An Improved Urethral Syringe.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Urethral Syringe.
I, ALEXANDER JOHN BALMANNO SQUIRE, of 24, Weymouth Street, Portland
Place, London, W. Surgeon do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved urethral syringe for male use, and the
invention has for its object to provide an instrument which is more convenient to
operate, and more efficient, and which may be more conveniently carried in the
pocket when charged with the liquid to be injected than those now in use.
The instrument consists of a body portion formed by a collapsible bulb of
flattened elliptical or discoid form, forming the container or reservoir for the
liquid, and an elastic neck portion which terminates in a nozzle which may either
be made in one with the neck or may be inserted in the neck portion, the nozzle
in either case being of such a size as to be capable of being entered into the
human male urethra. The body and neck portion (and the nozzle also if made in
one therewith) are made of soft vulcanized india-rubber and within the broad
flattened sides of the body portion are embedded two thin metal discs in order to
stiffen these sides and so cause the complete collapse of the body portion and the
entire expulsion of the liquid therefrom when the body portion is compressed
between the finger and thumb. These metal discs are embedded between two
thicknesses of rubber the inner one being of a thickness considerably greater than
that of the outer one which merely serves as a covering to retain the discs in place
and conceal them. By making the inner layer at least twice the thickness of the
outer one, I avoid the liability of the splitting apart of the layers around the
edges of the metal discs by the inner layer yielding to the inward pressure on
the discs and stretching whilst the outer layer resists such pressure by its stiffness,
and also avoid the rapid wear of the inner layer by the edges of the discs and its
tearing away from the circumferential walls of the bulb or body portion which
would ensue upon the splitting of the layers in consequence of the whole strain
coming on the inner layer when the bulb is compressed to expel its contents.
making the outer layer very much thinner I ensure that it shall be sufficiently
flexible to partake in the movements of the thicker inner layer without causing
such resistance as would tend to overcome the union between the two layers and
cause them to split apart. The circumferential walls of the bulb or body portion
are of bulging or convex form, so that they cannot fold inwards and become
nipped when the sides are compressed.
By
The neck portion is a tube made in one with and communicating through the
circumferential wall of the bulb with the cavity of the bulb and terminating in a
nozzle which may either be made in one therewith and be made of soft vulcanized
indiarubber or may be inserted in the neck and be made of glass, vulcanite, or
other suitable material.
A urethral syringe constructed as above described
advantages:-
offers the following
The syringe is capable of taking up in a very easy and ready manner a fixed
quantity of liquid and capable also of ejecting in an equally easy and ready
manner the precise quantity of liquid that it has taken up. This advantage
results from two causes :-(1) the elastic recoil of the circumferential part or

page_text: wall of the syringe which is a fixed and definite force, affords an exact measure
and limit of the capacity of the syringe for drawing up liquid into itself when
the two rigid sides have been previously compressed together; and (2) the
complete contact with one another of the two rigid sides during compression
affords an exact measure and limit of the ejecting capacity of the syringe.
The syringe will therefore if the fluid capacity of its bulb or body portion be
suitably adjusted always take up and eject a quantity of liquid which shall
correspond with more or less accuracy to the average fluid capacity of the human
male urethra when duly distended with liquid.
A further advantage is that this method of construction averts the accidental
introduction of air into the urethra during the use, of the syringe. Another
advantage is that the rigidity of the two sides of the bulb enables the pressure of
the thumb and opposing finger to be transmitted over the whole of the flat sides
of the bulb which is capable of being completely compressed by means of the
Limited surface afforded by the end of the thumb and of one or, if preferred, two
fingers. A further advantage is that when the syringe is in use the position of
the nozzle in the inflamed urethra is not liable to be disturbed; this advantage
arises from the mode in which the ejection of the liquid is effected by the compression
of the bulb and arises also from the flexibility of the neck part. An additional
advantage is that its flat shape and comparatively small size enables it to be
carried about in the waistcoat pocket and if the nozzle be provided with a soft
india-rubber cap the syringe can be thus carried even when filled with liquid.
Dated this 21st day of February 1895.
ALEXANDER JOHN BALMANNO SQUIRE.
crctural syringe.
I, ALEXANDER JOHN BALMANNO SQUIRE, of 24, Weymouth Street, Portland
Place, London, W. Surgeon, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved urethral syringe for mnale use, and the
invention has for its object to provide an instrument which is more convenient to
operate and more efficient, and which may be more conveniently carried in the
pocket, when charged with the liquid to be injected, than those now in use.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, wherein Figure 1 is an external face view, Figure 2 is an end view,
Figure 3 a longitudinal section, and Figure 4 a cross-section of the improved
instrument.
The same letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.
The instrument consists of a body portion formed by a collapsible bulb a of
flattened, elliptical or discoid shape forming the container or reservoir for the
liquid, and an elastic neck-portion provided with a terminal nozzle c which may
either be in one with the neck 6 or may be made separate and inserted therein,
the nozzle in either case being of such a size as to be capable of being entered
into the human male urethra. The body a and neck portion b (and the nozzle
also, if made in one therewith) are made of soft vulcanized india-rubber and
within the broad flattened sides of the body portion or bulb a are embedded
two thin metal discs d in order to stiffen these sides and so distribute.. the
pressure over the whole area of these sides as to cause the complete collapse
of the body portion and consequently the entire expulsion of the liquid there-
from when the body portion is compressed between the finger and thumb.
The discs are preferably of thin sheet iron or steel stamped out of elliptical,

page_text: circular or other form to correspond to the form of the body portion a
to the broad flattened sides of which they are nearly equal in area, the sharp edges
of the dises left by stamping being preferably smoothed off to prevent them
cutting through the rubber.
The two thicknesses of rubber between which these metal discs d are embedded,
are of unequal thickness, the inner one a¹ being considerably thicker than the outer
one a, the former being of substantially the same thickness as the circumferential
wall a³, of the bulb, while the latter is merely a thin covering serving to retain the
discs in place and conceal them. By this construction any liability of separation
of the discs from the body is avoided. The circumferential wall a³, of the bulb or
body portion is of bulging or convex form, so that it cannot fold inwards and
become nipped when the sides are compressed.
The neck portion 6 is a tube made in one with the bulb and communicating
through the circumferential wall thereof with the cavity of the bulb, and
terminating in a nozzle e which may either be made of soft vulcanized india-rubber
and in one with the neck or may be inserted in the neck and be made of glass,
vulcanite, or other suitable material.
C
A. urethral syringe constructed as above described offers the following
advantages:-
The syringe is capable of taking up in a very easy and ready manner a fixed
quantity of liquid and capable also of ejecting in an equally easy and ready manner
the precise quantity of liquid that it has taken up.
This advantage results from two causes:-(1) The elastic recoil of the circum-
ferential part or wall a³, of the syringe which is a fixed and definite force, affords
an exact measure and limit of the capacity of the syringe for drawing up liquid
into itself when the two rigid sides have been previously compressed together;
and (2) the complete contact with one another of the two rigid sides during
compression affords an exact measure and limit of the ejecting capacity of the
syringe.
The syringe will, therefore, if the fluid capacity of its bulb or body portion be
suitably adjusted, always take up and eject a quantity of liquid which shall
correspond with more or less accuracy to the average fluid capacity of the human
male urethra when duly distended with liquid.
A further advantage is that this method of construction averts the accidental
introduction of air into the urethra during the use of the syringe. Another
advantage is that the rigidity of the two sides of the bulb enables the pressure of
the thumb and opposing finger to be transmitted over the whole of the flat sides
of the bulb which is capable of being completely compressed by means of the
limited surface afforded by the end of the thumb and of one or, if preferred, two
fingers. A further advantage is that when the syringe is in use the position of the
nozzle in the inflamed urethra is not liable to be disturbed; this advantage arises
from the mode in which the ejection of the liquid is effected by the compression of
the bulb and arises also from the flexibility of the neck part. An additional
advantage is that its flat shape and comparatively small size enables it to be
carried about in the waistcoat pocket, and if the nozzle be provided with a soft
india-rubber cap the syringe can be thus carried even when filled with liquid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inveu-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what I
claim is :-
The improved urethral syringe constructed substantially as herein described and
illustrated.
Dated this 21st day of November 1895.
ALEXANDER JOHN BALMANNO SQUIRE.