Who would have thought there would be so many uses for the humble spoon!
Within the CALHN Health Museum’s collection, there are spoons for heating amalgam, scooping mustard and stirring a simple cup of tea. There are metal spoons, ceramic, wooden and even glass spoons. Below is a small selection of some of the different types of spoons in the collection:
Mustard Spoons, Ca 1920
Set of ten mustard spoons made of electroplated nickel silver. Stamped on the ends of the handles is ‘N H’. This is in reference to the Nurses Home (later called the Margaret Graham Building), which was located on the old Royal Adelaide Hospital (North Terrace site). These spoons were used by the nurses in the Nurses Dining Room, situated on the ground floor of the Nurses Home.
Amalgam Heating Spoon, Ca 1940
The spoon is made of a high heat-resistant metal and consists of a dark, rounded metal scoop with a flat, wide metal arm. There is a second arm with a circular plate attached to the centre with a screw.
There is a residue of an alloy on the bowl of the instrument. The alloy was manufactured into pellets, which were subsequently heated to create a form that could be blended with amalgam powder.
These are from the collection of Dr Colin George King, who graduated from Adelaide University in 1938. He practised at Lockleys and Mile End and was a Councillor on Thebarton Municipal Council in 1940.
Royal Adelaide Hospital Souvenir Teaspoon, Ca 1970
Gold-plated teaspoon with the Royal Adelaide Hospital crest glued to the top of the stem. Boxed in its original plastic container for retail sale. Souvenirs and cards were sold through the Hospital Auxiliary to raise funds.
Glass Medicine Spoon, Ca 1930
The spoon is made up of two sections that are moulded together. It was used for administering medicine to a patient. Glass was a popular material for medicine spoons because it did not chemically react or absorb the pharmaceutical it held, nor did it tarnish.
World War 1 Spoons, Ca 1918
Four World War I souvenir spoons belonging to Nurse Frances Mary Deere. Two are teaspoons, and the other two are known as demitasse or coffee spoons. The stems are ornate with coats of arms and were made in France, with the makers mark for Albert Deflon and Minerva. Each spoon is engraved with a French town name: Amiens, Wimeruex, Etaples, and Hardelot.
Frances began training at the Adelaide Hospital in 1909 and, after graduating, was promoted to Charge Nurse in 1912. When the war started, she joined the 2nd Australian General Hospital as a Staff Nurse, embarking from Melbourne in 1914 on HMAT Kyarra. Frances served in Egypt, France, and England and returned to Australia in 1918.
Written by Margot Way, CALHN Health Museum