Knife, microtome

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Ingenium, 2002.0621.002
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OBJECT TYPE: N/A
DATE: 1900–1930
ARTIFACT NUMBER: 2002.0621.002

MANUFACTURER: Unknown
MODEL: home built
LOCATION: Unknown

More Information

General Information

Serial #: N/A
Part Number: 2
Total Parts: 3
AKA: N/A
Patents: N/A
General Description: dark brown wood handle; heavy metal blade

Dimensions

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

Length: 20.5 cm
Width: 12.4 cm
Height: 4.5 cm
Thickness: N/A
Weight: N/A
Diameter: N/A
Volume: N/A

Lexicon

Group: Medical Technology
Category: Research
Sub-Category: N/A

Manufacturer

AKA: Unknown
Country: Unknown
State/Province: Unknown
City: Unknown

Context

Country: Canada
State/Province: Ontario
Period: Presumably used c. 1900- 1930s, and possibly later.
Canada: Frederick Miller, for whom this device was made, conducted research into reflexes. He employed Charles Sherrington's method of decerebration in preparing his animal subjects (mostly cats, but also dogs, guinea pigs, and other small animals), and designed his own decerebration clamp to assist with these studies. In his 1931 paper "Spinal, Bulbar and Decerebrate Reflex in the Forelimb", Miller described using " a broad microtome knife struck by a mallet" to obtain the bulbar condition necessary for his experiments. [Ref. 4]
Function: Specific: used to completely or partially sever brain stem in cats being prepared for laboratory experiments.
Technical: Decerebratrion is the elimination of cerebral brain function in an animal by removing the cerebrum, cutting across the brain stem, or severing certain arteries in the brain stem.
Area Notes: Unknown

Details

Markings: No markings evident, save "AM5224" printed in red ink on white adhesive sticker on handle, and UHN cat. No. "X969.9B" printed by hand in white ink, also on handle.
Missing: Unknown: appears complete.
Finish: dark brown wood handle; heavy metal blade is rectangular in shape, and crudely constructed.
Decoration: N/A

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Unknown Manufacturer, Knife, microtome, circa 1900–1930, Artifact no. 2002.0621, Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation, http://collections.ingeniumcanada.org/en/item/2002.0621.002/

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