HANDWRITTEN and hand-illustrated Wainwright-style, by the author, a doctor, this Schiffer book is for dealers in and collectors of medical instruments – diagnosed as a growing market with plenty of scope, and for people who keep a medical encyclopedia to which they refer regularly. It’s a fascinating read on as vicious a collection of instruments as you hope never to see, and by the time you’ve glanced through just the contents page your blood pressure may be up and you’ll need a sphygmomanometer.
Very informative, anecdotal and jokey... “Rectum? Rectum – darn near killed ’um” and arranged into groups of diagnostic scopes and instruments with the author’s careful hand drawings, precise calligraphy and price guides with seven pages detailing US medical, dental and apothecary museums; it’s a pity there is no European slant here.
In the little black bag
Antique Medical Instruments, by C. Keith Wilbur, MD., published by Schiffer and distributed by Bushwood Books (see above). ISBN 076431081X. £12.95
