A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR INHALING VAPOURS, MEDICATED AIR, OR GASES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Balbirnie, M.D., M.A., of Fernley Place,
Sheffield, in the County of York, l'hysician, for the Invention of
"A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR INHALING VAPOURS, MEDICATED AIR,
OR GASES,"
Sealed the 2nd July 1869, and dated the 5th January 1809.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Balbirnio at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th January 1860.
I, JOHN BALBIRNIE, M.D., M.A., of Fernley Place, Sheffield, in the
County of York, Physician, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A Nrw oz IxPROVED APPARATUS FOR INHALING VAPOURS,
MEDICATED AIR, OR GASES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a new or improved construction of
apparatus applicable for the purpose of inhaling vapours, medicated

page_text: PP
the respiratory mucous membrane caused by severity of climate or
otherwise.
The apparatus consists of a jar or other vessel provided with one or
more necks or utlets and inlets through which water and the medicated
material are inserted, which are required to be inhaled in the form of
vapour, as well as connecting tubes inside and outside through which
the air and vapours or gases find entrance and exit. The interior tubes
may be of glass or any other suitable material connected on the out-
side with the india-rubber tube or tubes of any other suitable flexible
material. The entrance tube is provided with either a common pair of
bellows or with one or more compressible balls, vessels, or reservoirs,
which when compressed force air through the water contained in the jar
or vessel continuing to a mouth piece or outlet, whereby the vapour may
be inhaled directly either with or without the contact of the mouth of the
patient, or whereby the vapour may be caused to permeate the room of
a patient or surround his couch, chair; or bed. In any case the effect
of the instrument is to relieve the patient, to fill his lungs with the
vapour, medicated air, or gases, and this without the necessity of any
labored inspiratory effort on his part, which is the drawback to all other
inhaling instruments. In conjunction with or in addition to the col-
lapsible or compressible flexible balls which cause the propulsion of
air through the water in the vessel I propose in certain cases to apply a
tube in communication with a retort heated by a spirit lamp or other
equivalent means, in which retort the medicated preparations are placed
and the vapour therefrom generated as well as steam, if necessary, which
is then forced through the water (previously medicated or not, as may be
desirable). The water in the jar or vessel is to be about half filled, the
temperature varying from boiling downwards; and in order to retain or
preserve the temperature the vessel may be placed or immersed in a
basin of hot or boiling water. By these improved arrangements it is
obvious that immense advantages will accrue to the patient since perfect
inhalation may be effected where the patient is not strong enough to
draw the vapour or medicated air or steam by inhaling with the common
inhalers; or it may be used to disseminate the vapours in the vicinity of
the patient by extraneous aid; and morcover a tube may be conveyed
-

page_text: from the outer air beyond the room of the patient in order to conduct
fresh air to the compressing apparatus, and consequently to force it in
combination with other vapours or steam or both to the mouth or pro-
sence of the patient. Numerous other advantages could be mentioned
in accordance with this Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Balbirnio in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd July 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
BALBIRNIE, M.D., M.A., of Fernley Place, Sheffield, in the County of
York, Physician, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of January, in the year'
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Balbirnic, Hér
special licence that I, the said John Balbirnie, my executors, adminis
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Balbirnic,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A NEW
OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR INHALING VAPOURS, MEDICATED AIR, OR GASES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Balbirnie,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
STAT

page_text: the water (previously medicated or not as may be desirablo). The water
in the jar or vessel is to be about half filled, the temperature varying
from boiling downwards, and in order to retain or preserve the tem.
perature the vessel may be placed or immersed in a basin of liot or
boiling water. By theso improved arrangements it is obvious that great
advantages will accrue to the patient, since perfect inhalation may be
effected where the patient is not strong enough to draw the vapour or
medicated air or steam by inhaling with the common inhalers; or it may
bo used to disseminate the vapours in the vicinity of the patient by
extraneous aid; and moreover a tubo may be conveyed from the outer
air beyond the room of the patient in order to conduct fresh air to the
compressing apparatus, and consequently to forco it in combination
with other vapours or steam or both to the mouth or presence of the
patient.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, I will now proceed to particularly describe and ascertain
in what manner the same is to be performed or carried into practical.
oneration by reference to the accompanying Drawings, as follows:-
DESCRIPTI
OF THE D
Fig. 1, view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with my
Invention.
A, A, A, A, the jar or vessel; B, inlet for supplying the vessel or jar
A, A, A, A, with water and medicated material; B', inlet for air or gas;
Bu, outlet for air or gas after it has passed through the water or medi-
cated material; O, O, the water or medicated material; D, D, glass or
other tube fitted to the inlet B', passing down near to the bottom of the
vessel, and also projecting above the inlet to allow of the fitting of
an india-rubber or other tube connected with the bellows or force pump
or compressible balls or bladders; E, glass or other tube fitted in
the outlet B", and projecting above the neck of the jar or vessel to
allow of the fitting of an india-rubber or other tube or pipe fitted
with a mouth piece; F, F, the bellows, compressible ball or bladder;
G, G, flexible tube connecting the bellows, forco pump, or compressiblo
ball or bladder F, F, with the inlet tube D, D; H, H, flexible tube
provided with mouth piece I to convoy the gas or medicated air to

page_text: the most of the patient, or the air may be amused in the aunospacre
in the neighbourhood of the patient; J, J, bowl or basin containing
warm or boiling water in which the jar or vessel A, A, A, A, can be
placed so that the temperature of the air to be inhaled may be regulated
& maintained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed or
put in operation, I hereby declare that I claim the herein-before described
Invention of "A New or Improved Apparatus for Inhaling Vapours,
Medicated Air, or Gases," in which the peculiar and distinguishing
characteristics are the means of propelling the air or gas or medicated
vapour or mingled steam and air through the water in the jar or vessel
by a small bellows, force pump, or elastic ball or bladder and tubes, or
conjointly wherewith a retort may be used with spirit lamp or other
chemical or mechanical means of preparing the medicated vapour, steam,
or gas to be inhaled by the patient, and by which apparatus all
inspiratory effort on the part of the patient is superseded, so that (instead
of tasking a diseased lung to make violent and too often unavailing
efforts to inhale the remedy) a free gush of warm, genial, medicated air
or vapour or gas is forced into the system without effort on the part of
the patient, leaving it to the patient's option to admit or refuse as much
or as little as his instincts and feelings prompt, whereby the fatigue of
inhaling, the difficulty even of simple breathing is obviated, as even the
application of the mouth piece to the lips may in most cases be dispensed
with, to the manifest relief of the patient. And this inhaler may be
worked by an attendant whilst the patient remains reclining in bed, and
it may be removed to such distance from him according as the elastic
tubes are made longer or shorter; and (if necessary) the air propelled
through the inhaler may be drawn directly from the outer atmosphere,
as where it is an object to avoid any impurities or closeness that may
attach to the sick chamber. Where the inhalation of pure oxygen gas
is required its propulsion through the hot water of the jar and its partial
vaporisation will very much modify and reduce its stimulating effects,
which indeed without some such diluent few patients can safely bear for
any length of time, for it is a gas whose physiological action soon merges
into a pathological condition. However it must be understood that I
do not limit myself to the precise details of construction shown by the

page_text: Drawings and herein described, nor do I claim such details per se and
apart from the purposes of my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Balbirnie, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
ELIZA ACETHORP.
JOHN BALBIRNIE, M.A., M.D. (L.B.)