Black and white photograph depicting a labour ward in a hospital, with two men in business suits standing on the left of the photograph next to an nitrous oxide machine. A woman patient is lying in a hospital bed on the right, wearing a hospital gown and holding the mouth-piece of the apparatus to her face. The two men are looking down at the equipment and the man on the left, Dr Kevin McCaul, is pointing at the patient, demonstrating the use of the demand flow nitrous oxide/oxygen apparatus. A lamp is above the bed and there are curtains behind the men on the left.•Handwritten on reverse in grey pencil: 1 [in a circle] •Printed stamp in blue ink on reverse: 51 4776 / PHOTOGRAPHED BY SPECIALIZED / PHOTOGRAPHIC / COMPANY PTY. LTD. / REF. No .................... 240 CHAPEL STREET / TAKE ........................ PRAHRAN, VICT., S1 / PHONE 51 4776 / 51 1752 •Handwritten in black ink on reverse: 4874 [next to REF. No] / D [next to TAKE]nitrous oxide apparatus, demand flow apparatus, kevin mccaul, anaesthetic equipment

Dr. Joseph Clover (1825-1882), an English physician, first described his Portable Regulating Ether Inhaler on Jan. 20, 1877. Clover was an especially sought after anesthesiologist and early pioneer in the specialty. This was the best-known of many inhalers that Clover designed. The dome-shaped reservoir was turned to points on a control dial to gradually increase or decrease the percentage of the air that passed over the ether. Several inventors based new inhalers on this, while the original continued to be manufactured as late as the beginning of WWII. (Source: Wood Library Museum)Black round topped box with brass hooks at front and brass hinges at rear. There is a black fabric handle on the top. Inside the box is black padding with the manufacturer's logo printed in gold leaf. There is a square section in the base of the box for holding the square clear glass bottle for ether. There is also a dome-shaped metal inhaler with a "whistle tip" type connection to the mask. The mask is made of tan leather. There is also a metal ether measure for pouring the ether.Printed in gold leaf inside lid of box: MAYER & MELTZER [?] PORTLAND ST. / MAKERS •Engraved on side of inhaler: Mayer & Meltzer / London •Stamped on connector of inhaler: MAYER & MELTZER RN NO 212327 •Engraved on rear of inhaler: Clover's Inhaler •Printed in white on blue sticker: O.2.5A •Measurements have been stamped on the bottom of the inhaler. •Printed in black ink on mask: MADE IN ENGLAND •Stamped on metal connector inside mask: 6 •Printed in black ink on white manufacturer's label on glass bottle: ETHER PURUS '720 / H. Francis & Co., Melbourne.clover, joseph, mollison, crawford henry, george bankin, mccaul, kevin, royal women's hospital, coroner, freemason, surgeon, gynaecologist, obstetrician, mayer & meltzer, francis & co, melbourne, ether purus