Exeter's historical collection of medical artefacts

The Devon and Exeter Medical Heritage Trust (DEMHT) is look for more volunteers and donations of old medical equipment related to Devon, now housed at the Exeter Community Centre.

Exeter Today spoke to the Chair of the DEMHT and honorary Consultant in Clinical Oncology, professor David Radstone, to learn more about the trust and its collection of old medical artefacts.

David explained that the Old Exeter Medical Infirmary, established in Southernhay in 1743, quickly started a staff-funded medical library.

This evolved into the Devon and Exeter Medical Society founded in 1780, and over time, it built up an intriguing collection of medical items.

Today, the collection contains over 12,000 historical items, including Roman scalpels, a Second World War anaesthetic machine, paintings, photos, and even a First World War nurses’ uniform complete with grey knickers. 

Above: 1776 apothecary box. Image: Devon and Exeter Medical Heritage Trust

The Medical Society donated the collection to the DEMHT charity in 2017.

DEMHT was started by a group of volunteer curators and cataloguers to hold, preserve, and care for these important remnants of history.

David said: “It’s incredible. People continue to donate items. A GP closing her practice discovered an entire room of things. We saved items just before the old postgraduate centre was demolished. We also had some space in St Nicholas Priory and access to their beautiful display cabinets."

The collection has since been moved to the Exeter Community Centre on St David’s Hill.

“We now have space there for conservation and storage. DEMHT volunteers give talks and lead handling sessions where the public can interact with items from the collection, though we avoid giving amputation knives to eight-year-olds", David joked.

“However, not having regular access to display cases limits what we can do.”

Fortunately, Exeter University has created 3D models of some of the older equipment to prevent damage to the originals during handling sessions.

Another Exeter GP, now sadly deceased, donated items from his father and other relatives, who were also GPs in Belfast.

Among these were written records from a male midwife in 1846, describing his experiences delivering babies in and around Belfast.

David also mentioned material from two doctors, David and George Page, a father and son.

the elder page started as a chemist in an explosives factory before becoming a Medical Officer of Health and winning numerous medals and prizes, which are also part of the collection.

Above: 1940 traction forceps. Image: Devon and Exeter Medical Heritage Trust

His son, Surgeon Commander George Page, served in the Royal Navy and was working in a German hospital in China in 1914 when war broke out.

"He was doing good work with other nationalities, and suddenly he’s at war with the other doctors there!"

DEMHT hopes to display these remarkable historical objects again soon and to resume exhibitions and handling sessions at St Nicholas Priory.

Some foundation ledgers from the old Devon and Exeter Infirmary have been donated to the Devon archives, while other materials have been loaned or donated to the Cathedral library.

The trust is entirely run by volunteers and university interns, who typically work with the collection on Tuesday afternoons. David added, “I don’t think we promote ourselves enough. We had some well-attended lecture courses, but COVID disrupted things. We’re now working to rebuild and get things going again.”

The trust is eager to welcome more volunteers and donations and would love to share the stories behind these historical items with more people.

You can find more details on their website.