Object ID Number:
2017.000.081
Object Name:
Sphygmomanometer
Type:
Mercury Sphygmomanometer
Manufacturer:
W.A. Baum Co. Inc – New York
Manufactured from:
1935
Manufactured to:
1950
Description / History:
This mercury sphygmomanometer is the Kit Bag Model made by W.A. Baum Co. Inc. in New York. It is in a wooden case. Inside, there is black rubber tubing and a black rubber pump. It has a capacity of 260 millimeters mercury.The green arm cuff reads "Tycos", and was made by Taylor Instrument Company out of Rochester, New York. The patent number dates this instrument to the 1930s; however, an engraving in the lid in indicates that this instrument was used by the U.S. Army Medical Department during World War II, dating the use of this machine from 1939–1945. Additionally, all of the precision instruments and parts made by Taylor Instrument Company during WWII went to the war effort with none for consumer use. This company was also involved in developing ultra–secret pressure apparatuses for the Manhattan Project (the atomic bomb).
Dimensions:
H–2.25 W–4.25 L–12.3 inches
Additional Information:
In 1917, the Baumanometer was developed by William A. Baum, a worker in a large clinic which engaged in pre–employment physical exams. Baum's design was the first of the sphygmomanometers which needed no adjustments or recalibration, and its well–sealed tube prevented oxidation of the mercury used for measurement. Its simplicity and striking accuracy caused it to catch on with physicians across America, and variations of Baum's simple design stand today as some of the most popular blood pressure instruments.
3D Image Information:
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3 Dimentional Image:
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