These syringe prototypes were designed and made by Timaru veterinarian and inventor Colin Murdoch. He had invented the plastic disposable syringe as a way to stop cross-infection which increased after the introduction of antibiotics. Unfortunately the New Zealand Health Department thought the concept was ‘too futuristic’ and patients would refuse to be injected with anything contained in plastic. Multinational drug companies picked up on the idea soon after Murdoch’s patents appeared in international gazettes, and he did not have the resources to challenge them.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Private collection
by Colin Murdoch
This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.