Collectibles Series
Many nurses who honor and cherish our profession's history acquire artifacts and ephemera from nursing's past. These items often provide glimpses into long ago nurses or illuminate the practice of an earlier age.
Feature Exhibit: Invalid Feeders
Do you know what this object is?
This is an "invalid feeder" which was often found in many homes late in the 19th into the 20th century. They were used to facilitate the feeding of invalids. A liquid or semi-soft food was placed in the feeder and the spout was then placed in the person's mouth. In the movie "The English Patient" the use of a feeder was shown in a brief flashback.
Today these feeders are considered collectible artifacts and can be found in antique stores.
The prices vary with the quality: plain white ones, such as the one above, may cost as little as $12. Feeders of excellent quality, such as fine translucent china or flow blue designs, are more expensive. The feeder below, designed like a duck, was probably used for a child.
The American Collectors of Infant Feeders (ACIF) considers invalid feeders a "go-with" or related item. Their website which feature several wonderful collections of feeders as well as some history of the different feeders.
American Collectors of Infant Feeders
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