and the maker who spent money on these materials would likely spend the time in making a fine instrument. The price goes up for hallmarked instruments or those with maker's insignias. As mentioned above, antiques with provenance have great value. The first model of a long line of instruments, like the Laennec stethoscope, also has great value. An inexpensive piece may become costly if it completes a set for two or more bidding individuals. If you have a question regarding rarity or value, check with a reference (see the reference page on this site) or an authority before perhaps wasting precious funds on one instrument and missing out on something else that you may see once in a lifetime. Obviously the completeness of a set has great value, as does the condition of any of the instruments.

How can I determine the age of an antique?

Probably the three most important factors in helping to determine the age of a medical antique are 1) The style of the instrument itself, 2) The material used in making the instrument, and 3) Any hallmark or label. Reference catalogues are most helpful here.

Style: Some instruments were characteristic of an age, like the 18th century dental pelican and the dental key a century later, while the shape of an instrument can give a clue to its past. Amputation knives prior to 1800 tended to be curved with the sharp edge on the top for circular amputation while those later looked more like they do today (4).

Material: Wood handled instruments rarely survived before the 18th century and high quality boxed sets made their appearance at the end of that century. The finest instruments ever made were produced over the next one hundred years when craftsmen used ebony, ivory, mother of pearl, and tortoise shell. Nickel plating was first used in about 1870, and instruments were usually all metal after about 1900.

Hallmark or Label: Instrument makers changed their addresses on occasion. Thus the label on a boxed set can give a clue regarding the date of manufacture. For example, G. Tiemann & Co. was at 63 Chatham street in New York 1833 -1864, at 67 Chatham Street 1864-1886, and at 107 Park Row 1886-1921 (5-7). The change of ownership of a manufacturer also can be helpful so that looking at the stamped hallmark on the instrument may give a clue (8). For example, the instrument maker at Rue de l'Ecole-de-Paris, 6, changed names several times: Robert & Collin, 1867; Collin & Cie, 1876-1882; Maison Charriere, 1885-1898, 1925. These dates were obtained from manufacturers' catalogues.

What are some common errors made by collectors (and dealers)?

Provenance Never add or subtract an instrument from a set with provenance since the set will lose its history forever. Remember, we are but caretakers and have a certain responsibility to future generations who will eventually take over the care of our instruments. Though there may be some debate, I believe it is OK to add to a set as long as the addition fits well and is by the same maker from the same period (and, again. the instruments do not have provenance).

Restoration I would not personally clean, polish, paint, or nickel-plate an instrument, and would leave cleaning only to a professional. The line between restoration and destruction is small so if work is to be done, it should be left to professionals to do as little as necessary. Although debatable, I believe manufacturing a small missing part by a professional is acceptable as long as there is no provenance involved, and on resale, the details of the restoration are made clear.

Exhibition Antiques are rare for a reason, and no matter how careful you are, they are easily broken or lost. I would not recommend moving any of your antiques for exhibit, no matter how innocent the move may sound. Extremes of temperature and humidity are obviously detrimental, and light is harmful, both direct and indirect. Most experts recommend using rubber gloves when handling instruments to protect them from the natural oils on your skin. I like to display instruments in large dark wooden cabinets on strong glass shelves, each shelf with a theme and individual lighting which should be turned on only for display.

You may also want to display the following near your medical library:

For him that stealeth a Book from this Library, let it change into a serpent in his hand and rend him. Let him be struck with Palsy, and all his Members blasted. Let him languish in Pain crying aloud for Mercy and let there be no sur-cease to his Agony till he sink in Dissolution. Let Bookworms gnaw his Entrails in token of the Worm that dieth not, and when at last he goeth to his final Punishment, let the flames of Hell consume him for ever and aye.

-----Curse Against Book Stealers, Monastery of San Pedro, Barcelona

Sending and Receiving When sending or receiving instruments, make sure individual instruments are removed from boxed sets, especially glass items, and individually covered with bubble wrap. Make sure everything is double boxed.

Unfortunately, all of the above lessons were learned by me the hard way!

Life is short
The art of medicine long
Time is fleeting
Experience fallible
Decisions difficult
-Hippocrates

1) Sales Slip for the 1st Issue, 1st Edition, "The Principles and Practice of Medicine", 1892

In the first edition of Dr. Osler's classic text, Plato's "Giorgas" was misspelled "Georgias" opposite the table of contents. The publisher, D. Appleton and Co., corrected the mistake that first year with a second issue of the first edition, making those first printings fairly valuable in later years.

2) Two Copies, One Leather and One Cloth Covered

The copy shown here is the leather bound one that I first bought in 1974 (along with an opened sheepskin bound copy). Interestingly, Appleton also produced the same first issue in a third material, cloth, that same year.

3) Portrait of Sir William Osler

This portrait was taken in Baltimore while Dr. Osler was at Johns Hopkins, and is signed "Sincerely yours, Wm Osler".

4) Evolution of the Surgical Knife

The form of surgical knives evolved with changes in surgical technique and can help date their manufacture. The bottom knife shown, with its sharpened upper edge, was produced for the circular amputation technique, and can be dated into the mid 18th century. Above that is another style by Savigny for the same purpose, popular in the late 18th century. Circular amputations and wooden handled instruments gave way to the straight blade used for flap amputations as seen in the stylish ivory handled fine Aubry knife. Above that is an example from a pocket set manufactured of tortoise shell by Collin in the late 19th century. WH Armstrong made the top knife at the turn of the century in recognition of the need for sterilization. Its all-metal construction makes it similar to knives that are manufactured today.

5-7) Tiemann Labels from Different Periods, Different Addresses

The age of a cased set can be made easier if the label has a company address which can be dated. These three labels are from Tiemann instrument sets and are described in the text.

8) Various Hallmarked Tiemann Instruments

The label, or hallmark, can be helpful in dating the age of an instrument though it can also be confusing. Tiemann instruments that were marked with one "n" are likely before 1830. As you can see, however, there were many ways of printing the company name on instruments made during the latter part of the 19th century. The two blades in the upper right were from the same folding set though each was marked with a different form of letters. Note the actual date of manufacture on these blades (Jan 12, 1864), and on the adjacent scarificator (August 12, 1846).

 

1) Sales Slip for Osler

2) 1st Edition Principles and Practice

3) Sir William Osler

4) Evolution of the Knife

5) Tiemann Label

8) Tiemann Hallmarks