
Copy of Morton's inhaler for ether anaesthesia, first used 16 October 1846, possibly English, 1870-1920
The first recorded use of ether as an anaesthetic was in October 1846, during an operation to remove a tooth. The dentist was William Thomas Green Morton (1819-1868). This is a copy of the inhaler Morton used in his public demonstration, which took place in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The air is drawn into the glass jar where ether-soaked sponges emit vapour which is inhaled by the patient through the glass mouthpiece at the top. The patient’s expired air is diverted by a valve in the mouthpiece. This type of inhaler was widely used and adapted by a large number of dentists. The original is on show at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
On display
Science Museum: Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries
If you are visiting to see this object, please contact us in advance to make sure that it will be on display.
Related people
Details
- Category:
- Anaesthesiology
- Object Number:
- A625379
- Materials:
- brass (copper, zinc alloy), complete, glass and sponge
- type:
- inhaler
- taxonomy:
-
- furnishing and equipment
- tools & equipment
- credit:
- Massachusetts General Hospital
Cite this page
Rights
We encourage the use and reuse of our collection data.
Data in the title, made, maker and details fields are released under Creative Commons Zero
Descriptions and all other text content are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence
Download
Download catalogue entry as json
View manifest in IIIF viewer
Add to Animal Crossing Art Generator
Download manifest IIIF
Our records are constantly being enhanced and improved, but please note that we cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information shown on this website.