Arnold, Francis

Description

How do you know you are running a temperature? Do you feel hot or do you feel cold? There are many ways to determine body temperature. A hand placed on the forehead can indicate someone is hot or "feverish." For a more accurate measurement of someone's temperature, you need a clinical thermometer. Mouth,axilla (armpit), ear, and rectal are some of the different types of clinical thermometers.Clinical thermometers for measuring body temperature were introduced in the 17th century. But, they did not become an integral part of the physician's armamentarium until after the American Civil War.Early clinical thermometers were thin tubes of glass containing mercury, mounted to a rectangular piece of ivory or wood. The calibration, or graduated scale, was engraved into the mount.This axilla thermometer was sold by Francis Arnold, of Baltimore, Maryland. Arnold was listed as a surgical instrument maker on South Sharp Street in the Baltimore City Directory from 1845 to 1874.

Record Contributed By

National Museum of American History

Record Harvested From

Smithsonian Institution