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History of Science Museum

Gowers-type Haemocytometer, by Hawksley, London, c. 1875-1900

Inventory Number 61640


Acknowledgement: © History of Science Museum, University of Oxford, inv.61640

Item type
Object
Makers
Hawksley
Provenance
Deposited by the Royal Microscopical Society with their collection. Presented by C H N Bennett, 1967
Primary inscriptions
"DEPTH / 2/10MM / LINES / 1/10 x 1/20MM" one side of circle of frosted glass, and "GOWER / HAWKSLEY LONDON" on the other
Physical material
Copper alloy
Paint
Glass
Dimensions
Height: 21mm Width: 85mm Depth: 28mm Weight: 58g
Inventory No
61640

Description

A glass plate mounted on black painted copper alloy  with pivoting copper alloy  clips to hold down cover slips.  The glass plate has a sunken circle of frosted glass and within that is a finely etched grid of channels.

A haemocytometer is used for measuring the number of corpuscles in a quantity of blood. Samples are  placed on the glass and examined under the microscope.  This design is attributed to the neurologist Sir William Richard Gowers (1845-1915).