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Ether Can

Health Sciences · Hospital for Sick Children

A cylindrical metal can, presumed to have contained ether due its similarity to other such artifacts. The can is missing its label save for a narrow blank strip of paper adhering vertically to a portion of its perimeter.

The can has a short, narrow neck at the centre of its upper surface. The neck broadens slightly around its upper edge. A length of translucent tubing has been affixed around this neck. Two holes have been punched around the upper edge of the can.

Accession Number: 2025.sk.31

Alternative Name:

Primary Materials: Metal

Markings:

Dimensions (cm): Height = 13, Max Diam = 9.

Function:

Diethyl ether is a volatile liquid that was used as a general anesthetic beginning in the 1840s. Its primary disadvantage was its extreme flammability.

Ether was largely replaced by newer general anesthetics around the 1960s following the introduction of halothane in 1956. These greatly reduced the risk of fire and explosion.

Condition:

The outer surface of the metal container is corroded and has been punctured in two places on its upper surface. The artifact is missing its label.

Associated Instruments:

Manufacturer:

E. R. Squibb of Brooklyn, New York produced ether in a very similar container, and may be the manufacturer of this artifact. (See the Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology link in “Additional Information and Reference”.)

Date of Manufacture: Mid 20th century.

Provenance:

Additional Information and References:

Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology (WLM) in Schaumburg, IL, USA, has catalogued an example of ether manufactured by E. R. Squibb in Brooklyn, New York. The entry contains useful historical context. (Webpage archived 27 June 2025)

Historical Notes:

Themes: