Gowers' Haemoglobinometer

Accession #:2011001

Description:A leatherette-covered case containing a free standing comparator with a slot for one comparator tube, graduated 0-100 and an adjacent colour standard slide. Each graduation is 20cu. mm.Two glass pipettes calibrated for 20 cubic millimeters are included together with mouth-pieces and 2 lengths of rubber tubing. There is no reagent receptacle. In use, a 20 cu. mm.sample of blood would be mixed with water in the graduated tube. When the blood plus water occupies the tube to the 100 mark, then a 1% sample of blood is obtained. The water bursts the cells, releasing haemogloben. The mixture is diluted until it matches in density the picrocarmine standard slide. The concentration of haemoglobin would then be obtained by calculation.

The device was invented in 1875 by William Gowers (1845 - 1915), an eminent neurologist, paediatrician, researcher and artist.

166 x 93 x 40 mm (case):

Acquired: 19/03/2011