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Uclan find unexpected medical 'treasure trove' at back of cupboard

Uclan Karen Colton and the items she found at UclanUclan
The items were found at the back of a storage cupboard by clinical skills technician Karen Colton

A "fascinating" collection of medical devices, books and records has been discovered in a university cupboard.

The University of Central Lancashire (Uclan) said the "treasure trove" documented treatment from the early 20th Century onwards.

It was found in a School of Nursing building that only opened in 1998, so staff had no idea how it came to be stored there.

The university has asked anyone who may know to get in touch.

The items, which included a pair of Tudor Edwards Spectacles that were used to administer oxygen until the 1950s and an acrylic hip joint from around the same period, were found at the back of a storage cupboard by Karen Colton, a clinical skills technician.

Uclan Tudor Edwards SpectaclesUclan
The discovery included a pair of Tudor Edwards Spectacles, which were used to administer oxygen until the 1950s
Uclan Set of syringesUclan
The university said there were now plans to display some of the items in the building where they were found

A metal syringe kit and steriliser from the 1960s was also found along with a premature baby feeder, a ceramic inhaler, a device for measuring eye pressure from the early 1900s and a variety of medical books.

Ms Colton said she was surprised to make the discovery during a routine clear-out.

"I just thought, what on earth is this?" she said.

"Everything was hidden in crates at the back of a cupboard and it took me a few moments to realise what I was looking at."

She said it had been "absolutely fascinating to see how medical equipment and our attitudes to illness and treatment has changed over time".

"What struck me the most is the change in how we sterilised and reused medical equipment compared to single use plastic in modern medicine."

Uclan acrylic hip jointUclan
The items, which included an acrylic hip joint, were an "exciting find", the nursing school's head said
Uclan X-tonometerUclan
Among the items found was an X-tonometer, which was used to measure eye pressure

The discovery also included handwritten explanations of the modules studied by trainee nurses from Blackpool Victoria Hospital as far back as 1932.

The school's head Andrew Melling said it was "a really exciting find", which reflected Uclan's "long-standing relationship with the nursing profession in the region".

"The way we teach nursing has of course moved on... and we're now able to teach in an immersive way in classrooms that simulate the environment our future nurses will be working in," he said.

"However... the fundamentals of nursing are still the same and allowing students to gain practical experience was clearly the focus of nurse education all those years ago."

A university representative said the reports and records had been transferred to Uclan's archives "to be retained for historical significance" and there were plans "to showcase some of the medical equipment in a display cabinet" in the building in which it was found.

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