[sas86 (OP)]

Hello everyone,

I'm doing research for the Paralympic Heritage Trust at Stoke Mandeville Stadium and we have photographs of equipment called Dr Scott's Improvement. What would be good resources to consult about it and what it was for?

[alancalverd]

I have found a reference to a Dr Scott at Stoke Mandeville in 1962. I would have thought the hospital librarian or archivist could help but if not, you could post some pictures here - I may be able to find a clinical engineer who can discuss it!

[sas86 (OP)]

Thank you. Here it is attached.

[alancalverd]

Looks a lot older than 1962, and judging by the "patent" mark, looks to have been a mass-produced item. Maybe some kind of gas or spring assist for a prosthetic limb? I'm intrigued!

[sas86 (OP)]

Thanks. I've asked others and you're right, it does look older than twentieth century.

[alancalverd]

I've posted your photo on the Institute of Physics and Engineering In Medicine's rehabilitation engineering website. Just hope it doesn't turn out to be a fire extinguisher or the undercarriage damper of a Sopwith Camel (let me know if it does - other chums restore vintage planes!) .

[sas86 (OP)]

Thank you very much.

[Colin2B]

Definitely much older than ‘62
See this, might be worth sending your photo there, but it looks as though it is at the quack end of the scale
 http://www.americanartifacts.com/smma/scott/scott.htm

[sas86 (OP)]

We'll have to find out which Dr Scott it was. https://history.rcplondon.ac.uk/inspiring-physicians/george-albert-scott

[Colin2B]

We'll have to find out which Dr Scott it was.

The quack artefacts don’t look sophisticated enough for the device in your photo.
Worth searching patents.
Would help if you could find out what it was a improvement of!
Good luck

[sas86 (OP)]

Thanks. Does the Patent office have a list?

[Bored chemist]

Google has a patent search function.

[sas86 (OP)]

Does it go back far? The patent badge looks old on the equipment shown on the photo.

[Colin2B]

This may be my mind doing loop the loop, but Alan’s comment about fire extinguisher makes me wonder ....
If the arm is a tube, the knob on the cylinder a plunger, could we be looking at a weird enema delivery system??

Edit: Found it - search on “patent, dr scott, enema” brought me to science museum who appear to have one!
https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co140537/reservoir-enema-to-dr-scotts-patent-in-silver-p-enema-syringes

[evan_au]

Are you blowing smoke....?

[Bored chemist]

So, the "improvement" may well have been putting it in a museum.

[sas86 (OP)]

Thank you. I'll ask the science museum for more. Thanks for the lead.

Is it a nineteenth century?

[Colin2B]

So, the "improvement" may well have been putting it in a museum.

Unless you want to use it on some of our trolls!

Are you blowing smoke....?

I’m sure this apparatus could be so modified 

Thank you. I'll ask the science museum for more. Thanks for the lead.

Is it a nineteenth century?

Could be late 1800’s.
If you contact the curator for that department they might let you examine it to see inner workings. Most museums are very helpful if you are studying a particular topic.
There appear to be more photos on the net with that search string.

[sas86 (OP)]

Thank you. I have.

[Colin2B]

Thank you. I have.

Let us know what you find out (without the gory details)