"Which came first, teaspoon or medicine spoon?"

Happy New Year!  I would like to resume the blog with some items that don't fit anywhere else, but are enrichments to the idea of early Methodist medical care.

(Symons, Jean.  "A duchess, a physician and a spoon" (London: Royal College of Physicians, web address below), accessed 7 December 2012.)

"In 1979 a silver spoon with the inscription ‘Gift of the Dutchess of Queensberry to Lady Carbery’ was discovered at auction by Cecil Symons, a physician, cardiologist and collector of medical artefacts. Described as a ‘medicine spoon’, Cecil was intrigued to find out its origins. Why was it presented to Lady Carbery? Was it for medicine or tea? His investigation led to an eccentric duchess, who was a great beauty and literary patron with a passion for potions and dressing like a milk maid.

"The silver spoon was made around 1755 by Paul Callard in London, and is now part of the Symons Collection at the Royal College of Physicians (RCP)."  Thus begins the article I am going to refer you to today, entitled, "A duchess, a physician, and a spoon."  You can find this fascinating investigation of teaspoon versus measuring medicine spoon at

http://old.rcplondon.ac.uk/history-heritage/Collections/Museum/Symons-Collection/Documents/A_duchess_a_physician_and_a_spoon.pdf