These three beauties are nasal irrigation devices. I’ll let your imagination do the rest. And, for goodness knows why, I happen to have quite a few of these.

Back in the mid to late 19th century, French ex-pat astronomical artist, Etienne Leopold Trouvelot, created these pastel drawings from his observations of planets and galactic occurrences. Years ago there was a fantastic exhibition showcasing his work at the Science, Business and Industry branch of the NY Public Library. Sadly, Trouvelot is known less for his artistic abilities and more for his earlier endeavors in entomology…gone very very wrong. We actually have him to thank for the scourge of Gypsy Moths in this country.

Lately, in a fledgling effort to lighten the burden of owning things I don’t actually use, I have been unpacking boxes of vintage ephemera. Metalite Teeth…case in point. I have managed to collect an embarrassing array of useless, but absolutely wonderful (to me, anyway), medical tools, drawing supplies and other strange and fascinating objects. Stay tuned. I will then be giving them away.

The top two images are of French mouse traps. The second one is from the US. And the last ones are Swedish. Wondering how each of these reflects their respective national character. I love the French, but honestly, I’m a little scared of that double guillotine model. Let them eat cake!

If one were to look at the dysfunction in our healthcare system through the lens of design, one could safely say that we are in deep deep trouble. I went to visit a close friend in the hospital this weekend, and I was aghast at all the cords and clip and tangles. There was absolutely no attention paid to aesthetics, much less usability, neither of which are insignificant or shallow, especially when one is ill or injured. My husband said it best: Hospitals aren’t designed for patients. They are designed for practitioners. I’m not even sure that is true.