Anaesthesia for Tonsillectomy

	South Australian Medical Heritage Society Inc Website for the Virtual Museum
Home Coming meetings Past meetings About the Society Galleries of the Virtual Museum Main Galleries Medicine Surgery Anaesthesia X-rays Hospitals,other organisations Individuals of note Small Galleries Dentistry Nursing Ethnic medicine - Aboriginal - Chinese - Mediterran	Anaesthesia for Tonsillectomy Acknowledgment : The illustrated items have been kindly photographed by the owner, Dr. Richard Bowering. Tonsillectomy like circumcision has been subject to much debate. Both have been practiced for more that 2,000 years, the latter often associated with religious practice, while the former was performed because of infection and airway obstruction. Both procedures have become less common today and their use is often questioned. Tonsillectomy was reported from India in 400 BC. Before anaesthesia it was usually performed with a specially designed guillotine or even by finger enucleation. With the advent of Ethyl Chloride and Ether as anaesthetic agents in the late 19^th century its frequency increased remarkably. The benefit of the procedure became doubtful in the 1950s when it was noted that children who had been on the waiting list for long periods of time lost their symptoms. However in the mid 20^th century it was the most common surgical procedure in children. The anaesthetics used were Ethyl Chloride and Ether. There was a special mouth gag to provide access and the tonsil was freed by blunt and occasionally sharp dissection. Its pedicle was then severed by a snare. Haemorrhage was the most common complication. The anaesthesia was very basic. After mild sedation plus an atropine injection, a gauze mask was placed over the patient’s mouth and nose and Ethyl Chloride was squirted onto the mask. Once the second stage of anaesthesia was reached Ether was used for maintenance. The procedure was simple and commonly performed by general practitioners. Steel mask covered with a gauze swab. Ether and ethyl chloride bottles Note dropper on brown ether bottle, & spray lever on clear ethyl chloride bottle Rubber airway used for tonsillectomy Snare used to sever the tonsillar base Self retaining retractor for tonsillectomy, fits tongue and upper teeth. -o0o-

South Australian Medical Heritage Society Inc

Website for the Virtual Museum

Home
Coming meetings
Past meetings
About the Society

Galleries of the Virtual Museum

Main Galleries

Medicine
Surgery
Anaesthesia
X-rays
Hospitals,other organisations
Individuals of note

Small Galleries

Dentistry
Nursing

Ethnic medicine
     - Aboriginal
     - Chinese
     - Mediterran

Anaesthesia for Tonsillectomy

Acknowledgment : The illustrated items have been kindly photographed by the owner, Dr. Richard Bowering.

Tonsillectomy like circumcision has been subject to much debate. Both have been practiced for more that 2,000 years, the latter often associated with religious practice, while the former was performed because of infection and airway obstruction. Both procedures have become less common today and their use is often questioned.

Tonsillectomy was reported from India in 400 BC. Before anaesthesia it was usually performed with a specially designed guillotine or even by finger enucleation. With the advent of Ethyl Chloride and Ether as anaesthetic agents in the late 19^th century its frequency increased remarkably.

The benefit of the procedure became doubtful in the 1950s when it was noted that children who had been on the waiting list for long periods of time lost their symptoms. However in the mid 20^th century it was the most common surgical procedure in children.

The anaesthetics used were Ethyl Chloride and Ether. There was a special mouth gag to provide access and the tonsil was freed by blunt and occasionally sharp dissection. Its pedicle was then severed by a snare. Haemorrhage was the most common complication. The anaesthesia was very basic. After mild sedation plus an atropine injection, a gauze mask was placed over the patient’s mouth and nose and Ethyl Chloride was squirted onto the mask. Once the second stage of anaesthesia was reached Ether was used for maintenance. The procedure was simple and commonly performed by general practitioners.

Steel mask covered with a gauze swab. Ether and ethyl chloride bottles

Note dropper on brown ether bottle, & spray lever on clear ethyl chloride bottle

Rubber airway used for tonsillectomy

Snare used to sever
the tonsillar base

Self retaining retractor for tonsillectomy, fits tongue and upper teeth.

-o0o-