In the 1600s, William Harvey realised a finite amount of blood circulates in one direction through the body. Jean Léonard Marie Poiseuille introduced the mercury hydrodynometer in the early 1800s for measuring blood pressure. Karl von-Vierordt created the sphygmograph in 1855 and, in 1881, Samuel von Basch created the sphygmomanometer, distinct improvements on the hydrodynometer. In 1896, Scipione Riva-Rocci developed the mercury sphygmomanometer. American neurosurgeon, Harvey Cushing, was an early adopter, and advocate for monitoring patients during surgery and anaesthesia. Blood pressure monitoring is still an essential component of evaluating a patient’s condition.This blood pressure kit is housed in a rectangular, vinyl covered box with metal handle and press-stud lid release mechanism. The lid opens upwards and the glass blood pressure valve and plastic scale is attached to the underside of the lid. The measurements are written in black and go up in increments of ten, from 0 to 300. The glass valve has unidentified increments labelled in red, which is housed within a metal cylinder. The bellows is attached to the measuring valve via a dark green pressure cuff and rubber hose.Blue sticker affixed inside the kit: JOHN MARUM Ornate manufacturer's label: THE ARMOURED / ELLISCO / SPHYGMOMANOMETER / MADE BY / ELLIOTTS & AUSTRALIA DRUG / [indecipherable] LTD / CENTEN[indecipherable] MODELharvey cushing, blood pressure, measurement, anaesthetics, john marum, sphygmomanometer, elliotts & australian drug pty ltd, centenary model, cuff, bellows, ellisco, armoured

VX 27898 Corporal Thomas John Morris Thomas (Tom Thomas) donated several items to Cranbourne RSL. He served in the Australian Corp Signals in WWII both in Australia and overseas. He was born at Womerah on 9/11/1906 and died at Koo Wee Rup 16/06/1984. He enlisted at Yarram on 1/7/1940 and was discharged at Royal Park on 9/3/1945.Brown card with black line drawing of a cruise liner, the H.T Queen Mary. Black printed text beneath."H.T. QUEEN MARY / YO HO! YO HO! YO-HEAVE-O! / Cpl Thomas (handwritten) / having passed the Portals of my Realm on the Tenth day of January 1941 is now permitted to enjoy all the Privileges and Perquisites thereof being now a TRUE SEA DOG and thuswise entitled to Spit to Wind'ard Drink his Grog Neat and Have the Full Freedom of FIDDLER'S GREEN whensoever ifsoever howsoever He doth it visit. / Witnessed / R. B. IRVING, O.B.E., R.D., R.N.R. / Commodore / LIEUT-COL. R. F. MARLAN / Officer Commanding Troops. / GIVEN Under My Fin Tail and Trident this aforesaid day at Our COURT OF THE FOUR WINDS AND THE SEVEN SEAS / NEPTUNE / OMNIA MARUM REX / PRO BONO PUBLICOUSE" ht queen mary, queen mary, wwii, omnia marum rex