Summary

This is a glass syringe which has been broken into many parts. It was excavated at Casselden Place in 2003.

Health and hygiene.
'Cleanliness is next to Godliness'. This is a difficult maxim to follow when 'there is not one bath in sixty', when sewerage gathers in cesspits and open drainage channels line the streets.But the residents of Little Lon did practice personal hygiene. Archaeologists have uncovered toothbrushes and toothpaste pots, scent bottles, soap dishes, combs and hairbrushes.
Clean teeth and neat hair did not guarantee good health however. Doctors were expensive, so ordinary people had to rely on medicines like Holloway's Ointment and Hall's Vegetable Pain Conqueror as well as Chinese herbal remedies. Children were dosed weekly with the laxative castor oil, to keep their bowels regular.

Physical Description

This is the plunger and body of a glass syringe which has broken into many pieces. It would have been used for medical purposes.

More Information

  • Collection Names

    Little Lon Collection

  • Collecting Areas

    Historical Archaeology

  • Acquisition Information

    Transfer from Heritage Victoria, Industry Superannuation Property Trust, 03 May 2005

  • Context Number

    4.030

  • Site

    Australia, Victoria, H7822-1209, Casselden Place, 50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

  • Activity

    Pharmaceutical

  • Specific Activity

    Syringe

  • Classification

    Historical archaeology

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Archaeology - Historical

  • Type of item

    Object

  • Part Dimensions

    62 mm (Length), 17 mm (Width), 17 mm (Height), 17 mm (Outside Diameter)
    Dimensions of Plunger.

  • Part Dimensions

    40 mm (Length), 17 mm (Width), 16 mm (Height), 17 mm (Outside Diameter)
    Dimensions of largest tube component (made of two pieces adhered together with a rounded end with several small holes).

  • Part Dimensions

    33 mm (Length), 20 mm (Width), 16 mm (Height)
    Dimensions of second largest tubular piece constructed from two sherds adhered together. The diameter of the this tube is significantly larger than the other adhered tubular pieces.

  • Part Dimensions

    30 mm (Length), 15 mm (Width), 13 mm (Height)
    Dimensions of third largest piece constructed from two sherds adhered together.

  • Part Dimensions

    11 mm (Length), 5 mm (Width), 3 mm (Height)
    Dimensions of solid nearly cylindrical piece - possibly a fragment of the plunger.

  • Keywords

    Making History - Little Lonsdale Street