Description
COLLIN medical pouch for hypodermic injection with Pravaz syringe - 1895/1910
This hypodermic injection kit adopts the shape and hinged-valve opening mechanism of a lighter. In an exceptionally compact volume with a smooth finish, it gathers:
- A Pravaz syringe with a glass measuring body and a metal frame with a rotary piston.
- A waterproof glass bottle, with a threaded metal ring and a screw cap fitted with its original seal.
- Two integrated vertical cubicles accommodating two needles of different lengths on their threaded tips.
- A small protective tube or sleeve housed in the center of the case
Designed at the turn of the twentieth century, this pocket-sized case was the ideal tool for general practitioners to visit. Its compactness made it easy to carry in the pocket of a vest or in a bag.
During the Belle Époque, the 1 gram (or 1 cm3) bottle most often contained a solution of morphine or cocaine. This choice was explained by two main reasons:
Immediate analgesic action: Before the invention of modern synthetic painkillers, morphine was the only effective medical response to instantly treat intolerable pain (fractures, renal colic, trauma) during home visits. Cocaine, on the other hand, was the first effective local anaesthetic in minor surgery.
The small bottle could also be used to transport other liquid solutions such as atropine, camphor, ether or ergotine.
This type of case in lighter format can be found at most major manufacturers of medical equipment during the Belle Époque (Maison Mathieu, A. Aubry, Creuzan in Bordeaux, etc.).
However, if it appears in good place in the catalogs between 1900 and 1910, it disappears almost completely from the editions of the 1920s/1930s for several reasons:
The evolution of aseptic standards: The generalization of hot sterilization and boiling required completely removable and washable equipment. The leather-lined pistons and the fixed housing cases disappeared in front of the rectangular stainless steel sterilization boxes with racks and the all-glass Luer syringes.
The generalization of glass ampoules: In the 1910s, the appearance of sterile and pre-dosed medicinal ampoules made the integrated solution bottle unnecessary.
Last but not least, the regulatory framework: The Narcotics Control Act of 1916 ended the free transport of prepared opiate solutions.
Morphine set:
Indeed, beyond its medical use, this object is at the heart of the history of social morphinomania at the end of the 19th century.
During this period, the encounter between the Pravaz syringe and morphine was accompanied by a diversion within high society and artistic circles. The refined object, discreet and close to jewelry, went beyond its simple surgical function to become an intimate instrument, often carried daily by people prone to opioid addiction.
Manufacturer: Maison Collin, Paris (engraved stamp "COLLIN" on the case), successor of Maison Charrière
Period: Late 19th – early 20th century (Belle Époque) - 1895/1910
Dimensions: 7.5 × 3.5 cm
Materials: Nickel-plated metal
Maison Collin: heir of the Maison Charrière and of Parisian excellence
Historically founded in 1820 by Joseph-Frédéric-Benoît Charrière, one of the most famous surgical cutlery makers to whom we owe the improvement of the first Pravaz syringes, the company located at 6 rue de l'École-de-Médecine was taken over in 1871 by Anatole Collin.
Under the name of Maison Collin (1871–1957), the firm established itself as the official supplier to the Faculty of Medicine in Paris, hospitals and the Navy.
Renowned worldwide for the precision and rigor of execution of its instruments, the house Collin signed here a high-end object, representative of the Parisian surgical know-how of the Belle Époque.
Complete object in its original state of preservation, with a beautiful patina of use on the smooth case. Intact glass bottle with its screw cap.
