Improved Apparatus to be Used for Inhaling or Injecting Medicinal Vapours, Gases, or Powders.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1886
Complete Left, 15th Sept., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 18th Oct., 1887.
RESERV
Improved Apparatus to be Used for Inhaling or Injecting Medicinal
Vapours, Gases, or Powders.
We THOMAS GREENISH, Pharmaceutical Chemist trading as Godfrey & Cooke of
30 Conduit Street Bond Street in the County of Middlesex, Chemists, and FREDERICK
HARRISON GLEW of the same place, Assistant to Messrs. Godfrey & Cooke, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In inhalers as at present constructed the vapour, gas or remedial agents employed
are passed through water for the purpose of washing the same.
This passage of the gas vapour or other form of remedial agent through water, in
some cases, causes a loss of material some remedial agents having a great affinity for
water which dissolves them and holds them in suspension or solution. Another
disadvantage is that the patient has to make greater efforts than would otherwise bo
necessary in order to draw the gas or vapour or remedial agent through the body of
water and the act of suction causes a gurgling noise in the inhaler which is disagree-
able to the patient. Another objection to the presence of a body of liquid in the
inhaler is the liability of its being spilled should the inhaler be placed on its side.
Now the object of our invention is to provide an inhaler which avoids the
disadvantages above enumerated and which can be used in any position.
In carrying our invention into practice we propose to employ a large mouthed
bottle or vessel of glass or other suitable material the mouth of which we close with a
suitable stopper or plug. In this stopper or plug we secure in any convenient
manner three or more tubes in two or more of which we place a porous material
saturated with the chemicals to be used in the formation of the remedial agent or the
remedial agents themselves to be inhaled one of the remaining tubes we use as a
suction tube.
The chemicals or remedial agents employed are absorbed by some porous material
such as cylinders of pumice or woven cords of asbestos, which, when charged, are
placed in their respective tubes, the sizes and lengths of the porous material being
adjusted so as to take up the requisite proportions of the chemicals necessary to form
the proper combination for inhalation.

page_text: To the suction tube we propose to attach a flexible tube and mouthpiece and its
lower end within the inhaler we form with an enlargement in which we place a piece
of dry, moistened or medicated sponge through which the remedial agents are drawn
by this means we secure a neutral gas or vapour for inhalation and avoid the gurgling
noise of the water and unnecessary fatigue to the patient.
A further advantage gained by our improved form of apparatus is that remedial
agents in the state of powder such as magnesia tannin and the like can be used.
When employing these agents, a piece of dry sponge must be placed in the suction
tube and the remedial agents may if desired be placed at the bottom of the inhaling
vessel, the draught of air caused by suction being in such case sufficient to stir up and
suspend them in the body of the inhaler. We thus secure their filtration through the
dry sponge and their subsequent passage into the suction tube for the purpose of
inhalation.
It has become a practice in the medical profession of late years to apply certain
remedial agents in the form of powder or medicated vapour to the car the nose or
other parts of the body. For this purpose our improved apparatus is specially
adapted, as by attaching an enema syringe or pump to our apparatus the medicated
vapour or powder can be injected or applied either to the surface or to any cavity of
the body where it may be required.
Dated this 20th day of December 1886.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus to be Used for Inhaling or Injecting Medicinal
Vapours, Gases, or Powders.
We THOMAS GREENISH Pharmaceutical Chemist trading as Godfrey & Cooke of
30 Conduit Street Bond Street in the County of Middlesex Chemists, and FREDERICK
HARRISON GLEW of the same place, Assistant to Messrs. Godfrey & Cooke, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed. to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The value of administering remedial agents by means of inhalation has of late years
been much appreciated by the medical profession, for by this means the curative
agents can be brought into direct contact with certain parts of the body which are
otherwise inaccessible to direct treatment.
Several forms of apparatus have been constructed to meet the requirements of this
method of treatment, and perhaps the most primitive of all is that known as Nelson's
and
inhaler, in which the volatile substance is placed in a vessel containing hot water,
the moist medicated vapour then inhaled.
This class of inhaler is simple, and there are several forms of it, but all so designed
that a warm, moist vapour is produced, and means for it to become charged with
volatile substances are provided. In other forms of inhaler, the same object is effected
by causing the atmospheric air to pass over or through the volatile substance itself, or
through porous bodies charged with the same.
In the above mentioned forms, however, the substances themselves, either simple or
compound, to be inhaled, are placed within the apparatus, and inhaled without
change; but in some cases it is necessary to so construct the apparatus' that
compounds may be formed direct from their constituent parts, the act of chemical
combination taking place within the inhaler itself immediately before it is used, as,
for example, in the case of the production of chloride of ammonium.
Chloride of ammonium is easily formed by simply allowing the vapours of ammonia
and hydrochloric acid to mingle together, a white smoke resulting from the chemical
combination of the two vapours.
This white smoke consists of particles of chloride of ammonium in a minute state of
division and mechanically suspended, and is very different chemically, physically, and
also in its therapeutic effects, from either aminonia or hydrochloric acid (the two
substances from which it is formed) separately.
It is found very difficult practically to measure out these two vapours with such
exactness that there shall be found an absolutely neutral chloride of ammonium, and
to prevent any excess of the one vapour over the other, which excess, however small,
is highly objectionable when this remedial agent is used medicinally.
As this is found so difficult to accomplish, the expedient is resorted to (in every
form of inhaler up to the present time constructed), of removing any excess of either

page_text: the vapour of ammonia or hydrochloric acid present after combination has taken
place, and as these vapours are more soluble in water than the resulting compound
(chloride of ammonium), the object is accomplished by passing the whole of the air so
charged with chloride of ammonium through a body of water, whereby any small
"excess of either of these two uncombined vapours is abstracted and absorbed by
the water.
This method of purification is only successful where the excess of any one vapour
is not great.
The passage of the gas, vapour, or other form of remedial agent through water, in
some cases causes a loss of material, some remedial agents having a great affinity for
water, which dissolves them and holds them in suspension or solution. Another
disadvantage is, that the patient has to make greater efforts than would otherwise be
necessary in order to draw the gas or vapour or remedial agents through the body of
water, and the act of suction causes a gurgling noise in the inhaler, which is
disagreeable to the patient. Another objection to the presence of a body of liquid in
the inhaler is the liability of its being spilled, should the inhaler be placed on its side,
an objection which has especial force when a strong corrosive like hydrochloric acid
is being used. In many of the inhalers at present in use, the construction also is
somewhat complicated, which renders them difficult to clean.
Now the object of our invention is to provide a simple and efficient inhaler, which
avoids the disadvantages above enumerated.
In carrying our invention into practice, we employ a large mouthed bottle or
vessel of glass or other suitable material, the mouth of which we close with a suitable
stopper or plug. In this stopper or plug we secure in any convenient manner three
or more tubes, in two or more of which we place any suitable porous material such as
cylinders of pumice, or woven cords of asbestos, saturated with the chemicals to be
used in the formation of the remedial agent, say, for example, chloride of ammonium,
or the remedial agents themselves to be inhaled; the remaining tube we use as a
suction tube.
The porous cylinders or cords, the sizes and lengths of which are adjusted so as to
take up the requisite proportions of the chemicals necessary to form the proper
combination for inhalation, are, when charged, placed in their respective tubes.
To the suction tube we attach a flexible tube and mouthpiece, and its lower end
within the inhaler we form with an enlargement, in which is placed a piece of dry
moistened or medicated sponge, through which the remedial agents are drawn. By
this means we secure a neutral gas or vapour for inhalation, and avoid the gurgling
noise of the water, and unnecessary fatigue to the patient.
A further advantage gained by our improved form of apparatus, and one which is
entirely new, is, that remedial agents in the state of powder, such as magnesia
tannin, and the like, can be used. When employing these agents, a piece of dry
sponge may be placed in the suction tube, and the remedial agents may, if desired,
be placed at the bottom of the inhaling vessel, the draught of air caused by suction
bsing in such case sufficient to stir up and suspend them in the body of the inhaler.
We thus secure their filtration through the dry sponge, and their subsequent passage
into the suction tube for the purpose of inhalation.
It has become a practice in the medical profession of late years, to apply certain
remedial agents in the form of powder or medicated vapour to the ear, the nose, or
other parts of the body. For this purpose, our improved apparatus is specially
adapted, as by attaching an enema or pump to our apparatus the medicated vapour or
powder can be injected or applied, either to the surface, or to any cavity of the body
where it may be required.
In the accompanying drawing we have shown in sectional elevation our improved
apparatus for inhaling or injecting medicinal vapours, gases, or powders.
In this drawing, A is the wide mouthed bottle or vessel, and B the plug or stopper,
which we prefer should be of india rubber. CC are the tubes for containing the
porous material C, which carries the chemical substances for forming the compound
remedial agent, and D is the suction tube, the lower end of which is enlarged to

page_text: receive a piece of sponge D¹. To the other end of this tube D is secured a flexible
tube D provided with a suitable mouthpiece D³, or instead of this flexible suction
tube, an eneina or a pump may be attached for the purpose of injecting, in place of
inhaling, the remedial agent. In order to prevent mistakes in charging the porous
materials, we make the tube C of coloured glass, and the tube C¹ of white glass, and
in sending out the apparatus, we place the chemical substances in similarly coloured
hottles. The pieces of porous material are each provided with a small piece of
suitable wire, by means of which they may be withdrawn from their respective tubes
for the purpose of being recharged.
An inhaler constructed as above described embodies all the good qualities of other
inhalers, and as all the working parts are contained within the inhaler itself, they are
protected from breakage, and the inhaler is simplified in construction.
The one important difference in this form is, that all liquids are dispensed with,
damp sponge being used instead of a body of water to absorb any excess of vapour
either of ammonia or acid; at the same time, the gurgling noise which ensues when
air is drawn through a liquid is avoided. The effort of suction is also reduced to a
minimum, as the bottle A contains no body of water.
There is also no loss of vapour of chloride of ammonium through absorption in that
liquid, and no deterioration of the agents from contact with each other; consequently
the product is uniformly as neutral as it can be practically obtained for inhalation.
Another advantage that this form of inhaler possesses is, that if inadvertently the
patient should, instead of sucking, blow into the apparatus (a very common mistake),
no inconvenience can result, neither can the acid or ammonia be damaged; in
all previous forms, this mistake would necessitate the recharging of the entire
apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
An apparatus to be used for inhaling or for injecting medicinal vapours, gases, or
powders, and consisting of an open mouthed vessel A, an india rubber or other plug
or stopper B, provided with tubes CC, each to contain a chemical substance or a
piece of porous material saturated with a chemical substance or substances, to form a
compound medicinal remedial agent, and a suction tube D enlarged at its lower end
to receive a piece of sponge, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 14th day of September 1887