General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

Clover's Portable Regulating Ether Inhaler

Patents

N/A

General Description

Metal

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

N/A

Width

N/A

Height

10.4 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

9.3 cm

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Medical Technology

Category

Chemicals & medications

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Down

Country

England

State/Province

Unknown

City

London

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

Part of a collection of medical technologies donated to the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation by the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society. This object was on display as part ‘An Exhibit on Inhalers and Vaporizers, 1847-1968’ at CAS’s Annual Meeting in Ottawa in 2003.

Function

Used for the administration of ether by inhalation for anaesthesia.

Technical

“Dr. Joseph Clover (1825-1882), an English physician, first described his Portable Regulating Ether Inhaler on Jan. 20, 1877. Clover was an especially sought after anesthesiologist and early pioneer in the specialty. This was the best-known of many inhalers that Clover designed. The dome-shaped reservoir was turned to points on a control dial to gradually increase or decrease the percentage of the air that passed over the ether. Several inventors based new inhalers on this, while the original continued to be manufactured as late as the beginning of the Second World War.” (ref.3) “In Clover’s Inhaler, ether was placed in the chamber, which could be warmed by water and by hand. His first inhaler included one “whistle-tip” tube inside another; when the indicator was at “Full” all the respired air passed into the ether chamber, and when the tips were in alignment the patient breathed only air. In a later model, a single tube fitted with ports and a baffle passed through the center of the chamber, allowing air to pass through with rotation of the tube. Clover claimed advantages in the absence of valves, ability to supply ether gradually, and rapid onset of anesthesia.” (red.2)

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

'DOWN BROS. MAKERS LONDON"/ Around base: "1 2 3 F 3 2 1"

Missing

Missing mask and bag

Finish

Bright silver-coloured metal

Decoration

N/A