General Information

Serial #

2409

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

STAINLESS STEEL CONSTRUCTION/ EBONY (?) WOOD HANDLES

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

38.5 cm

Width

7.5 cm

Height

9.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Medical Technology

Category

Instruments

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Collin

Country

France

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

New Brunswick

Period

PROBABLY C.1930-1950, AND POSSIBLY UNTIL 1968. THE WOOD ON HANDLES SUGGESTS THESE FORCEPS MFD. PRE-LISTER.

Canada

Part of the Hopital de l'Assomption collection of medical instruments and equipment. This material is representative of medical technology used in a small hospital operating in an economically depressed region of Canada during the first half of the 20th century. “This artifact is part of a collection used in l’Hôpital de l’Assomption in Grand Falls/Grand Sault, New Brunswick. The hospital was run by the Secular Institute of The Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate (OMMI), from 1952-1964. OMMI is a large organisation which ran residential schools across Canada and the Secular Institute is one arm of that larger organisation [1].The artifacts in this collection were curated by the Secular Institute (sometimes referred to as the “Oblates”), specifically Fabienne Rinfret, who was one of the original 10 nurses working at the hospital when it opened [2]. They were purchased by The Canada Science and Technology Museum in 1991, only months before OMMI made their first apology for their role in running residential schools [3]. The artifacts in this collection are common examples of medical objects, which were manufactured in many places inside and outside of Canada. What makes them unique is their context, they were used in this hospital by the “Oblate” nurses. The hospital was previously called l’Hôpital d’Emard and run by Mme. Emard, Mr. Emard (who was blind), and a few other staff [4]. The “Oblates” took over in 1952 and ran the hospital until May 31st 1964 upon the opening of Grand Falls General Hospital Incorporated, which was run by the Religieuses Hospitalières de St-Joseph. The Cataract Weekly (Grand Falls’ bilingual newspaper) reported that all 55 staff members were hired on at the new hospital and most of the equipment was transferred there as well [5]. After only a year and a half the Secular Institute had 200 members, most of whom had passed through the Mother House at l’Hospital de l’Assomption. Many members were nurses working at hospitals in New Brunswick and Québec. Others worked as teachers, housekeepers, and nurses at presbyteries [6]. From the Secular Institute’s history written in 2015, Malenfant states: “[t]he Institute did not limit itself to a particular type of works” and “[t]he intern members devoted themselves in varied works: hospitals, schools, classical colleges, dispensaries, secretariats, social services, homes for young girls, for convalescents or for the elderly, bookstores, […] etc.” [2]. There were no residential schools in New Brunswick, however, Shubenacadie Residential School ran in Nova Scotia from 1930 and 1967 [7]. From 1956-1967 it was managed by the Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate [8]. There was also a segregated hospital and day school, Tobique Indian Hospital (also known as St. Ann’s Teacherage and Hospital) in Tobique, NB, which was run by the Sisters of Charity from 1928-1981 [9] [10].” [Ref 4]

Function

TO ASSIST IN THE DELIVERY OF A BABY BY TURNING AND/OR PULLING THE CHILD WHILE STILL IN THE BIRTH CANAL.

Technical

ACCORDING TO E. BENNION "THE INVENTION OF OBSTETRICAL FORCEPS MUST BE REGARDED AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS IN MEDICAL HISTORY. ARABS INVENTED A DEVICE FOR ASSISTING DELIVERY C.1000 AD, BUT THIS KNOWLEDGE WAS LOST UNTIL THE 17TH C. INITIALLY MADE & USED WITH MUCH SECRECY, BY THE END OF THE 18TH C. OVER 50 TYPES WERE KNOWN (REF.2, PP.113-123).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

'COLLIN/ 2409/ BREVETT/ SGDG' INCISED IN ONE ARM OF FORCEPS, NEAR HANDLE/ 'D' [DROIT] INCISED BENEATH TRACTOR RECEPTACLE/ 'G' [GAUCHE] INCISED ON LEFT BLADE/ '5' INCISED ON BOTH HALVES, NEAR SCREW-AXIS/ 'BREVETE/ SGDG' INCISED ON JOINING SCREW

Missing

NONE, HOWEVER FORCEPS ARE FITTED WITH SLOTS FOR TRACTORS

Finish

EBONY (?) FACINGS FIXED TO EITHER SIDE OF BOTH HANDLES

Decoration

N/A