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Syringe

(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
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This syringe, used at the Franklin County Public Hospital School of nursing, probably dates from around 1900. The main evidence for this comes from the nickel-plated top, which shows some signs of corrosion. In the late 1800s, an effort was made to create medical instruments that could withstand the rigors of the steam sterilization process, and until truly stainless steel was developed, nickel-plated steel was a useful way to allow metal to be used. Syringes have needles attached to them and are used either to administer liquids, like drugs, through the skin, or to draw out fluids from the body.

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