9 - Objects

Coffee set composed of 11 small cups and 7 saucers. Cream with gold and dark blue rim. The cups have [maker's] marks on the base, which are singular letters in gold, and some have the very faint imprint of a word, possibly "ENGLAND". The base of the saucers are stamped "B/GRENVILLE WARE/GRENVILLE POTTERY LTD./TUNSTALL/MADE IN ENGLAND."

The white cardboard box features a label with black in writings "Crookes' Diphteria Diagnosis Outfit for the rapid diagnosis of active Diphtheria. Sterilised-ready for use Directions enclosed. The Crookes Laboratories (British Colloids Ltd.) Park Royal, London, N.W. 10." and a push fit drawer containing a ball of cotton and a glass tube with a metal tip. The glass tube is empty, but it usually came with a cotton-wool on metal rod to use on the oral cavity to take a sample from the back of the throat or from a sore.

Ceramic soup tureen. Cream with red rim. Two short handles. Marked on the front in red with the words "DUBLIN FEVER HOSPITAL". Base is stamped in green with the word "ARKLOW". Hairline crack through one side of body and along centre.

This is a Petri dish, made in England by Pyrex (as stamped in white). It consists of a clear glass circular tray with a fitting lid, used to hold growth medium for cell culture. The Petri dish was originally developed by Robert Koch (1843–1910) in his private laboratory in 1881. He initially used horizontally leveled pouring apparatus to prepare gelatin plates, which were stacked in large bell jars for cultivation. To simplify the process and reduce the need for additional equipment, he later adopted the use of flat double dishes (10–11 cm in diameter, 1–1.5 cm high), where the upper dish acted as a lid. These dishes allowed gelatin mixed with inoculation material to solidify in a thin, protective layer, reducing contamination from airborne germs. Julius Richard Petri (1852–1921), while working as Koch's assistant at Berlin University, refined this design in 1887, resulting in the modern Petri dish. This item, suitable for sterilisation, remains a standard laboratory tool for microbiological studies today.

Ceramic invalid feeding cup. Cream with yellow rim. Cup has one handle and an elongated spout. The words "DUBLIN FEVER HOSPITAL" and the number "6"on top beside the spout. Base is stamped in green with the words "ARKLOW POTTERY/MADE IN/REPUBLIC OF IRELAND".

Two small, ceramic sugar bowls. Cream in colour. One with yellow rim, the words "DUBLIN FEVER HOSPITAL" on the side, in light brown (the number "3" at the centre), and the base stamped, in green, with the maker's name "ARKLOW POTTERY/MADE IN/REPUBLIC OF IRELAND"; the other has a green rim, the words "CHERRY ORCHARD HOSPITAL" on the side, in green, and the base stamped with the maker's name "Arklow/made in/Republic of Ireland/VITREOUS IRONSTONE", also in green. Both have small chips around rim.

Flat handle with curved semi-flat head and blunt tip. It is used for passing ligatures around vessels or aneurysms. "Fannin" manufacturer's mark present along with "Stainless Steel". Manually inscribed is the number 7 on the lower part of the handle.

Two deep ceramic bowls, possibly for serving fruit or dinner. Cream in colour. The words "DUBLIN FEVER HOSPITAL" on both. One has a green rim and the maker's name "ARKLOW POTTERY/IRELAND" stamped on the base in grey; the other has a dark blue and gold rim and on the base, in black, is stamped "MADE/IN/ARKLOW/EIRE" and handwritten in red [paint] are the words "C[?].H./DOMESTIC/HOME".

This is a conical clear-glass measuring jar with a stem, capable of holding 4 ounces. It features a white glazed scale and numbers. The rim has a V-shaped spout. The scale is marked in "fl oz" (fluid ounces) from zero to four, and in milliliters from 10 to 240. This type of jar was used for the analysis of liquids, such as urine.

Small metal sugar bowl with handles on either side. Body engraved "C.S.H" and base stamped "GLADWIN LTD SHEFFIELD/23711/D/5 OZ".

Hand-held printing stamp. Brass body upon which is engraved on one side "NUMBER/TWO/ALL/SQUARE" (the words "ALL" and "SQUARE" contained within a square alongside a smaller square). Rounded wooden handle, the paint of which is worn at a small spot when the thumb would be placed. Stamp is rubber and reads (in reverse) "DUBLIN FEVER HOSPITAL BOARD/PASSED FOR PAYMENT/6MAR1953/SIGNED...................."

Nine ceramic saucers. Cream with a variety of coloured rims - green, yellow, orange, red and gold. Four with the words "DUBLIN FEVER HOSPITAL" and five with "CHERRY ORCHARD HOSPITAL" on the front; also the number "6" in the centre of the hospital name on six of them. Base is stamped with the maker's mark, either "ARKLOW POTTERY/IRELAND" in grey or "Arklow/made in/Republic of Ireland/VITREOUS IRONSTONE" in green.

Small, rectangular, wooden sign. On the front are the words "SILENCE/LECTURE" painted in light brown and black. There are several handwritten scribbles on the back in red pen and pencil. A thin red cord is attached for hanging.

Metal serving tray. Oval with handles at each side. Engraved with flowers and foliage, the words "DUBLIN/FEVER/HOSPITAL" at the centre. Four smalll, rounded feet on the underside, which is stamped "MADE IN/SHEFFIELD/ENGLAND".

This is a spirit lamp consisting of a clear glass bottle, a screw brass attachment where the cotton wick is inserted and extends into the empty bottle, and a clear glass cap. The brass attachment appears discoloured and stains are visible at the bottom of the bottle. The base is embossed with the words "LONDON MADE" and "MA". The cap cannot be removed. This type of spirit lamp was used for urine analysis or other clinical analyses.

Small Bible, written in English, containing the Old and the New Testaments. Black cover, the title on the front reads "PRESENTED/IN ACCORDANCE WITH/THE WILL OF/PHILIP, LORD WHARTON/1696". One dark blue ribbon bookmarker attached to spine. Printed in 1956 by Oxford University Press.

Red-covered Missale Romanum (Roman Missal), the book of prescribed prayers for the celebration of the Roman Catholic Mass. Written in Latin. Several different coloured ribbon bookmarkers attached to spine.

Ceramic milk jug. Cream with gold and dark blue rim. Maker's mark on base in green: "ARKLOW/MADE/IN/REPUBLIC/OF/IRELAND". This has been overwritten with "H2" in larger, dark green writing.

Ceramic teacup. Cream with orange rim. The words "CHERRY ORCHARD HOSPITAL" and the number "1"on the side. Base is stamped in green with the words "ARKLOW/MADE/IN/REPUBLIC/OF/IRELAND".

Rectangular [brass] printing stamp attached to wooden handle via four screws. On the stamp, in reverse, are the words "BENEAVEN/1896". Appearing twice on both the handle and stamp is the small image of a six-pointed star within which there are three letters ["IP/S" or "HP/S"]. Beneaven [otherwise Beneavin], County Dublin, was the estate of Dr. John Frederick Knipe. Land at Beneavin was acquired by Cork Street Fever Hospital in the late nineteenth century and a auxiliary hospital for convalescents was opened there in 1896.

Silver-gilt ecclesiastical chalice. Celtic knot design. Hexagonal base around which is inscribed "CORK STREET HOSPITAL, PARISH OF ST. CATHERINES, MEATH STREET, JULY 1940". Stamped with Dublin hallmarks for 1940 and the maker's initials "M.H.G."