Metal storage tube for vaccines, Europe, 1881-1920

Made:
1881-1920 in Europe
Storage tube, metal, for vaccine tubes, 1881-1920

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Storage tube, metal, for vaccine tubes, 1881-1920
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Storage tube, metal, for storing vaccine tubes, 1881-1920, personal relic of Dr. Gregg. No lid found.

Transporting smallpox vaccines was a problem in the 1800s. Ivory vaccination points and lancets had been used but there was always the danger that they might become contaminated. One solution was to seal the vaccine in a glycerol acid in a glass capillary tube. The delicate tubes could then be transported in a metal case like this one.

Details

Category:
Public Health & Hygiene
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A615210
Materials:
metal and glass
Measurements:
overall: 96 mm 5 mm,
glass tube: 81 mm
type:
storage tube