British WW I surgical needles

[thecyclist64]

Hi everybody. Not my usual area of collecting, but for the sum of a £1 investment, I thought I would buy this 6 pack of surgical needles, unissued from WW I. The dealer bought a job lot of these from his trip to France a few yers ago. Interesting to see the hygiene standards of the day when they expected the surgeon to re-use the needles and keep them greased inbetween patients. I haven't taken them out of the packet as it is a bit too fragile, but they are there in a gease proof wrapping. The red wax-like substance on the front of the packet is a deteriorated elastic band that held a number of packages together and has now fused solid with the packaging.