Human serum, Canada, 1944

Normal human serum by Connaught Laboratories, University of Toronto, Canada, 1944. Bottle marked "Normal Human Serum Pooled and Dried." Bottle has webbing handle and a rubber top which is slightly dry.

The Second World War (1939-1945) prompted international development in blood transfusion and storage. This was due to the large number of civilian and military casualties requiring lifesaving transfusions. Connaught Laboratories at the University of Toronto, Canada, issued this bottle of human serum. It was prepared from blood given by donors to the Canadian Red Cross Society in 1944. This was almost certainly as part of the wider war effort. The glass bottle contains ‘Normal Human Serum Pooled and Dried’. It was to be rehydrated with distilled water before being administered to the patient. The bottle was donated to the Science Museum by the North East Thames Regional Transfusion Centre.