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Dr. Víctor Cónill Serra's equipment
A member of a distinguished lineage of gynaecologists,
Dr. Víctor Cónill Serra’s family donation
includes an important array of surgical instrumental used
in his private practice, as well as of other objects related
to the learning of human anatomy. Among the donated instruments,
we want to highlight the electric device for mother’s
milk extraction that illustrates this section. Far from the
easy-to-use devices currently used, the size and, above all,
a weight of just over 10 Kg, made the Vacuolact Maxni an uncomfortable
instrument. Placed in its production and use context, early
in the 1970s, this milk extractor tells us about a technology
linked to women’s breaking into the labour market and
the consequent drop of direct breast-feeding. Far form hired
breast-feeding, distinctive of well-off classes between the
17th and 19th centuries, current behaviour patterns have allowed
a technological development to ease and balance mother’s
milk extraction with the continuation of women’s working
life.
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