Health Sciences · Hospital for Sick Children
A brown-tinted bottle with a white label featuring red lettering. The neck of the bottle has a red plastic ring around it. The seal on the bottle’s metal cap is broken and the bottle is empty.
Accession Number: 2025.sk.17
Alternative Name:
Primary Materials: Glass
The label includes the following information: NDC (National Drug Code Directory) no.: “0046-3125-82”; Expiration date: 8/84; Lot: “IPPA”
Dimensions (cm): Height = 18, Max diam. = 6.
Halothane (marketed as fluothane) is a general anesthetic that is administered by inhalation. It was first brought to market in 1958 by Ayerst Laboratories. It was a significant improvement over earlier anesthetics, notably ether and chloroform, in that it was non-flammable, potent, and had fewer medical side effects. It has been withdrawn from use in most higher income countries due to instances of liver toxicity.
The bottle is opened and empty. The label is in good condition.
Associated Instruments:
Averst Laboratories inc. New York, NY, USA.
Date of Manufacture: c. 1980s
Provenance:
Lisa Huang, Christine Sang, and Manisha S Desai. (2017). “Beyond Ether and Chloroform – A Major Breakthrough with Halothane.” Journal of Anesthesia History 3, no. 3: 87–102. .
Halothane (marketed fluothane) was first synthesized in 1951 by British chemist Charles Walter Suckling (1920-2013). After extensive clinical testing, it entered use in 1958. It was first produced by Ayerst Laboratories of New York.
By the 1980s, it had been superseded by other halogenated anesthetics such as enflurane and isoflurane. It was withdrawn from the market in higher income countries due to instances of liver damage (halothane hepatitis).
- Donated to UTSIC