Morgan's inhaler for ether anaesthesia, Europe, c1880

John H Morgan (1847-1924), a surgeon, introduced his inhaler in the 1880s – one of a range of designs developed by individuals working in this field. An ether-soaked sponge was placed in the end of the cone and the vapours inhaled though the other end. The inlet in the top was used for fresh air, while other valves were used to remove the air that the patient breathed out and to keep the inhaler warm.

Morgan introduced his design to better control the dosage of the anaesthetic, and also to reduce the amount of ether vapour escaping into the room, thus preventing the anaesthetist and surgeon becoming drowsy.