This image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence
This image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Ricord speculum, by Mathieu, used on Empress Eugenie, by Ricord, French
A speculum lets a physician look inside the body. American physician Dr Philippe Ricord (1800-89) used this vaginal speculum on Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugénie of France (1826-1920). The speculum is made of gilt metal and ivory. These expensive metals show the importance of the physician and the patient. Specula with two valves, such as this, were introduced in 1825.
Problems with vaginal specula include pain felt by the patient and how much light the physician has to perform an examination. The highly polished surface of the valves reflected some light. Specula examinations caused controversy in the 1800s over male doctors performing such an intimate examination on women.
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Science Museum: Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries
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Details
- Category:
- Clinical Diagnosis
- Object Number:
- A600264
- type:
- vaginal speculum
- taxonomy:
-
- furnishing and equipment
- tools & equipment
- medical instrument
- speculum
- credit:
- Loan, Wellcome Trust
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Data in the title, made, maker and details fields are released under Creative Commons Zero
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