Ether and Chloroform
Morton Style Ether Inhaler, circa 1847
The first, successful public demonstration of surgical anesthesia occurred on October 16, 1846 at the Massachusetts General Hospital. William T. G. Morton, a dentist, was given the opportunity by surgeon John Collins Warren to prove that the gas Morton called “Letheon” [ether] would prevent pain during an operation to remove a patient’s neck tumor. Morton had been successfully using it to painlessly extract teeth. He designed a flask and sponge device for delivery of the gas to the patient. Warren, skeptical before the operation, was quoted after saying, “Gentlemen, this is no humbug.” News of the success of the technique spread rapidly around the world during the following year and many new designs for the delivery of ether evolved. This inhaler is very similar to the original Morton design.
For the full story, and controversy, surrounding the discovery of ether, see the Center for the History of Medicine’s companion exhibit, “Strange Magic of the Enchanted Goblet."
Ether/Chloroform Masks, circa 1890s
Masks like these were covered with a gauze cloth, then placed over the patient’s mouth and nose, while drops of either chloroform or ether were applied to the cloth until the patient became insensible. Both chloroform and ether were in widespread use by 1847. Chloroform was popular because it lacked the bad smell and flammability of ether, but because it was a more dangerous anesthetic, it required a greater skill level to administer.
Left: Modified Schimmelbusch (style 1889) ether/chloroform mask. Note the trough edge designed to catch excess anesthetic and keep it from irritating the patient’s face, and the ring clamp which kept the cloth tightly in place.
Right: Modified Esmarch (style 1877) ether/chloroform mask, Masque de Demarquey, by French manufacturer Mathieu. The folding frame was intended to make the mask adjustable over diverse facial anatomy.