Needles & Glass Syringes!

If the diet was bad. The injections were much worse for me a five-year-old child. The hypodermic needles were a lot bigger than those generally used today (31G & 4mm) for diabetes. They were of a larger thickness or gauge 27G to 25G & much longer ¾" to 1" (19.05mm to 25.4mm). I can remember an even bigger needle but this was only used for drawing up insulin from the vial. You had to use your needles until they became blunt, then they had to be sharpened on a whetstone. If they became blocked there was a fine wire to clean them out. They could last up to 3 months or more.

Hypodermic Needles 

Note: The fine wire for cleaning out debris

I have used various makes of glass insulin syringes over the years, Everett, Record, Boots etc. These old glass insulin syringes came in 2 sizes 1ml & 2ml dependant on your insulin needs. The insulin syringe had marks on them denoting the amount of insulin drawn. Originally, insulin was in 3 strengths U20, U40 & U80 units per cc (single, double & quadruple). So, 1 mark equalled either 1, 2 or 4 units on the syringe dependant on the strength. If you had recently changed to a stronger insulin great care had to be taken when drawing up doses in case you took too much insulin by accident. The syringes & needles had to be sterile, so they would be boiled between use. 

1 & 2ml Everett Glass Insulin Syringes

Later, plastic or metal cases could be purchased, in which you placed your syringe with the needle fitted into industrial methylated spirit which would kill the germs for you. It also made carrying around your kit much easier. Incidentally tried using surgical spirit but additives in it caused the plunger to seize up. 

Metal & Plastic Syringe Carry Cases with Syringes

I was scared of injecting myself & I didn't do it for many years, so my parents purchased a Palmer Injector, which was a gun shaped device. They thought wrongly that it might help. So, I practiced by using it to inject oranges! All went well but the very first time that I used it on my thigh the syringe flew off the carriage, which was supposed to keep it in place. Leaving me still holding the empty gun with the needle imbedded in my leg with the syringe limply hanging down. I never, ever used it again. An extremely unpleasant device, which still makes me shudder to think of it today.

Palmer Injector with Syringe fitted

In a recent video chat with Paul Sandells* @DiabeticDadUK I demonstrated the injection gun & the syringe flew off the carriage exactly as it did back in the fifties.  Press Button for link.