In most of his travels to find medical artefacts for his collection, Cecil Symons was accompanied by his wife Jean. As well as the historical significance attaching to an object, many were bought 'because we liked them'. The first, an apothecary jar, was found in Chartres in 1957. In 1973, through a pharmacist friend, Henry Brocksom, a silver 'top-hat' stethoscope was acquired. However, plans to collect silver stethoscopes were soon abandoned; there were no others. Medical items that made up the early collection included a castor oil spoon with a bottle of castor oil, a wooden stethoscope, a lancet case, an iron double-ended spoon (which turned out to be a kitchen utensil), a cupping set, a tongue scraper (later identified as part of a Stilton cheese scoop), treen cases containing medicine glasses and syringes, and a pap-boat. A bleeding bowl, calibrated for volume, had been used by Henry Brocksom as an ash tray.
The development of the medicine spoon in the Georgian era and particularly whether it preceded the teaspoon - or vice versa - was of particular interest. In 1979 a spoon came up for auction inscribed: 'Gift of the Dutchess of Queensberry to Lady Carbery'. Why did she give a spoon in a shagreen case? Was it for medicine or tea? She was known to have a deep interest in potions, tissanes and balsamic draughts and to have made them for her friends. A dose of medicine became known as 'a teaspoonful' and it is interesting that that the modern 5ml plastic medicine measure has exactly the same capacity as the duchess's gift of 1755.
Antique markets throughout England and France provided good sources of medical artefacts - especially as dealers had not at that time realised their value - as did antique and junk shops as far apart as America and Australia.
Holidays and conferences provided opportunities to visit medical museums - the Medical School and Musée de L'Assistance Publique in Paris, Hospice de Beaune, Hôtel-Dieu de Lyons, the Semmelweis Museum in Budapest, museums in Vienna and Padua, and old hospitals in Piacenza, Sienna, Florence, Angers and Bruges. English, Scottish and Welsh country houses also contain items of medical interest which helped Cecil and Jean Symons to identify objects in shops and markets that might otherwise have been overlooked.
Elisabeth Bennion, author of Antique Medical Instruments, published in 1979, was of great help in tracking down objects - indeed, many could not have been procured without her. Later, she also helped Jean Symons sort the collection and compile the catalogue.