Browse Items (4196 total)

Oral history interview of Dr. Vivian Pinn, conducted by Arlene McDonald in five sessions between 2023 April 11 and 2023 May 17 (total running time 4H34M07S). Dr. Pinn recounts her upbringing in segregated Lynchburg, Virginia; her mother’s death; her…

Written contributions from members of the Harvard Medical School Class of 1958 reflecting on their medical education and life experiences on the occasion of their 65th reunion year. Contributions were solicited and gathered by project organizers…

Oral history interview with Bruce Smith, conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Archivist, Heather Mumford, over Zoom on November 16, 2021.

Bruce Smith served initially as the Director of Community Programs (1989 – 1995). In…

Oral history interview with Julia McCatty Collymore, RN, NP retired, conducted by Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) Archivist, Catherine Pate, and Sasha Dubois MSN, RN, NEA-BC at the BWH on May 10, 2023.

Julia McCatty was the first Black person…

"The finding aid for the Louis T. Wright papers underwent a significant revision in 2023 as a product of collection re-processing. This is a copy of the now-deprecated finding aid that is being maintained for transparency around the descriptive…

Oral history interview of Dr. Deborah German, conducted by Arlene Macdonald in five sessions between 2022 May 11and 2022 June 10 (total running time 5H54M11S). Dr. German describes her upbringing in an Italian American Catholic family, her…

One of Lucien E. Morris' illustrations for his "Anesthesia Apparatus" filed with his US patent application in 1953. Patent number US2890696 was approved in 1959 for what became known as the Copper Kettle vaporizer.

Henry E. G. Boyle, OBE, FRCS, DA (1875-1941) introduced this anesthesia machine in 1917. It was a modification of the American-made Gwathmey-Woolsey apparatus. It was so successful that it remained in production for fifty years. It could administer…

Instructor teaching how to give a spinal anesthetic, Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, 1974.

The LMA (Laryngeal Mask Airway) was first introduced in 1988. It is an airway device designed to rest upon the vocal cords rather than passing through, presenting less risk of vocal cord damage.

A modern example of a cuffed endotracheal tube. A cuff is inflated in the patient’s airway through the small side tube. Once inflated it helps to prevent aspiration and blocks air from flowing around the tube.

In 1941, Dr. Francis J. Murphy (1900-1972), had some new design ideas for the simple endotracheal tube. He described both straight and curved tubes with holes on the side that act as emergency vents should the primary end opening become clogged. This…

James G. Poe, MD (1873-1935) designed this 5 inch long oral airway for use during operations as a prop to hold the mouth open. The center channel allows the passage of air. The two openings on the sides were for tubes used to introduce anesthetic…

Figure 33 from Obstetrical Anesthesia, Its Priciples and Practice, Bert B. Hershenson, MD demonstrates the first step in intubating a newborn—placement of the laryngoscope.

Figure 23 from Obstetrical Anesthesia, Its Priciples and Practice by Bert B. Hershenson, MD demonstrates the proper placement of an endotracheal tube.

This example is an early improvement to the Miller designed straight-bladed laryngoscope. Richard Foregger’s version included a collapsible blade. His idea was granted a patent in 1942.

The blade of this laryngoscope is detachable from the body by a quick screw fitting into a threaded recess in the body allowing fast blade size changes. This example includes a 150mm blade (large adult) and a 120mm blade (adult medium).

Commercial product derived from an invention by James Philip, ME, MD

Brigham and Women’s hospital anesthesiologist and bioengineer, James Philip, ME, MD, invented and developed the resistance monitoring infusion pump. Flow into an IV was varied a small amount and the resulting pressure change was measured to determine…

Brigham and Women’s Hospital anesthesiologist and bioengineer, James Philip, ME, MD, and Daniel Raemer Ph.D., developed the first bolus plus infusion pump for intravenous drug administration with the Baxter-Bard InfusOR Syringe Pump. This device…

Within anesthesia machines, delivery of the anesthetic to the patient’s airway is the job of the “breathing system” which incorporates a mask or a tracheal tube. Dr. Ralph Waters (1883–1979) introduced this simple device in 1923 designed to prevent…

A standard vaporizer on the popular Kinet-O-Meter anesthesia machines created by the Ohio Chemical and Manufacturing company from the 1930s through the 1960s, the Ohio No. 8 vaporizer improved the Boyle Bottle by adding a control dial for pushing the…

In the late 1940s Lucien Morris' design, called the "Copper Kettle" was the first vaporizer to deliver a precise concentration of any volatile vapor to the patient. By using copper, a good heat conductor, it maintained near-constant temperature, and…

This variable bypass vaporizer was the first to allow the anesthetist to directly set the percentage of anesthetic agent with a dial. The British Cyprane Company produced the Fluotec® vaporizer (commercial name Fluothane®) in the late 1950s to be…

Henry Boyle devised a portable anesthesia machine in 1917 incorporating the “Boyle Bottle” for vaporizing any liquid anesthetic. A glass bottle was used as a vaporizing chamber.

Anesthesia vaporizers were designed to help provide accurate amounts of anesthetic gas to the patient. Clockwise: Ohio No. 8 Vaporizer, circa 1940s; Copper Kettle Vaporizer, circa 1950s; Fluothane® Vaporizer, circa 1950s; and Boyle Bottle, circa…

Jess Bernard Weiss, MD (1917-2007), Anesthesiologist-in-Chief at BWH predecessor institution, Boston Lying-in Hospital/Boston Hospital for Women, from 1961 to 1981, improved the epidural needle, circa 1961, by adding wings which allowed the…

Jess Bernard Weiss (1917-2007) was the Anesthesiologist-in-Chief at Brigham and Women's Hospital predecessor institution, Boston Lying-in Hospital/Boston Hospital for Women, from 1961 to 1981, and was vice chairman of the Department of Anesthesia at…

Title page of the December 18, 1954 Journal of the American Medical Association article by Robert D. Dripps, M.D and Leroy D. Vandam, M.D. "Long-Term Follow-up of Patients Who Received 10,098 Spinal Anesthetics. Failure To Discover Major Neurological…

A 1927 Becton Dickinson Catalog, pages 30 and 31, with images and a list of needles for sale.

This gold lumbar puncture needle was framed and given as a memento to Leroy Vandam by AB Stearns around 1972. Why a gold needle? Dr. Vandam referred to gold as “anti-infection.” The Becton Dickinson Catalog of 1927 shows gold versions of their…

Peter Bent Brigham Hospital Surgery with Mildred Codding drawing and ether anesthesia being delivered using the drop method, circa 1930s.

Edward Robinson Squibb developed a method for the distillation of ether and founded a company in 1858 to sell his eponymous product for surgical anesthesia. The drop ether method was widely used when anesthesia machines were unavailable. Ether was…

As a medical student Harvey Cushing, along with classmate, Ernst Amory Codman, resolved to improve the technique for giving ether and created the first known ether charts, (back of one chart reproduced here) carefully recording patient pulse,…

As a medical student Harvey Cushing, along with classmate, Ernst Amory Codman, resolved to improve the technique for giving ether and created the first known ether charts, (front of one chart reproduced here) carefully recording patient pulse,…

An article about the use of an anesthesia technique used in childbirth called "Twilight Sleep," published in the Boston Sunday Post, March 6, 1915.

Page 126 from A Treatise on Etherization in Childbirth, by Walter Channing, MD, depicting a design for an ether delivery devise. Dr. Channing was Professor of Midwifery and Medical Jurisprudence and Dean of the Faculty at Harvard Medical College. In…

First page of A Treatise on Etherization in Childbirth, by Walter Channing, MD. Dr. Channing was Professor of Midwifery and Medical Jurisprudence and Dean of the Faculty at Harvard Medical College. In 1832, he became a founder and chief physician of…

Gertrude Gerrard, RN, nurse anesthetist, (seated) in the operating room with Dr. Foley, Peter Bent Brigham Hospital circa 1920. (Note the Connell Anaesthetometer, next to Gerrard.)

Nursing school graduation photograph of Gertrude Gerrard, RN, Gerrard was Chief Anesthetist at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital from 1919 to1947. In the first half of the 20th century the administration of anesthetics was largely entrusted to…

The title page from A Treatise on Etherization in Childbirth, by Walter Channing, MD. Dr. Channing was Professor of Midwifery and Medical Jurisprudence and Dean of the Faculty at Harvard Medical College. In 1832, he became a founder and chief…

A wire frame with a muslin cover is placed over the patient's face; drops of chloroform are being administered onto the cover. The wire frame without cover is shown on the left.

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. Masks like these were covered with a gauze cloth, then…

An 8' x 10' painting by Robert Hinckley depicting the first operation under ether which took place on October 19, 1846 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. William Morton demonstrated the anesthetic properties of ether during a surgery…

19th century, Italian etching (possibly a reprint of an 18th century original). A dentist prepares his patient for a “painless” extraction with the help of a club in this comic illustration.

Poster for "Painless" an exhibit of objects and images from the history of anesthesiology curated by Brigham and Women's Hospital Archivist, Catherine Pate, originally produced for the Brigham Education Institute in 2018–2019.

The background image…

Inner view of room size respirator in the basement of Infant's Hospital. Arranged so that nurses had direct access to patients, 1932.

Outer view of room size respirator in the basement of Infant's Hospital. Capacity: 5 patients 1932

"The Story of the Iron Lung" was one story published in The Treasure Chest of Fun & Fact, Vol. 7, No. 13, a Catholic comic book published by George A. Pflaum of Dayton, Ohio which provided inspirational stories to Catholic parochial school…

This is the first respirator ever made for clinical use being tested on the roof of the Harvard School of Public Health in 1928. It was utilized for the first time on October 12, 1928 at Children’s Hospital, Boston to successfully restore breathing…

Photograph of the Emerson Respirator in Use, 1946

This is the first respirator ever made for clinical use being tested on the roof of the Harvard School of Public Health in 1928. It was utilized for the first time on October 12, 1928 at Children’s Hospital, Boston to successfully restore breathing…

May 27, 1927: After Phillip Drinker’s and Louis Shaw’s successful laboratory and animal experimentation using positive and negative pressure to produce artificial respiration, Dr. Drinker tested the concept on himself on the roof of the Harvard…

May 27, 1927: After Phillip Drinker’s and Louis Shaw’s successful laboratory and animal experimentation using positive and negative pressure to produce artificial respiration, Dr. Drinker tested the concept on himself on the roof of the Harvard…

May 27, 1927: After Phillip Drinker’s and Louis Shaw’s successful laboratory and animal experimentation using positive and negative pressure to produce artificial respiration, Dr. Drinker tested the concept on himself on the roof of the Harvard…

The original “iron lung” respirator was designed by Phillip Drinker with Louis Agassiz Shaw at the Harvard School of Public Health. Its first clinical use occurred on October 12, 1928 at the Boston Children’s Hospital. The subject was an…

The objects inside this kit indicate that the original owner was probably an obstetrician who may have been a practitioner of Dämmerschlaf or “Twilight Sleep.” A combination of morphine, to mitigate pain, and scopolamine to cause amnesia, was given…

Amputation saw found in rectangular wooden amputation kit. Top area of kit contains one large ivory-handled amputation saw with vertical slots in blade and textured handle, fastened to inside lid of box by two metal swinging tabs.

Modified Schimmelbusch (style 1889) ether/chloroform mask. 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…

Two piece glass ether inhaler. The body has a narrow globe with two external valves, one for atmospheric air and one for mouthpiece. Mouth piece is glass with a shaped iron fitting that sets into globe.

Brass wedge spirometer on rectangular platform base. Spirometer attaches to base via metal pole. This spirometer was used by filling the rectangular basin with water and having the patient blow through the attached tube. The top piece moved up and…

Laennec type cylindrical stethoscope is made of two parts fitted together. Third part, screw-on wooden tube is missing. The stethoscope is assembled with the chest plug protruding from the funnel shaped chest end of the stethoscope.

Denison’s type of stethoscope. The ear pieces are made of dark brown wood (?) which lead into flexible woven tubes and a large chest piece. Originally this type of stethoscope comes with three interchangeable chest pieces for hearing different types…

Flexible monaural stethoscope, having a metal chest piece at one end and very short, straight earpiece at the other. The tube consist of two components - metal and textile sleeves.

May 27, 1927: After Phillip Drinker’s and Louis Shaw’s successful laboratory and animal experimentation using positive and negative pressure to produce artificial respiration, Dr. Drinker tested the concept on himself on the roof of the Harvard…

This teaching stethoscope has one chest piece and two sets of binaural joined together to allow two people to listen simultaneously.

Figures 2 and 3 from "Clinical Studies of the Respiration, IV. The Vital Capacity of the Lungs and Its Relation to Dyspnea" in the September 1917 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, by F. W. Peabody and J.A. Wentworh, show spirometers in use.

Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laënnec (1781–1826) was a French physician who invented the stethoscope in 1816. This illustration of his design for a monaural stethoscope is from his book about auscultation, called De l'auscultation médiate.

Poster for "Breathe" an exhibit of objects and images from the history of pulmonary medicine curated by Brigham and Women's Hospital Archivist, Catherine Pate, originally produced for the Brigham Education Institute in 2018. The background image of…

The finding aid for the Clemens E. Benda papers underwent a significant revision in January 2022 to bring the archival description into alignment with the Center's updated Guidelines for Inclusive and Conscientious Description. This is a copy of the…

The finding aid for the John E. Hoopes papers underwent a significant revision in 2021 to bring the archival description into alignment with the Center's Guidelines for Inclusive and Conscientious Description. This is a copy of the now-deprecated…

Oral history interview of Dr. Warren Zapol, conducted by his daughter, Liza Zapol, in 8 sessions between December 2015 and February 2017 (total running time 10h28m47s). Dr. Zapol discusses his family and personal background, including his childhood…

Semi-spherical viscaloid cup. There is a tag with the item with "Viscaloid Cup" handwritten in black ink.

Small flanged nail used in orthopedic operations. The flanged nail was devised to bring about absolute fixation in all directions and displace a minimum amount of bone

Small flanged nail used in orthopedic operations. The flanged nail was devised to bring about absolute fixation in all directions and displace a minimum amount of bone.

Small flanged nail used in orthopedic operations. The flanged nail was devised to bring about absolute fixation in all directions and displace a minimum amount of bone.

Small flanged nail used in orthopedic operations. The flanged nail was devised to bring about absolute fixation in all directions and displace a minimum amount of bone.

Small round metal reamer with a narrow long stem. There is a round metal label with "#11a Rabbit Reamer" handwritten in black ink.

Small size cup type instrument with a narrow long stem. There is a round metal label with "#11b Rabbit Cup Reamer" handwritten in black ink.

Metal instrument with two holes on the tip. It has a round metal label marked with "Hip Nail Impactor."

Small metal tool with a concave rectangular end. There is a round metal label with "15 Nail Starter" handwritten in black ink.

Metal instrument with a thin flat end and thick handle

Metal gouge with thin rectangular trough and thick handle. There is a round metal label with "Trough Gouge" handwritten in black ink.

Metal handle for surgical hand drill. There is a round metal label with "#10 Brace" handwritten in black ink.

Metal mallet with thick handle. There is a round metal label with "#9 Mallet" handwritten in black ink.

Semi-spherical horizontal metal reamer with a toothed edge. There is a round metal label with "#1 Cup Reamer" handwritten in black ink.

Metal hip gouge with a hooked end and flat tip. There is a round metal label with "Hip Gouge" handwritten in black ink.

Metal hip gouge with convex rectangular tip. There is a round metal label with "Arthroplasty Gouge" handwritten in black ink.

Semi-spherical vitallium mold. There is a rectangular red and white label with "12e Vitallium Cup" handwritten in black ink.

Semi-spherical viscaloid mold. There is a rectangular red and white label with "12c Red Viscaloid Cup" handwritten in black ink.

Semi-spherical stainless steel mold

Semi-spherical stainless steel mold. There is a red and white label with "12d Stainless Shape Cup" handwritten in black ink.

Semi-spherical glass mold. There is a rectangular red and white label with "12a Glass Cup" handwritten in black ink.

Metal semi-spherical reamer with a toothed edge. There is a round metal label with "Cup Reamer" handwritten in black ink.

Metal reamer with a ridged circular base. There is a round metal label with "Ball Reamer" handwritten in black ink.

Semi-spherical glass mold. There is a rectangular red and white label with "12b Pyrex cup" handwritten in black ink.