Medical antiques are objects connected with the historical practice of medicine, surgery, dentistry and pharmacy. The field includes surgical and dental instruments, cased amputation and trepanning sets, bleeding bowls, stethoscopes, microscopes, anatomical models, apothecary jars, pill-making equipment, medicine chests and the shop fittings of old chemists.
Most pieces seen on the market date from the eighteenth to the early twentieth century, when instrument makers in London, Sheffield, Paris and elsewhere produced fine work in steel, brass, ivory, ebony and silver, often supplied in fitted mahogany or leather cases. Victorian and Edwardian pharmacy material, such as labelled glass carboys, drug jars and mahogany drawer units with painted or gilt labels, is popular for its decorative appeal as much as its history. Collectors value completeness, original cases, the maker's name and a clear link to a particular practitioner or hospital. Some objects demand care: old medicine bottles may retain toxic residues, and certain materials, including ivory and tortoiseshell, are subject to sale and export regulations. Apothecary cabinets and jars are now widely used in kitchens, studies and bathrooms as characterful storage.
