Credit: Science Museum, London. Wellcome Images images@wellcome.ac.uk http://wellcomeimages.org Hypodermic needles came into common use in the second half of the 1800s. This syringe and needle set was made just a handful of years after the hollow needle was invented by Scottish doctor Alexander Wood in 1853 – although French surgeon Charles Pravaz was independently developing a similar device at the same time.

Hypodermic needles allow drugs to be injected under the skin. In this example, parts of the syringe are also made of metal. The now familiar plastic syringes did not appear appeared until a century later. Today, both needles and syringe tend to be disposed of after a single use. This example was made by London-based surgical instrument makers Coxeter & Son.

maker: Unknown maker

Place made: Europe made: 1871-1900 Published: -