This is a small booklet containing details of the use and benefits of the VeeDee vibratory massager. It has a dark green cover, completely detached. The pages contain printed text, diagrams, black and white photographs and advertisements. The pages are stapled and some are loose.non-fictionInformation on the VeeDee vibratory massagerveedee vibratory massager, early 20th century medical aids

The box pieces belong to a VeeDee Massager that has been in the Historical Society collection for several years. It is an interesting example of the dubious medical aids used by 19th century and early 20th century people who resorted to this sort of appliance to try to find relief for many ailments. The box lists the ailments that the massager claims to be able to treat effectively. These include rheumatism, lung troubles, sciatica, insomnia, kidney disease, paralysis, constipation, deafness, bowel complaints and tumours. These box pieces are kept because they have much information on them regarding the use of the VeeDee massager, with a list of the ailments and medical conditions that are claimed to be cured or aided by the use of massager. The information is of use when researching social and medical history and tells us much about the primitive knowledge of ailments and illnesses in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The massager is a medical curiosity of much interest to people today and is a valuable and fascinating display piece. These are the remains of a box that contained a VeeDee massager. There are two pieces - a flattened piece of cardboard that once formed the base and sides of the box and another cardboard piece that was the top of the box. The two small ends of the original box are missing. The inside of the box is red and the base and the sides are green and white with illustrations and descriptive material in black printingThe box pieces have much printed material on them in six languages, but the main heading is ‘THE VEEDEE FOR VIBRATORY MASSAGE’warrnambool, allied health

This measuring container would have been used by chemists, doctors and nurses to accurately measure a tablespoonful of medicine or other liquid or substance equivalent to half an ounce in weight. It could also have been used in households for the same purpose. It would have been in use in the 19th century and perhaps the first six decades of the 20th century. Today glass or plastic containers would be used. This container, although damaged, is of interest as an example of the type of measuring container used by chemists and doctors in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It has no known local provenance but will be useful for display. This is a cream-coloured ceramic medicine measuring container. It will hold half an ounce or a tablespoonful. It is circular in shape, tapering down from the top to the bottom. It has a rim at the top which is cracked and partly broken away. ‘½ oz. To Lower Rim (a tablespoonful)’ chemists in warrnambool, history of warrnambool, medical aids, ceramic medicine glass

This medical aid was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was used as a massaging and vibratory tool and was recommended for the relief of all sorts of complaints, including colds, digestive complaints, rheumatism, headaches, female hysteria, tumours, lung diseases and even ‘double’ chins.This massager is of considerable interest as a medical aid that was popularly used to treat many kinds of ailments in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is indicative of the popularity at that time of vibratory or massaging objects that were used to aid in the relief of many ailments for which there were few other remedies at the time.This is a medical instrument with a metal shaft in three sections and a circular piece of metal at the end. The metal piece has a turning handle at one end and a cross metal piece at the other end. This cross piece has a metal cup with a covering piece of stiff rubber at one end and a circular piece of rubber at the other end. At one end of the metal shaft is a wooden handle. Some of the metal is rusted and the rubber ball has been split.‘Vee Dee Patent No….’ ‘1…2…3…’ ‘J. E. Garratt, London 124 Southwark Street S.E.’ antiquarian medical aids, history of warrnambool

In the early 20th century there were many small machines and instruments developed to use as home cures. These included massage and vibratory instruments and those taking advantage of the growing use of electric currents in the treatment of nervous and mental health issues. This machine was used to produce a electric current to use on the human body to alleviate ailments that included nervous conditions, neuralgia, lumbago, back ache, muscle soreness and even toothache. Developments in allied health treatment saw the waning of the popularity of these kinds of medical aids by the mid 20th century.This machine is of great interest as an example of the items used by people in the late 19th and early 20th century as home cures for all sorts of ailments that afflicted people at the time.This is rectangular wooden box with a lid connected with metal hinges. The inside of the lid has a paper insert with printed material on it. The box has a metal mechanism inside and this includes a metal magnet, a pulley with a rubber belt and two round metal drums covered in dark blue felt. On the outside of the box is a metal handle that is connected to the mechanism inside. There is a metal closing catch on the outside of the box. There are also two wires on the outside of the box with one of these connected to the inside mechanism. The wires have hollow brass cylinders attached to the ends. The box is heavily stained and scuffed.‘Magneto Electric Machine for Nervous & Other Diseases’allied health in early 20th century, warrnambool, history of warrnambool