Glass ampoule of liquid chloroform
Brown glass ampoule of chloroform, made by A Vicario, Paris, France, 1854-1945
- Materials:
- ampoule, glass , ampoule, paper, label and box, paper
- Object Number:
- A56873/1
- type:
- ampoule
Brown glass ampoule of chloroform with cardboard box, made by A Vicario, Paris, France, 1854-1945
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.
Brown glass ampoule of chloroform, made by A Vicario, Paris, France, 1854-1945
Cardboard box for glass ampoule of chloroform, made by A Vicario, Paris, France, 1854-1945