James W.W. Gordon Automatic Vaccinating Instrument Patent Model
date: label: date made
content: 1857
label: patent date
content: 1857-01-27
notes: label: Description
content: From the patent file: "Be it known that I, JAS. WV. W. GORDON, of Catonsville, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements...The nature of my improvement consists in so constructing an instrument for vaccinating that by the employment of a cupped end rod or perforator, the virus deposited in said cup may be transferred and deposited, at one operation in the cuticle or true skin at a depth that shall insure its taking, and without the risk of failure from bleeding at the puncture consequent to the use of other instruments...The manner of using it is as follows. Having charged the small cup on the perforator rod with semi-fluid virus or liquid matter, or that rendered so, the arm and rod D are drawn back a slight distance from the face of the tensor E; the tensor is then pressed with its face in contact with the flesh of the subject, and While so held the spring is liberated by pressing on the trigger; the arm c, being forced forward, the perforator rod, D, is driven into the cuticle and the virus deposited. The tensor also serves as a guide to the perforator. The character of the incision is such by the minuteness of the puncture, that the constriction of the cuticle completely prevents any iiow of blood, and consequently all liability of washing out the virus is obviated, thus rendering any further attention, such as applying court plaster etc., over the puncture unnecessary....In the employment of my vaccinator I have found that by giving a slight Obliquity to the entrance of the charged cupped perforator as it passes into the cuticle, that a flap is formed of the epidermis which effectually closes the orifice of the puncture and thus prevents bleeding...Having thus described by improvement what I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: The application of the cup shaped perforator rod D to the ordinary spring lancet in the manner and for the purpose set forth"
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Maryland, Catonsville
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
label: See more items in
content: The Antibody Initiative
label: See more items in
content: Health & Medicine
label: See more items in
content: Antibody Initiative: Smallpox
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MG.M-04297
label: catalog number
content: M-04297
label: accession number
content: 89797
label: patent number
content: 16,478
objectType: label: Object Name
content: vaccinator, patent model
label: Object Name
content: biological
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: steel; brass (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1/2 in x 2 3/8 in x 1 1/8 in; 1.27 cm x 6.0325 cm x 2.8575 cm