Glass ampoule of liquid chloroform, Paris, France, 1845-1945
Chloroform was used as an anaesthetic from the late 1840s until the 1950s. Liquid chloroform was dropped on to a face mask or vaporised and inhaled by the patient through a face mask. The chloroform was prepared by a Parisian pharmacist, A Vicario. Once the potentially toxic nature of this anaesthetic had become apparent, it was used far more cautiously. The vial was owned by Sir James Cantlie (1851-1926), a surgeon and medical administrator whose prestigious career included a leading role in setting up the London School of Tropical Medicine and the provision and training of ambulance services during the First World War.
Related Themes and Topics
There are 539 related objects. View all related objects
A sealed glass or plastic capsule containing one dose of a drug in the form of a sterile solution for injection.
An agent that causes insensitivity to pain. Applied to either the whole body (general anaesthetic) or a particular area or region (local anaesthetic).
A liquid formerly used as a general anaesthetic although no longer used for this purpose as it causes liver damage and affects the heart rate. It is now used in low concentration to treat flatulence.