Junker-type inhaler for anaesthesia

Made:
1867-1880 in London
maker:
Krohne and Sesemann
Junker's inhaler for bichloride of methylene or chloroform

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Junker's inhaler for bichloride of methylene or chloroform
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Junker's inhaler for bichloride of methylene or chloroform anaesthesia, cased, early type, by Krohne and Sesemann, London, 1867-1880

Ferdinand Ethelbert Junker (1828-1901) (sometimes spelt Ferdinand Adalbert Juncker) invented this type of inhaler in 1867. It was to be used with bichloride of methylene or chloroform as the anaesthetic. A graduated bottle of liquid anaesthetic in a leather case that hung from the anaesthetist’s lapel was connected to a hand pump, which was used to push air into the bottle. The vapour this created passed along rubber tubing to a face mask. This ‘blow over’ or ‘bubble through’ technique became one of the most popular for giving anaesthetics. It could be used to regulate the dosage easily but care had to be taken when connecting for use – if incorrectly put together the patient could swallow liquid chloroform.

Details

Category:
Anaesthesiology
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A625382
Materials:
case, wood, velvet, lined, cloth, leatherette, facemask, vulcanite, bottle, glass, metal, leather, tubing, rubber and pump, rubber
Measurements:
overall: 190 mm x 280 mm x 220 mm, .35kg
type:
inhaler
credit:
Pearse, W.H.