Kidney dish

Design

Reusable kidney dishes are usually made of stainless steel. During the first half of the 20th century, kidney dishes were commonly made of enamelled iron.

Bessie Blount invented a disposable kidney dish. It was a kidney-shaped disposable cardboard dish made out of flour, water, and newspaper that was baked until the material was hard.

Disposable molded pulp kidney dishes have been replacing reusable kidney dishes because single-use products can decrease cross-communication of pathogens. Each year, more than 100 million pulp kidney dishes are used in hospital or family care.

Uses

Contrary to its name, emesis basins are not usually used for vomiting, as the depth, size, and sloping walls all contribute to spilling or splashing the vomit rather than catching it. For this purpose, a plastic bag or wash basin is often preferred, especially by ambulance crews who may need to receive the vomit while driving rapidly, and then hand it over for analysis.

Emesis basins are suited for more controlled situations. When washing out a small wound, for example, sometimes the wash water is applied from above with an emesis basin held underneath to catch the runoff. The concave inner rim helps to conform to the curve of the body.

References

References

1. "Seven kidney dishes, 1900-1950 | Science Museum Group Collection".
2. Mary Bellis. "Biography of Bessie Blount, American Inventor".
3. (2008). "Inventors and inventions.". Marshall Cavendish.