Face mask with container for liquid anaesthesia

Face mask with container for liquid anaesthesia, possibly ether or chloroform, by Arnold and Sons, 35 & 36 West Smithfield, London, England, 1866-1900.

A flannel cloth stretched over a wire frame would have slotted into this box-like face-piece. Inside the cylindrical metal container, which has a measuring scale, is a glass tube for containing liquid ether or chloroform. The patient would breathe in the vapours of anaesthetic prior to surgery.

Arnold and Sons were a family owned business of surgical and medical equipment. Their location in Smithfield, next to some of London's oldest hospitals, including St Bartholomew's, meant surgeons and doctors could ask for modifications to existing devices. This face mask has not appeared in any of their trade catalogues so it was likely a bespoke made piece.