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Old Englanders' Refinements
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Although Americans pioneered the use of ether, their efforts were largely a sponge or towel affair. The English developed most of the early sophisticated ether and chloroform inhalers.
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John Snow Portrait
Courtesy of The Asclepiad. ©1994, The Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology
This is a copy of a portrait of John Snow, "the first specialist anaesthetist in the world." He administered chloroform to Queen Victoria for the birth of her eighth child, Prince Leopold. Snow later investigated chloroform mortalities. Describing the Broad Street water pump as a point-source for a cholera outbreak in London, Snow is also recognized as the Father of Epidemiology.

1887

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Snow Mark II Ether Vaporizer
Courtesy of the ASA & Dr. RK Calverley. ©1994, The Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology
Purchased in 1979 for 540 pounds sterling from London antique dealer Simon Kay, this "Snow's Modified Ether Vaporizer" was pictured in the 19 Mar 1847 London Medical Gazette. Dr. Richard Ellis has catalogued this as a Snow Mark II Ether Vaporizer. More information on this elegant device may be found in Dr. Rod Calverley's article on pages 91-99 of the Proceedings of TISHA.

1847

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Smee Portable Ether Inhaler
Courtesy of Dr. George SL Bause. ©1994, The Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology
Patented 5 Mar 1847, this "Portable Ether Inhaler" was manufactured by Salt and Son's. This inhaler was purchased from antique dealer Alex Peck.

1847

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Clover Ether Inhalers
Courtesy of Anonymous. ©1994, The Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology
Joseph T Clover cited these advantages for his inhaler: 1) valveless, 2) quiet breathing due to gradual vapor supply, 3) sleep within 2 minutes, 4) no intraoperative ether refilling, 5) speedier recovery, 6) warming not required, 7) spongeless & feltless, and 8) residual ether salvaged for next patient. The left model was manufactured by S Maw & Son; the right, by George Barth Co.

1877

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Hewitt Ether Inhaler
Courtesy of Dr. Thomas J Collier. ©1994, The Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology
Sir Frederick Hewitt administered ether to King Edward VII in 1902. His inhaler's advantages over Clover's included: 1) larger internal diameters, 2) rotating central tubes, 3) intra-operative ether refilling, 4) smaller water chamber, & 5) face piece screw-secured to reservoir. On the right is Australian EH Embley's ether measure from Geoffrey Kaye.

1891

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Harcourt Chloroform Inhaler
Courtesy of Anonymous. ©1994, The Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology
A physical chemist at Christchurch College, Oxford, AE Vernon Harcourt claimed this complicated inhaler would deliver 2% chloroform maximum in air. The central stopcock controlled the fraction of air entrained through both sidearms. Glass floaters shifted with temperature fluctuations. Harcourt's effort provided hope in preventing deaths from chloroform.

1903

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