Description

A good cased example of an Esmarch military anesthesia kit for use with chloroform. The set contains a mask, chloroform dripping bottle and tongue forceps. All elements are original to the kit. The last couple of inches of the strap that keeps the case closed has been restored–see last image. 

The Wood Library site notes regarding kits of this type:

“German surgeon Friedrich von Esmarch (1823-1908) introduced this inhaler in 1877. Cloth was stretched over the wire frame, providing a large surface for evaporation.  Chloroform was dripped onto the cloth until the latter became saturated. More chloroform could be added as the agent evaporated.  At the same time, the frame keeps the soaked cloth from touching the patient’s face, preventing skin irritation.  Packed together with a chloroform flask, gauze and a pair of scissors in a leather case with a shoulder strap, this was intended for use on the battlefield.   Esmarch kits are believed to have been used by German military forces as late as World War II.  The Esmarch mask was also popular for civilian use around the world, and was available in U. S. catalogs as late as the 1950s.  Just as this was developed from an earlier invention, many later masks were modifications of the Esmarch.  The most famous of these was the Schimmelbusch Mask.”