Medical purposes, measuring instrument System Walking stick, London 1883

The stick’s association with medicine is legendary. Witness the sticks associated with Aesculapius, the Roman god of medicine and healing which is represented with a snake coiled in his staff.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a caduceus badge became the symbol for the medical corps of the U.S. British and French armies.

Different instruments have been used to determine the measurement of time and thanks to them all sciences have been able to achieve advances, being the case of this sandglass with the purpose to be used by a doctor or the patient himself to control blood pressure by counting the heart rate for 30 seconds. 

The Milord silver handle is 3,5 cm high x 4 cm diameter it has maker marks where we appreciate S.M. by Sampson & Mordam, a walker lion and a panther for London, an H character for 1883 all this according to the online catalogue https://www.925-1000.com/dlLondon13.html#M it also has an elegant monogram on the terrace with the characters A L D  ( is D for Doctor ? )

It unscrews to reveal a cylindric compartment where we find a sandglass contained in a steel frame and marked at its base with figure 30 due to the measure of seconds it takes for the sand to descend.

It is on top of a beautiful Macassar ebony shaft ending with a bimetal ferrule, the O.L. 90 cm. Without chips or cracks or dents all this piece is shining in perfect condition as in its first day.

For a similar example of a Sandglass System Cane see C. Dike Cane Curiosa picture 8/4 Pag 82

Antique Walking Cane Collection Antiker Spazierstock Sammlung Antique Canne Collection Antiek Wandelstok Verzameling Antico Bastone Collezione Античный трость коллекции Baston Antiguo Coleccion