88/36/1-4

Boots Drug Co. Ltd. (Manufacturer)

This is a box of Boots Hexoestrol caponiser for poultry, containing a plated syringe, a tube of 100 Hexoestral hormone tablets and an instruction sheet. The tablets consist of 15mg of Hexoestral, a veterinary medicine containing female hormones which is implanted under the skin of male chickens to make them grow faster and become more docile. The top of the box is inscribed, 'BOOTS // IMPLANTATION INSTRUMENT // FOR CHEMICAL CAPONISATION OF POULTRY // For use with HEXOESTROL Implantation Tablets // 15mg strength // VETERINARY CHEMISTS // NOTTINGHAM ENGLAND'. The box and its contents are part of the Lucas Collection of objects and documents donated to the Museum by Mr Lucas, a farmer and dairyman from Reading, Berkshire.

1 chemical caponising kit consisting of: 1 box; 1 syringe; 1 tube of 100 Hexoestral tablets: good condition.

MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Institute of Agricultural History) – 'Standard museum name: CAPONISER // Accession number: 88/36/1-4 // Classification: LIVESTOCK Poultry // LIVESTOCK Veterinary // Negative number: 60/15476 // Acquisition method: GIFT // Acquired from, date: H. B. LUCAS, [...], 10 June 1988 // Store: small object // Condition: good // Recorder, date: JMB 3.3.89 // Description: This consists of a box which contains a plated syringe, a tube of 100 Hexoestral tablets and an instruction sheet. // Inscription on box: BOOTS IMPLANTATION INSTRUMENT // FOR CHEMICAL CAPONISATION OF POULTRY // Dimensions: Box: 12.5 x 7.0cm Syringe: 12.0cm long. // Associated information: Inscription on tablets: HEXOESTROL 15mgm Veterinary // Compressed injections for caponising poultry by subcutaneous implantation. // Implantation of Hexoestral causing a feminising action and the birds become capon-like. They grow faster & are more docile. A heavier carcase helps obtain maximum economic results from sales of poultry meat. // References:', MERL Miscellaneous note, Greta Bertram, 19 February 2014 – The Lucas Collection contains objects (88/23–88/43) and documents (D90/8/1–21) donated by Mr H. B. Lucas, a farmer and dairyman. Mr Lucas kept chickens, cows and pigs on his smallholding in Whitley Wood Road, Reading, and retired in 1971. The Lucas family farmed in a small way at Lane End Farm in Shinfield, Reading, from the end of the nineteenth century. Mr Lucas’ grandfather built Lane End House, and brought threshing machines to Berkshire, and his uncle was a threshing tackle contractor with premises opposite the farm. The objects in the Collection were used by Mr Lucas on his smallholding and in conjunction with his dairy business. The documents (now in the MERL Archives) consist of show catalogues for poultry and fancier's associations, prize certificates for eggs and poultry, record cards for egg production and newspaper cuttings about shows., A copy of the instructions accompanying the caponiser is included in the object file.

Nottingham

Paper, Metal