Reproduction of a Chisolm Inhaler, invented by Confederate surgeon Julian John Chisolm for the administration of chloroform to wounded soldiers. During the Civil War, chloroform slowly replaced ether as an incapacitating agent to subdue struggling and suffering patients. Traditionally, chloroform was administered to wounded soldiers by placing drops of the drug onto a cone-shaped cloth, which was then placed over the patient's nose and mouth. Not only did this method waste chloroform, as much of it evaporated into the air, but also it often left everyone in the operating room slightly affected by the drug. Dr. Chisolm's invention solved this issue with his inhaler, which confined the fluid to the patient alone.

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Picturing the War

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National Museum of Civil War Medicine

Image courtesy of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine Frederick, Maryland. For more information on using this image, contact Lori Eggleston at: Phone: (301) 695-1864, Ext. 1007, Email: collections@civilwarmed.org. Publication, commercial use, or reproducion of this image or accompanying data requires prior written permission from the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. Use of this image also requires that credit be given to the National Museum of Civil War Medicine Frederick, Maryland.