Dr Nelson’s improved inhaler
Dr Nelson’s Improved Inhaler was first shown at a Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society meeting in 1861.
Respiratory complaints were very common in Britain during the Industrial Revolution and the urban development that followed. There were other inhalers available but the advantages of Dr Nelson’s were that it was cheaper and patients were able to use it themselves.
The inhaler is made of earthenware, which is easy to clean and does not deteriorate over time. It has a spout on the side to allow the exhaled breath to escape, a sponge in the neck to soak up the medication and it should have a mouthpiece at the top for inhalation, which is missing in our example. It could be used just to inhale hot water or together with a range of substances such as ether, chloroform, creosote or vinegar.
This design was used right up until the mid-1900s when safer and more effective replacements were introduced, like antibiotics, steroids, and dry-powder inhalers.
Boots the Chemist inhaler was made from 1939 to 1945, with the directions for use printed on the side.
This inhaler is part of a display of bottles from the museum collection, which includes medicine bottles from the former Thame chemists, Robert Brand and Barley, and milk bottles from the dairies, James Holland and B A Ellway.