Clear glass bottle for chloroform, United States, 1862-1863
- Made:
- 1862-1863 in United States
Bottle, clear glass, empty, for spirit of chloroform, USA, 1862-1863
The label suggests this clear glass-stoppered bottle contained spirit of chloroform. Chloroform was first used in the United Kingdom as an anaesthetic in 1847 by Scottish obstetrician James Young Simpson. It gradually began to replace ether, which could cause vomiting and lung problems. However, this trend was reversed when the potentially fatal toxicity of chloroform became apparent. Vapours of chloroform were inhaled from a face mask or a chloroform-soaked sponge in an inhaler.
The bottle was originally owned by J A Reid, a chemist in Dumfriesshire, Scotland.
Details
- Category:
- Medical Glass-ware
- Collection:
- Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
- Object Number:
- A633829
- Materials:
- bottle, glass, clear
- Measurements:
-
overall: 210 mm 77 mm, .47kg
- type:
- shop round
- credit:
- Bell, W.