Sansom type chloroform inhaler

Sansom type portable chloroform inhaler, by W. Matthews, 8 Portugal Street, Lincoln's Inn, London, England, 1861-1870.

In 1865, Arthur Ernest Sansom (1839-1907), a physician at the London Hospital, described his modification of John Snow's chloroform anaesthetic inhaler. Instead of a water bath design to maintain a constant temperature, this example would have had gutta-purcha insulation and a much smaller cylinder tank. Sansom estimated that a patient would be under an anaesthetic within six minutes of using his device. Sansom and Snow worked together at the London Hospital and it is possible, they shared ideas and experiences.

Sansom wrote 'Chloroform: Its Action and Administration' in which he described his inhaler. Within his book he described chloroform's history, effects and risks and described a range of inhalers available.