Part of the collection of Dr Frank Forster. The philosophy of this object was to keep the uterus dilated. It was commonly believed at this time that the cervix was the cause of dysmenorrhoea. The stem pessary was an object used to rectify uterine displacements - either anteversion or retroversion. The device consisted of a stem which is introduced into the uterus, the stem was then attached to an ovoid flange or ball, on which the cervix uteri then rested. Connected to this flange was an external part or wire frame, which in turn was attached at one extremity to a flat tubular portion, passing into the vagina. This was then fixed to the intrauterine portion. The wire frame was then made to press on to the pubis, so that the pessary could be kept in position in utero.Pessary, Duke's stem design. Metal pessary with hollow stem, and a rounded flange at one end. The flange has eight small holes surrounding the central hole. The stem is flexible and is made from coiled metal which has then been attached (perhaps by soldering) to the flange.pessary, intrauterine device

Part of the collection of Dr Frank Forster. The philosophy of this object was to keep the uterus dilated. It was commonly believed at this time that the cervix was the cause of dysmenorrhoea. The stem pessary was an object used to rectify uterine displacements - either anteversion or retroversion. The device consisted of a stem which is introduced into the uterus, the stem was then attached to an ovoid flange or ball, on which the cervix uteri then rested. Connected to this flange was an external part or wire frame, which in turn was attached at one extremity to a flat tubular portion, passing into the vagina. This was then fixed to the intrauterine portion. The wire frame was then made to press on to the pubis, so that the pessary could be kept in position in utero.Pessary, Duke's stem design. Metal pessary with hollow stem, and a rounded flange at one end. The flange has six small holes surrounding the central hole. The stem is flexible and is made from coiled metal which has then been attached (perhaps by soldering) to the flange.pessary, intrauterine device

Alfred Dührssen (23 March 1862 – 11 October 1933) was a German gynecologist and obstetrician born in Heide, Schleswig-Holstein, at the time part of Denmark. He studied medicine at the University of Marburg, as well as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Akademie für das militärärztliche Bildungswesen (Kaiser-Wilhelm-Academy for Military Physicians). In 1886, he became an obstetrical assistant to Adolf Gusserow (1836-1906) in Berlin, and in 1888 he began work as a lecturer at the University of Berlin. In 1892 he opened a private clinic for obstetrics and gynecological diseases. Dührssen was a prominent figure in modern German gynecology, being remembered for his pioneer work in surgical practices such as vaginal Caesarean section (vaginalen Kaiserschnitt). He was an advocate of institutional births for all pregnancies, and proposed that pregnant women undergo screening processes to uncover possible difficulties prior to giving birth. (Wikipedia) Metal uterine dilator consisting of a handle, a short shaft, and eight prongs. The prongs each have a bump/curve in the prong towards the top, to allow them to bend around the shaft of the instrument and meet at their tips. There is a second 'bump' in the prongs just before the tips. The tip of each prong has five ridges to assist with grip. The handle of the device is a flat, rounded handle, which is turned to open the prongs and set them at various degrees of diameter. There is a gauge on the shaft of the instrument which ranges from 0-12, showing the current setting of the instrument. There is also a pin and T-shaped slot arrangement located just above the start of the prongs, which has been engraved '8' on the left hand side, and '1' on the right hand side. Each prong is also engraved with a number at the base of the prong, reading '1' to '8'. gynaecology

This may not be an original complete set. There appears to be a slight variation in the colour of the specula. The largest is quite definitely brown. The other three appear black at certain angles. Some difficulty was experienced fitting the smallest speculum into the nest.A set (nest) of four brown bakelite speculums in graded sizes.dilatation

https://books.google.com.au/books?id=T6KmcBlF-xUC&pg=PA690&lpg=PA690&dq=surgeon+delaborde&source=bl&ots=ArCFo00eC8&sig=ACfU3U2nixrI1ZiM4k-ZuBhDe6d-yReQ5w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj93Oq6z_PpAhV8wTgGHbSDCurved tip retractorsurgical instrument, surgery, laryngology, laborde