Back

Collection of Medical Technologies and Instruments

The study of the development of medical technologies — instruments, devices, prostheses and other implements — is one of the most exciting ways to decode the history of medicine. Some of these items have remained largely unchanged for 300 years, while others have transformed beyond recognition.

The Museum’s collection includes everything from ancient implements used by shamans and folk healers, to surgical instruments and electrotherapy machines, to artificial ventilation devices, stethoscopes, x-ray scanners, electrocardiographs, prostheses, eyeglasses, hearing aids, and many other items and appliances produced from the early 20th century till the 1970s.

Picture of an artificial blood circulation machine.

Artificial circulation device. Design by Sergey Bryukhonenko. Moscow, 1936.

Image with the truve device. All of its parts are in a small wooden box.

Trouvé device. France, early 20th century.

Picture of 12 different phalloendoprostheses made of white plastic. Spread on an orange base.

Phalloendoprostheses (male genital internal prostheses). Designer — Viktors Kalnbērzs. USSR, Riga, 1987. Polyethylene plastic.

Image of local darsonvalisation apparatus. All its parts are assembled in a black box.

Provita, a local darsonvalisation apparatus. Produced by V. Baumgartner in Basel, Switzerland, sold by V. Knecht in Riga. 1927.

Vessel image. It has a round base and a cap with a round handle. The metal is visibly worn, oxidized over time.

Medical leech vessel. France, mid-18th century. Tin.

A set of surgical knives and instruments in a redwood case. It features several compartments specially adapted to the dimensions of the instruments.

Set of surgical knives and instruments in a redwood case. England, London, mid-late 19th century.

Childbirth labour pain-mitigation apparatus on three wheels, with longer metal structures and a face mask that is placed over the mouth and inhaled.

Childbirth labour pain-mitigation apparatus. USSR, Krasnogvardeyets factory, 1959.

An image of a bronchoscopy instrument set. The instruments are housed in a light wooden box and each instrument features specially adapted support details.

Set of bronchoscopy instruments. East Germany, early 1950s.

Share:

We want to get to know our visitor better, to create content tailored for you – will you accept cookies?