Prick!!

It was the only title I could think of that was catchy enough! (At least for my standards. lol) I know, I know! My sense of humor sucks! Hahaha. Anyway, I just wanted to write about syringes. Hey! I know its a lame topic! But imagine there is no other topic so universal that all medical technologists, students, practicing ones, retires ones, non-practicing ones could relate too. We could add in all nurses, doctors, almost all healthcare students and professionals as my target audience here.

<sigh...I wish that would translate to traffic here>

This is one of the glass syringes and reusable hypodermic needles that are still kept in storage at our laboratory. No, we do not use it anymore. Lol! It is a remnant of a past. But these old and outdated products are the foundations where the new technologies we use now are built upon.


The word syringe comes from the Greek word "syrinx" which meant "tube". It is a device that has been in use since the ancient times for various uses. The ancient Romans used syringes made of metal for irrigating nasal passages! Talk about nasty! Syringes in the olden days were large and bulky equipment and were used mainly for irrigating body orifices! Enema anyone?


The development of the modern syringe came about during the mid 1800s when various physicians made modifications to the syringe to make it a tool of greater precision and utility for the medical profession. While Dr. Alexander Wood is considered as the Father of the Modern Syringe, many had also contributed such as Dr. Francis Rynd of Ireland who devised a syringe which he used to cure trigeminal neuralgia (He injected meds to the supraorbital nerve! Aruy!) Around 1953, Dr. CG Pravaz of France developed a syringe which he used to inject anticoagulants to patients with aneurysyms. 


If the automotive industry had Henry Ford bring cars to the masses, M.W. Becton and F.S. 
Dickinson brought the syringes to every corner of the world! Sounds familiar? Of course, these men were the founders of the Becton and Dickinson Company. 

www.bd.com

In 1897, BD manufactured all glass syringes that were practical and easy to use. Even in the early days of BD in the 1900s, the company was actively engaged in research and development. They developed the luer lock, the pyrex glass syringe and the first mass produced disposable syringe.


The syringe has a colossal impact influence on healthcare. A world WITHOUT SYRINGES is unimaginable!


I am a healthcare professional and the syringe is my WEAPON! My weapon of HEALING!