Macewan-type endotracheal tubes, United Kingdom, 1871-1900
William Macewan (1848-1924), a Glasgow surgeon, invented this type of endotracheal tube. He was the first person to use an endotracheal tube to give a patient anaesthetic, in 1878. A tube was placed in the larynx to give the patient a dose of chloroform. These examples are made from steel and brass. They range in length from 210 mm to 80 mm for patients of all sizes.
Glossary: endotracheal tube
A flexible tube inserted nasally, orally, or through a tracheotomy into the trachea to provide an airway
An organ in the neck of mammals involved in protection of the trachea (windpipe) and sound production.
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.