Heaf test gun, Oxford, England, 1978

Made:
1978 in Oxford
East Mark 6 tuberculin test gun, aluminium, by East, Oxford

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East Mark 6 tuberculin test gun, aluminium, by East, Oxford
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

East Mark 6 tuberculin test gun, aluminium, by East, Oxford, 1978

The Heaf Test shows if people have antibodies against tuberculosis. If they have not they may need a vaccination. Tuberculin liquid was placed on the skin, left to form a film and then six needles were plunged into the skin to a depth of 2 mm. If a red hard area appeared after three days, the test showed they had tuberculosis, were naturally immune or had acquired immunity in some way. If a person had no reaction, they were at risk of contracting the disease and vaccination was recommended. The gun would have been sterilised before being used on another patient.

The Heaf Test is named after the man who devised it in 1949, Frederick R G Heaf (1894-1973), who was an English physician. It was replaced in Britain by the Mantoux test.

Details

Category:
Public Health & Hygiene
Object Number:
1979-279
Materials:
aluminium and steel (metal)
Measurements:
overall: 25 mm x 89 mm x 22 mm, .07 kg
type:
heaf test gun
credit:
Downs Surgical Limited

Parts

Heaf test gun, Oxford, England, 1978

Heaf test gun, Oxford, England, 1978

East Mark 6 tuberculin test gun, aluminium, by East, Oxford, 1978

Materials:
aluminium (metal)
Object Number:
1979-279/1
type:
test gun
Plastic cover tube

Plastic cover tube

Plastic cover tube, for East Mark 6 tuberculin test gun, aluminium, by East, Oxford, 1978

Materials:
plastic (unidentified)
Object Number:
1979-279/2
type:
cover
Image ©
The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum