Undated catalogue outlining all anaesthetic equipment available through A. Charles King Ltd.Brown cardboard covered book with white glossy pages, held together by a star clip.catalogue, anaesthetic, anaesthetic machine, anaesthetic device, anaesthetic apparatus, anaesthesia, medical history, medical device

Grey/brown hardcover book with cloth covering produced as a trade catalogue for surgical instruments and appliances, including anaesthetic equipment and apparatuscatalogue, surgical instrument, anaesthetic device, anaesthetic equipment, anaesthetic apparatus, anaesthesia, anaesthetic, surgery

Undated catalogue outlining anaesthetic apparatus designed and supplied by MIE (Medical and Industrial Equipment), London.Blue cardboard covered book with low sheen white pages. Bound using staples through the spine and star pins.catalogue, anaesthetic, anaesthetic apparatus, anaesthetic device, anaesthetic machine, anaesthetic equipment, anaesthesia, surgical equipment, surgery

Surgical and anaesthetic equipment catalogue from 1938Black bound book with gold leaf text on front cover and spine and white internal pages with blue printed text and illustrationsBook plate adhered to inside cover: SCIENTIA SAULTEM FERAMUS / SIR ANTHONY JEPHCOTT, BT. Handwritten in blue ink: J. Jephcott / NOV 1977catalogue, surgical equipment, anaesthetic equipment, anaesthetic apparatus, surgical apparatus, surgical device, anaesthetic device

General anaesthesia relaxes muscles around the airway which can result in the airway becoming obstructed. Holding the jaw open or keeping the tongue out of the way were crucial. Often, brutal devices were used to open the jaw or pull the tongue forward to clear the airway.Set of four chrome plated metal tongue depressors of different sizes. Each depressor has been engraved with a number (1 - 4). Numbers 2 - 4 also have a metal tube that could be used to administer anaesthesia simultaneously. Numbers 2 - 3 also have cross-hatched grooves in the depressor and all have finger grips engraved into the handles.boyle-davis, airway management

This pharyngeal airway was captured at Tripoli, Syria in 1941 during World War II. It was a piece of equipment at the Italica Gens hospital.Metal airway device consisting of eight curved strips of metal joined together at the top and bottom by a flattened circle of metal. There is an additional metal circle joining the eight strips of metal approximately one third from the top.lumbard, mayo, pharyngeal, world war ii, italian, tripoli, second world war

This is an example of an early airway management device for anaesthesia. Hollow curved metal tube with flat plate at one end and two tube coming out of it, one curved to the left, one curved to the right.Engraved by hand on curve of tube: POE'S / ASA 1940 Engraved by hand on flat plate: Wood Stamped into flat plate: REGGERairway, poe, american society of anesthesiologists

Methoxyflurane Hydrogenated ether (ether with one or more hydrogen atoms replaced with a halogen atom). It is a powerful analgesic although is also a respiratory depressant. The use of Penthrane foreshadowed the patient controlled analgesia devices.Empty brown glass bottle with green manufacturer's label, with white writing and a white plastic lid. Green liquid measures have been printed on the side of the bottle.White sticker stuck to manufacturer's label: Expiration Date / Feb. 1, 1976 / Lot 854-1663analgesia, hydrogenated ether, self administration, methoxyflurane, abbott laboratories, penthrane

The advent of anaesthesia posed immediate problems for the oral surgeons and dentists who were used to operating on awake patients with intact airway reflexes. Early anaesthetics were very light and often created an uncooperative patient. Dentists were quick to complain they had trouble opening the mouth quickly enough and dental props soon made an appearance. Gags and tongue depressors proliferated, all initially devised to improve surgical and anaesthetic access, not to protect the airway. Other instruments for opening the jaws included the somewhat fearsome devices known as mouth openers. Heister's mouth opener was incorporated in anaesthetic practice but was not designed for this purpose. Lorenz Heister (1983 - 1758) used his device for mouth inspection and for operations on the palate, tonsils and teeth in the pre-anaesthesia era. He was not impressed with the way it was used by others in his life time and believed that it overstretched the jaw when used inappropriately. Despite its apparent brutality, the Heister mouth gag was still advertised for sale in 1983 and its useful mechanism has been incorporated into modern surgical retractors. This Heister heavy patterned mouth opener was acquired from an Italian Army medical unit at Tobruk in 1941 and donated to the museum in 1946.Scissor-like metal device with a screw mechanism at the top which allows for the open or closed position to be locked.heister, lorenz, mouth opener, gag, heavy patterned

The Bird ventilator Mark 7 is driven by medical compressed air or oxygen. It is not suited for anaesthesia unless using a special anaesthesia assistor controller attachment, which is essentially a “bag in a bottle” device.Apparatus attached to four castor stand with attached white wall connecting tubing.anaesthesia attachment, bag in a bottle

Sir Frederic W. Hewitt (1857-1916), an accomplished and well respected English anesthesiologist, was an expert in the function and use of the Clover Ether Inhaler. In 1901, Hewitt described his modification of the Clover Inhaler. Often referred to as the Hewitt Wide-Bore Inhaler, Dr. Hewitt introduced changes in order to make it easier to breathe through the device and improve the ventilation of oxygen and carbon dioxide. In 1901, Hewitt was recruited to anesthetize King Edward VII for emergency abdominal surgery. This was just a day or so before the new King was to be coronated. He recovered well, and Hewitt became the first anesthesiologist ever to be knighted. (Source: Wood Library Museum)Tall black round topped box with brass hooks at the sides and brass hinges at rear. There is a brown fabric handle on the top. The box has red padding inside the lid and red lining inside the base and sides. There is a round section in the base of the box for holding the round clear glass bottle for ether. There is also a ellipse-shaped metal inhaler on small metal base with a thin metal handle and pipe with bakelite plug attached via a small metal chain. A brown mask is made of brown leather and celluloid which is connected to the inhaler. There is a metal ether measure for pouring the ether.On notecard in box: (B) HEWITT'S INHALER 1895, MADE BY GEO. BARTH & CO LTD., ADVERTISED AS THE SOLE MAKERS OF THE INHALER AND RECOGNISED BY HEWITT IN HIS TEXT BOOK - ANAESTHETICS AND THEIR ADMINISTRATION - AS THE MAKER OF HIS INHALER. / GIVEN BY DR. E.S. HOLLOWAY IN 1951, WHO ACQUIRED MUCH OF HOWARD JONES' EQUIPMENT AFTER THE LATTER'S DEATH. Stamped on underside of glass bottle in a circle: WUBW [illegible] Blue sticker on inhaler: O.2.13. Printed on inhaler under handle: Geo Barth [illegible] / SOL [illegible] Printed on body of inhaler: Full Printed on body of inhaler: 1/2 Printed on inside of leather mask: F35hewitt, sir frederic, jones, howard, inhaler, geo. barth & co. ltd., ether

This device was designed by W E Collison for self administration of oxygen therapy, particularly in the home. By his own description "It presents none of the tiresome and irksome features associated with medical apparatus and is readily understood by patients." Registration number: 772839 and 785517 Patent number: 415437Metal tubing designed to attach to an oxygen cylinder which leads to a number of gauges and continues on to a metal head which holds two glass bulbs. Glass bulb on left is amber in colour and the glass bulb on the right is clear.Both bulbs have residue on the inside. Between the bulbs is a connecter that leads to red rubber tubing that is fluted toward the end.collison, oxygen therapy, inhaler

Mechanical resuscitation devices, such as the Pulmotor and Lungmotor, were popular in the early part of the twentieth century. Their use waned in the 1920s as significant bodies like the British Medical Research Council and American Red Cross refused to endorse them. The most popular of the resuscitators to emerge in the 1930s was the E&J (Ericson and Johnson) resuscitator. The device was soon widely available, vigorously promoted with support from many medical practitioners. They were soon to be found in hospitals, emergency services like the ambulance and fire brigade, and voluntary life-saving organisations. In Australia, Norman James, director of anaesthesia at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, developed an interest in equipment for ambulances and the resuscitation of drowning victims. Little in the way of practical, portable equipment was available to either the ambulances or the voluntary life-saving organisations, such as Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA); American resuscitators, like the E&J, were expensive and bulky to import. James designed a simple portable resuscitation device for local use after being approached by Jack Conabere, secretary of the Elwood Life Saving Club (ELSC). The resulting Royal Melbourne Hospital resuscitator, or the R.M. resuscitator as it was marketed, was a simpler, manual version of those available overseas. It was gas driven with a plunger, marked “Press”, and a safety valve. The small working unit attached directly to the facemask. Once the patient was positioned facedown and the airway cleared of debris, the mask was placed firmly over the face. The plunger allowed gas to flow and lung inflation; releasing the plunger allowed expiration. This simple resuscitator was marketed by Commonwealth Industrial Gases (CIG) and became very popular in Australia with volunteer and professional rescue organisations. It represents one of the many innovations in resuscitation equipment that resulted from cooperation between volunteer life savers and medical practitioners. Norman James worked closely with Jack Conabere and the Government Pathologist to develop the equipment. ELSC was the first life saving club to use the resuscitator on the beach. While conducting an early training exercise on 23 December 1951, they used it to successfully resuscitate a man who had drowned after capsizing his home made yacht. The R.M. resuscitator was also used in more inventive ways. At Fairfield Hospital in Melbourne, a group of physiotherapists and doctors did some innovative work with polio patients, teaching them glossopharyngeal (or “frog”) breathing, as a means of becoming less dependent on ventilators. In 1981, the Australian Standards Association stated that the RM head failed to meet its revised standards and it was withdrawn from the market. Red leather suitcase with black leather trim with metal studs. There are clip locks for locking the suitcase in the closed position. The suitcase contains equipment for oxygen resuscitation. There is a space allocated for two oxygen cylinders, however there are no cylinders present.Embossed into metal plaque: The C.I.G. / Oxy-viva / PORTABLE UNIVERSAL OXYGEN RESUSCITATORresuscitation, portable, surf life saving australia, royal melbourne hospital, rm resuscitator

They sphygmograph was devised as an improved device to measure blood pressure, and was a marked improvement on the first machine of its type. The sphygmomanometer was considered cumbersome and the Dudgeon sphygmograph was smaller, and once placed into its box, could be carried in a pocket. The Dudgeon sphygmograph was introduced in 1881. It was strapped tot he wrist with a metal strip that moved a stylus. This transmitted a record of the pulse onto smoked paper, creating a record of blood pressure.The sphygmograph is housed in a purple-lined, leather bound case with a metal hinge and clasp located halfway up the case. It is constructed from chrome and comprises several moving parts including wires, knobs and handles. A black fabric strap with a metal attachment is also present, used to attach to the patient's wrist.blood pressure, dudgeon, pocket-sized, portable

Between 1867 and 1920, anaesthesia for dental operations was often maintained by blowing the vapour of ether or chloroform into the patients' oral or nasal pharynx. Junker's inhalers are a "blow over" device used with a hand-held bellows to bubble air through liquid chloroform and to the patient. It was initially intended for use with bichloride of methylene, a mixture of chloroform and methyl alcohol. Ferdinand Ethelbert Junker introduced his inhaler in 1867 as appointed physician to Samaritan Free Hospital for Women (although it didn't have that name until c.1904). Glass jar with liquid measure markers etched onto. The jar has a metal lid, with a metal tube descending into the jar. Two metal tubes are protuding out of the top of the lid, and each has a small section of rubber tubing attached. There is also a metal hook, used to attached the jar to the physicians (anaesthetist's) lapel.Stamped into frame of metal lid: LONDON MADEjunker, blow over, chloroform, samaritan free hospital for women

The Schimmelbusch mask is an open breathing system for delivering an anesthetic. The device was invented by Curt Schimmelbusch in 1889, and was used until the 1950s (though it is still applied in some developing countries). The device consists of a wire frame which is covered with several beds of gauze and applied to the patient's face over the mouth and nose. Then high-volatility anesthetic (usually diethyl ether or halothane, and historically chloroform) is dripped on it, allowing the patient to inhale a mix of the evaporated anesthetic and air. The device is designed to prevent the anesthetic from coming in contact with the patient's skin, where it can cause irritation.This model differs from the others in that the mask's handle is attached to the mask, as opposed to the spring. The chloroform cloth was possibly held in place by the clamp, instead of a spring. Schimmelbusch anasthetic mask, made of Stainless steel. This mask was used with chloroform cloth. Missing spring. Martin and Co.surgery, anesthetic, chloroform, surgical instrument

Worldwide, more than 100 million lambs are castrated, and their tails are docked each year. Numnuts is a technological innovation to improve animal welfare. It combines traditions with innovation. In the mid-1990s it was scientifically shown that the immense pain felt during castration and tail docking could be significantly reduced with the use of anaesthetic. For the next 15 years, the industry said the cost the welfare devices and development were too high. But todays ethical consumer has demanded that sheep have no more pain. Initiated in Glasgow in 2009, Numnuts took nearly a decade to develop. Here you can see five stages of development, from an early prototype to the Numnuts device farmers use today. Each phase of development took years of on-farm trails to achieve the final product. Today there is even NumOcaine, an approved local anaesthetic used by Numnuts. Using the simple elastrator ring and adding an anaesthetic injector, Numnuts delivers pain relief during tail docking and castration. In the world’s first rubber ring applicator with a pain relief delivery mechanism. Through innovation and consumer pressure the wool industry is going through a moment of rapid change.Four prototype numnuts tools made from white plastic and stainless steel, each in varying stages of production. FInalised version made with black, orange and clear plastics.8097.2 - Mk4 8097.3 - Numnuts Tool V7; 20 10 0 8097.4 - On label - Numnuts NumOcaine 100ml 65 proceeduressheep, tools, castration, innovation, docking

Worldwide, more than 100 million lambs are castrated, and their tails are docked each year. Numnuts is a technological innovation to improve animal welfare. It combines traditions with innovation. In the mid-1990s it was scientifically shown that the immense pain felt during castration and tail docking could be significantly reduced with the use of anaesthetic. For the next 15 years, the industry said the cost the welfare devices and development were too high. But todays ethical consumer has demanded that sheep have no more pain. Initiated in Glasgow in 2009, Numnuts took nearly a decade to develop. Here you can see five stages of development, from an early prototype to the Numnuts device farmers use today. Each phase of development took years of on-farm trails to achieve the final product. Today there is even NumOcaine, an approved local anaesthetic used by Numnuts. Using the simple elastrator ring and adding an anaesthetic injector, Numnuts delivers pain relief during tail docking and castration. In the world’s first rubber ring applicator with a pain relief delivery mechanism. Through innovation and consumer pressure the wool industry is going through a moment of rapid change.8098.1 - Numnuts tool made with stainless steel and black, orange and grey plastic. 8098.2 - Glass bottle with orange and grey plastic nozzle containing water for injection. 8098.3 - Yellow plastic case containing 12 stainless steel needles 8098.4 - 10 green plastic elastrator rings 8098.5 - Product cardboard box with the product image on the front8097.2 - on label - For animal treatment only WATER FOR INJECTION 100mL 8097.3 - On case - numnuts 12x Veterinary Hypodermic Needles On needdles - 18G 8097.5 - Numnuts targeted pain relief for tail docking and castrationnumnuts, tools, sheep, castration, docking

In 1896 Robert James Probyn-Williams was appointed first honorary anaesthetist to the London Hospital and joined a select band of fulltime anaesthetists (26) in Great Britain. The Probyn Williams inhaler was a further modification of the Clover inhaler with narrow airways and rebreathing.Ovoid shaped metal ether inhaler device with a dark brown leather fask mask attached.Moulded into inhaler: MAYER & MELTZER / LONDONanaesthetic, anaesthesiology, medical history, ether, inhaler, probyn williams

Dr. Allen De Vilbiss (1841-1917) of Toledo, Ohio, developed his first atomiser around 1887. This device was designed to allow for dissolving cocaine, as a local anaesthetic agent, in oil, and spraying into the nose and throat. In the early to mid 20th Century, The DeVilbiss Company began making perfume atomisers instead of medical ones. Red, heavy cardboard box with manufacturer's label at one end, containing a glass bottle with metal spray attachment, and a khaki rubber bulb for pumping liquid through the atomiser.Stamped into top of metal atomiser: DE VILBISS TOLEDO USAatomiser, local anaesthetic

The advent of anaesthesia posed immediate problems for the oral surgeons and dentists who were used to operating on awake patients with intact airway reflexes. Early anaesthetics were very light and often created an uncooperative patient. Dentists were quick to complain they had trouble opening the mouth quickly enough and dental props soon made an appearance. Gags and tongue depressors proliferated, all initially devised to improve surgical and anaesthetic access, not to protect the airway. Other instruments for opening the jaws included the somewhat fearsome devices known as mouth openers. Heister's mouth opener was incorporated in anaesthetic practice but was not designed for this purpose. Lorenz Heister (1983 - 1758) used his device for mouth inspection and for operations on the palate, tonsils and teeth in the pre-anaesthesia era. He was not impressed with the way it was used by others in his life time and believed that it overstretched the jaw when used inappropriately. Despite its apparent brutality, the Heister mouth gag was still advertised for sale in 1983 and its useful mechanism has been incorporated into modern surgical retractors.Steel cork-screw shaped object with a twist top handle which will force the two arms apart. Each arm has ribbing toward the end to create friction when inserted in the mouth.Stamped into the twist top handle: MAYER & MELTZERheister, mouth gag, mouth opener