Historical information

In Australia, the wholesale druggists Fenton, Grimwade and Company, established in 1876, were producing small quantities of oxygen for medical and industrial purposes(11,11). In 1910, they produced a booklet promoting the therapeutic use of oxygen, suggesting it's use in pulmonary and cardiac affections, asphyxia, and morphine poisoning(9). Eventually, oxygen was to play a more significant role in medicine following two significant events. In 1895, Karl Von Linde succeeded in liquefying air, and then fractionally distilling its individual components, including oxygen. This new technique for the production of oxygen from air was revolutionary, but large demand for it did not develop in the wider community until Claude and Hess managed to compress acetylene into cylinders safely in 1897, keeping the highly explosive fuel stable by dissolving it in acetone. By 1900, the oxy-acetylene welding technique was born, and the demand for oxygen for industrial purposes accelerated worldwide. In Australia, Russell Grimwade, working for his father's company, ordered the first oxygen plant to be built in Australia in 1910. (George Kantianis, 2013)

Physical description

Medium sized black coloured cylinder with rounded base once containing oxygen with a large black on white diamond shaped manufacturer's label adhered to the front. Much of the label has been degraded with missing bits, and rust stains.

Inscriptions & markings

Printed on to manufacturer's label: OFFICIALLY PREPARED FOR MED? / AUSTOX [in logo] / COMPRESSED / OXYGEN / CONTENTS / 33 [handwritten in pencil] Imperial Gallons / KEEP COOL / Australiand Oxygen and Industrial ? / Pty. Ltd. / MELBOURNE