This image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence
This image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence
This image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence
This image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence
This image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence
This image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London.
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London.
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London.
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London.
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London
Early inhaler for ether anaesthesia, ether bottle connected by tubing to face mask, by Weiss of London, 1847-1848
Ether was first used as an anaesthetic in 1846 during the removal of a tooth. The dentist was William Thomas Green Morton (1819-1868), an American. This inhaler is adapted from Morton’s original. Morton called his invention the ‘Letheon Inhaler’ to keep the anaesthetising agent, ether, a secret and to control who used it.
Ether-soaked sponges were placed in the glass jar. Flexible rubber tubing connected the valve to the face mask so the patient could inhale the ether. The outlet valve has a glass tube attached so more ether can be put on the sponges if needed.
On display
Science Museum: Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries
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Related people
Details
- Category:
- Anaesthesiology
- Materials:
- brass (copper, zinc alloy), cloth, complete, glass, metal, metal (unknown), rubber (unidentified), sponge, wood (unidentified)
- Measurements:
-
overall - as displayed: 265 mm x 315 mm x 185 mm, 85 mm, 1.14 kg
- Identifier:
- A625399
- type:
- inhaler
- taxonomy:
-
- furnishing and equipment
- tools & equipment
- credit:
- Loan, Wellcome Trust
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Rights
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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
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