Accession No

6031

Brief Description

set of surgical instruments given to Dr. De Vere Hunt by Mr. Janson Snr for saving his son’s life in January 1885, by J. Weiss and Son, English, 1885

Origin

England; London; 52 Strand

Maker

J. Weiss and Son

Class

medical

Earliest Date

1885

Latest Date

1885

Inscription Date

1885

Material

hide (leather); metal

Dimensions

case width: 143mm

Special Collection

Provenance

Donated on or before 19/11/2005. Donated on behalf of the donor's father, Dr. Golding. The donor suggests that the object was given to his father by a patient, possibly in the 1940s or early 1950s. Was originally the gift of Mr. Janson Snr. to Dr. De Vere Hunt who saved his son’s life in January 1885.

Inscription

“DE VERE HUNT ESQE M. D.
IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE
OF JANUARY 1885” (on leather case)
“From / Mr. John W. Janson
The Globe / Croyden” (on card)
“J.WEISS & SON
SURGICAL INSTRUMENT MAKERS
52, STRAND, LONDON” (inside case)

Description Notes

fitted leather case containing large tweezers; two penknives; a folding saw; a pair of forceps; a curved blade (only sharpened for a small section); piercing forceps; a curved blade; scissor-forceps; a scoop; part of catheter; tube; penknife with spike; penknife with two curved blades; catheter.

Two small manuscript notes were under a flap in the case (now in object history file). One is the business card of J.Janson, and the other is a newspaper clipping of 1885 describing incident that led to its being given to Dr. De Vere Hunt:

“...March 21, 1885.
If anyone deserves praise and congratulations for fighting so successfully against death, it is Dr. De Vere Hunt, for bringing Mr. Jansen from its very jaws to a state of comparative convalescence. When other M.D’s dolefully shook their heads he never faltered and the result was not more gratifying to the thousand and one lovers of the exhilarating game of football, than it was to the patient and his father, and Jansen senr., like a true and appreciative Briton, hastened to exemplify his deep felt gratitude by presenting Dr. Hunt with a splendid case of Surgical Instruments. The case is as beautiful as it is unique, and the simple sentence engraved on the same, ‘In grateful remembrance of January, 1885,’ speaks more forcibly than anything, in my humble way, I could attribute to the abilities and perseverance of the Doctor.”

Condition: fair (some rust, and wear to the case); incomplete? (the tube appears to lack another component).

References

Events

Description
This set of surgical instruments has a story attached to it. It was given to a doctor who in 1885 saved a footballer from dying after a sporting accident. The doctor was called De Vere Hunt and in thanks the father of the footballer gave him this set. A newspaper of that time wrote a report on the incident and the gift of the instruments.

“...March 21, 1885.

If anyone deserves praise and congratulations for fighting so successfully against death, it is Dr. De Vere Hunt, for bringing Mr. Jansen from its very jaws to a state of comparative convalescence. When other M.D’s dolefully shook their heads he never faltered and the result was not more gratifying to the thousand and one lovers of the exhilarating game of football, than it was to the patient and his father, and Jansen senr., like a true and appreciative Briton, hastened to exemplify his deep felt gratitude by presenting Dr. Hunt with a splendid case of Surgical Instruments. The case is as beautiful as it is unique, and the simple sentence engraved on the same, ‘In grateful remembrance of January, 1885,’ speaks more forcibly than anything, in my humble way, I could attribute to the abilities and perseverance of the Doctor.”

FM:46497