First Ether Charts

First Ether Charts

Ether

Anesthesia, Inhalation

Chart

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, respiration, and temperature while under anesthetic enabling a surgeon to quickly deduce the patient’s condition.

Cushing, Harvey , 1869–1939

Codman, E. A. (Ernest Amory), 1869-1940

1894, November 9

Access to the original work depicted requires advance notice. Contact Public Services at chm@hms.harvard.edu for additional information

physical object

Anesthesia Charts of 1895 with Explanatory Notes, chart 12. H MS b59.2, Harvard Medical Library collection, Center for the History of Medicine in the Francis A. Countway Library, Harvard University