{"id":258,"date":"2010-12-03T17:52:37","date_gmt":"2010-12-03T17:52:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tmcldev.wpengine.com\/mcgovern\/2010\/12\/03\/steam-sterilizer\/"},"modified":"2019-08-30T18:02:08","modified_gmt":"2019-08-30T18:02:08","slug":"steam-sterilizer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/library.tmc.edu\/mcgovern\/2010\/12\/03\/steam-sterilizer\/","title":{"rendered":"Steam sterilizer"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Alethea Drexler<\/strong>
\narchives assistant<\/em>
\nWe’re back!
\nI hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving weekend.
\nThis week’s post features our vintage Castle steam sterilizer:
\n

\"\"<\/a>
Castle steam sterilizer<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\nThis one is a small model–the box is about a foot long and seven inches tall–that seems to have been popular for specialty instruments (which would have been used in smaller quantities), dental instruments, and in barbershops.\u00a0 Technically, it’s a “tabletop” version, but ours has a stand.\u00a0 The metal flap hanging down from the stand is actually a small table leaf that can be raised and locked into place to give the user a little bit of workspace.
\nSquare sterilizers like this seem to have been the next generation after the canister ones seen in the post about the World War I nurses.\u00a0 This is probably from the 1920’s through 1940’s.\u00a0 A similar German one<\/a> can be seen in this auction posting.
\n
\"\"<\/a>
On a stand.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\nThe handle is “double jointed”–you actually push it down to open the lid.\u00a0 This would have helped the lid seal more securely.
\nThat’s the electrical cord looped up over the box.
\n
\"\"<\/a>
Double-jointed handle<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\nThe inside appears to have hard-water deposits, so clearly this saw some use.\u00a0 The instruments would have been placed in the perforated tray, where steam could surround them completely.\u00a0 (Note that the handle, to the right, is pushed down.)
\n
\"\"<\/a>
Say, "Aaah!"<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\nThis copper<\/a> steam sterilizer has a patent date from the first decade of the 20th century.
\nCirca-1897<\/a> canister sterilizer similar to the ones in the nurses’ posting.
\nSmall steam sterilizers<\/a> are sold today for sterilizing baby pacifiers, bottles, and nipples.\u00a0 Some are even designed to be heated in a microwave oven<\/a>.
\nAutoclaves<\/a>, which use both steam heat and pressure, are commonly used today to sterilize surgical packs.\u00a0 The one we used at the veterinarian’s office was about the size of a large television<\/a>.\u00a0 The autoclave was originally invented in the 1870’s<\/a> and, logically but perhaps surprisingly, is a close cousin to the pressure cooker.\u00a0 Pressure canners<\/a> are basically autoclaves for home-bottled food.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Alethea Drexler archives assistant We’re back! I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving weekend. This week’s post features our vintage Castle steam sterilizer: This one is a small model–the box is about a foot long and seven inches tall–that seems to have been popular for specialty instruments (which would have been used in smaller […]<\/p>\n

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